Winamp for Android Big Bugs/Features/Suggestions Topic v0.9.2

[kustodian]

So here is my list of bugs, features and suggestions combined into one topic. This one is for version 0.9.2.

Glossary of terms:
Streaming search results = results which are displayed before pressing the search icon or return)

Regular search results = results which are displayed after you press return or the search icon.


Winamp for Android 0.9.2

BUGS:

• WIRELESS SYNCING
  • Can't discover device after ejecting
    // Wireless synching works very fast now, but only for the first time. After you eject the device from Winamp and try to rediscover it again, it doesn't work. Needs a Winamp restart.
    
    
  • Make it possible to setup the music folder, like in USB sync
    // It's stupid to have an option to set the music folder in USB sync, but not in wifi sync. Atm wifi sync puts all the music files in the music folder, but this should be configurable.
    
    
  • More straight-forward options of playlist synchronization
    // Currently, to sync with playlist(s), you not only have to go into preferences to choose the playlist(s), but you must also uncheck the option to sync the entire library if you don't want your entire library synced to your device, which is the case for the majority of Android users. An interface more akin to doubleTwist/iTunes for device music syncing would be ideal for mass adoption. doubleTwist may not be a perfect solution for Android syncing, but it's far easier to use at this point.
    
    
  • Support for special characters
    // It seems as though some but not all special characters are supported for syncing. A few examples would include 'è', 'œ', 'ï', etc. 'é' seems to be supported.
  
  
  
• Cover are is missing from transcoded audio files which were sent to Android
  // If you right click on a file and choose Send to->Android Phone, it converts to M4A (that is how the transcoder is setup), but it doesn't copy the cover image (which is embedded in the ID3) to the ID3 tag of the M4A file. On the other hand regular Format Converter (Sent to->Format Converter), copies the cover are that is embedded in the ID3 tag without a problem. This is one of the main reason why I'm not using Winamp for synching music, since it doesn't copy cover art.
  
  
• Unplugging the headset with a mic, while Winamp is playing, doesn't stop the music from playing
  // While Winamp is playing and you unplug regular headphones, the music stops playing, but if those headphones have a mic, it will continue playing even when you unplug the headset. This is very annoying and probably an easy fix.
  
  
• Listening to Winamp with headphones -> phone rings -> unplug headphones -> answer -> finish call -> Winamp continues to play
  // Even if the headphones are not plugged in, Winamp continues to play, and he shouldn't, it should detect that the headphones were unplugged.
  
  
• If "Control headset" is enabled, and Winamp is playing, incoming call cannot be answers with the headset
  // This was a bug in 0.9.1 and it still is a very annoying bug, since it makes "Control headset" option in Winamp useless.
  
  
• Streaming/regular search results don't show album covers
  // It's much easier to find stuff if you can see album covers. Songs in the search results should also display album covers.
  
  
• Streaming/regular search results display non relevant results.
  // For example if I type "Wish you were here", besides many results it will display "Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - King's Highway" from "Trouble is..." album, which has nothing to do with what I searched for.
  I have no idea how does the search work.
  
  
• Streaming search is bugged.
  // For instance if I yet again search "Wish you were here" it displays the album "Wish you were here", all songs from that album and many more songs, but it doesn't display a song with that same name from a different album/artist. This is very annoying.
  
  
• While in "search results" and you press the back button, it goes to search results which display all artists. It should go back to where it was before.
  // I have no idea why this happens.
  
  
• When in regular search results and you open an album that was found, when press the Back button, it leaves Winamp.
  // Fixed.
  
  
• In History when you start scrolling it displays the large scroll bar on the side but it cannot be dragged.
  // History is removed.

SUGGESTIONS:

• Rename "Play Queue" to "Now Playing" and add a separate playing queue, like in desktop Winamp.
  // This way it will have the same functionality like the desktop app, and now when you queue a track that is in now playing, it will really queue it, and not duplicate it to the bottom of the list, like it does now. Queue could be accessed from a Menu button while in Now Playing. The more the Android app feels like the desktop app the better.
  
  
• Remove the regular search results and make the streaming search results have all the functionality of regular results.
  // There is no need to press Return to confirm the search, since it finds everything on the fly almost instantly. If you don't want to remove them, at least give the streaming result the same or some functionality besides playing a track.
  
  
• On regular search results make the overlay of the search phrase more transparent
  // This should only need a change if you don't want remove regular search results, since it's very hard to see the bottom two results. You could also remove the overlay and put it in the title: "Search Results for 'search phrase'"
  -- It looks to be more transparent in 0.9.2.
  
  
• Make it so that when you are in Artists and press the search button it only filters artists.
  // The same should apply for albums, songs, now playing, playlist and history. Search the whole library only if you press the search button in Winamp root and other irrelevant places. This should make it very easy and fast to find a specific artist, album...
  
  
• Make it possible to sort now playing, and playlists, in general by track name, artist, file path, etc.
  // This could be done via Menu button. I don't know one player that has this, and it's very important for playlist since it's easier to find songs if the are sorted.
  
  
• Make it easier to remove a batch of songs from Now Playing/Playlists.
  // Again this could be an option from the Menu button.
  
  
• Shuffle Implemented Incorrectly (Link)
  // When shuffle is turned on, and you press Previous song button, it forgets what songs were played.
  
  
• Sort by "A"/"An", don't ignore them
  // In every music app I used in the library when the artists are are sorted by name, if an artist started with either 'a' or 'an' it was sorted under A, but for 'the' it usually was excluded. Even desktop Winamp does it like this. The group is called "A Perfect Circle", and their name starts with 'A' not 'P'. This is not the same as 'The Rolling Stones", since you can pronounce their name without "the", while you could never say just "Perfect Circle".
  
  
• Make it possible to sort albums in library by release date
  //This could be an option in the settings or accessed from the Menu button while viewing albums from an artists - Sort by: Name/Release Date.
  
  
• Add support for compilations
  // While in Artist view all compilations should be displayed under "Various Artists" as the first artist, to make it easier to find them.
  
  
• Make the widget open Winamp when you press anywhere on the widget, except the buttons.
  // It's pointless to have a big widget and to still need to target the Winamp logo to open the player
  
  
• Make an additional 4x1 widget.
  // Some people like to use a smaller widget.
  -- This one is created in 0.9.2.
  
  
• Integrate the lock screen with the Sense/Default lock screen.
  // Atm the lock screen is useless, since we have to unlock the phone two times.
  
  
• Make the cover art on the lock screen fit by width, and not by height.
  // Atm the cover art looks very bad and you can't see the whole image.
  -- It's a little better in 0.9.2, but still parts of the cover are cut our on the sides.
  
  
• Always show Notification Tray icon if Winamp is running. (Link)
  // This could be very useful for fast and easy access to Winamp. This could be an option in the settings page.
  
  
• Get rid of the "Do you really want to leave Winamp" box
  // This is removed in 0.9.2
  
  
  
• Can you add for the podcasts/speech/audiobooks the function to restart where last stopped left off? Very important as podcasts can be up to 90mins long or so.
  
  
• Add "podcasts" as separate to artists/albums etc... Makes them easier to find
  
  
• Please add Smart Views if possible, it's one of the best things in Winamp and would be great to have it in here also.
  
  
• ID3 Tag Editing
  // This would be more than awesome to have, but it will need to update the tags in the android library or Media Storage (whatever it's called).
  
  
• Write Android native playlists
  // to get m3u from PC to Android for the default player to recognize them requires iTunes (WTF?) or doubleTwist (crap)... hoping I could get playlists from PC into the Android player made me install WinAmp once again, so I think this feature might attract more (PC) users even if they initially did not care for 3rd-party player

SUPER FEATURES:

• Add an option to refresh the music library, so it checks all songs and reloads the ID3 tags and covers.
  // There is no application on the market that can do this and it's very handy, because when Android reads the tags from a song it never updates that song even if something was changed.
  
  
• Lyrics support.
  // I'm especially thinking of displaying synchronized lyrics which are embedded in the audio files.
  
  
• Support for more formats like flac.
  // I don't care about this one, but I saw a few people ask for this.
  
  
• Equalizer/Gain
  // I don't use it, but many people do.
  
  
• 3G synchronization.
  // I don't care about this one, but there are people who would like to have this functionality.
  
  
• Stream music from your Library
  // Many of us are waiting for Winamp Remote to work on Android Winamp.

[kustodian]

All in all, I'm very disappointed with this release, since only a few bugs have been fixed and not the major ones

[Apophis13]

Just installed this on my new HTC desire, it was crashing on startup after i opened a playlist, updating to Android 2.2 solved my problem. I have no issues with it now, but some of the above mentioned suggestions would be nice (streaming, and selectable music folder for wifi sync)

[SpOuK-3-]

When I receive a call I cannot answer with the headphones ... It just stop / start the current song ... With the internal player I can press the play button on the headphones and answer or hanghup a call ...

Still not working in 0.92 ... I own a Nexus One with 2.2.1

[catalysto]

[*]Cover are is missing from transcoded audio files which were sent to Android
// If you right click on a file and choose Send to->Android Phone, it converts to M4A (that is how the transcoder is setup), but it doesn't copy the cover image (which is embedded in the ID3) to the ID3 tag of the M4A file. On the other hand regular Format Converter (Sent to->Format Converter), copies the cover are that is embedded in the ID3 tag without a problem. This is one of the main reason why I'm not using Winamp for synching music, since it doesn't copy cover art.

Can someone please explain to me why Winamp is converting the format to begin with? Why isn't there an option to leave it exactly as it is and just transfer it?

[kustodian]

Can someone please explain to me why Winamp is converting the format to begin with? Why isn't there an option to leave it exactly as it is and just transfer it?

It doesn't have to convert if you do not want it to, it can be all setup in the settings of your device.

[nicola.mazbar]

One more issue with headphones with a microphone:

When I receive a call while listening using Google Listen, and the call is done, Winamp starts playing along with the podcast! And there's no indication in the task bar that Winamp is running at all.

I don't think that this is an issue with Listen, since I haven't encountered this problem with any other media player that I tried on Android.

I'm using Android 2.1 on SE Xperia X10a.

Hope this gets fixed soon


Nicola

[c00ller]

Suggestion:

Option to unpause/start music when headphones are inserted
When I plug headphones in, it always means I want to listen to music. I would like the option to automatically start music, continuing from the last time it was paused, when headphones are plugged in.

[kustodian]

I just found more details about the unplugging the headset with a mic not stopping music. I just found out that the music does stop, if Control headset is checked in Winamp, it doesn't stop if it's not checked. The problem is that atm because we cannot answer calls with a headset while Winamp is controlling it, this has to be disabled

Unplugging the headset with a mic, while Winamp is playing, doesn't stop the music from playing
// While Winamp is playing and you unplug regular headphones, the music stops playing, but if those headphones have a mic, it will continue playing even when you unplug the headset. This is very annoying and probably an easy fix.
UPDATE: This only happens if Control headset is not checked.

[sconefrenzy]

Apologies if this is a known issue/already listed. I'm having trouble deciding what the info. button on the currently playing track is supposed to do. I've tested it with various files all of which have valid tag information.

All the tag info. shows up in desktop Winamp or in any of the other desktop or mobile players that I've opened them with. The tag info. for track name/album name/artist name is showing correctly on the playing when locked screen.

If the button is intended to pull info. from sources other than the file tags then it's not happening for me. I tried whilst connected to desktop, tried solo both with and without Wifi activated. All returned an error message.

If the data source is not the file tags and the conditions are not met (not streaming, no Wifi, not docked, whatever) then shouldn't the button grey out?

tl;dr version - info button always returns "No artist information found" error message.

HTC Hero w/ Android 2.1
Desktop Winamp v5.601 Pro
Mobile Winamp v0.92

[kraps]

that headset-button-not-answering-calls bug - very annoying. In fact I'm going back to stock player until this gets fixed.

There's also this "5.1" music-enhancing button in samsung stock player which also keeps me from switching to winamp.

[Deacon Crusher]

This is a great list. A couple of clarifications.

I think there's another bug under the wifi heading.

Wifi sync doesn't work if you have multiple network interfaces, including vmware nics, or vpn nics. Please fix. I've had to disable those other items to use wifi sync and I'd like to keep using wifi sync and turn them back on. Winamp desktop never sees the device when this problem is happening.

You list playlists in 2 different areas one having to do with complexity of configuring and one having to do with syncing/converting m3u playlists so the list itself (not its contents) is synced. I agree with both of those, but also think there's a bug with syncing/recognition that creates a scenario where items are synced over and over again because somehow device and client don't agree that a song is already on the client.

Also, is this item

Make it easier to remove a batch of songs from Now Playing/Playlists.
// Again this could be an option from the Menu button.

meant to address this issue?

As many others have mentioned there needs to be a way to not have all your game sound files and other random items listed in winamp so that if you want to just do a play all (since right now I can't play my playlists) I don't have hundreds of tiny short game sound files included in my play all.

If yes, great, as I'd find that acceptable (let me remove from lists, without deleting from device.) If not then is one of the other items a solution for this issue, if not we need an item added to this list and we should keep the list in front of the developers eyes.


Also, this item

Support for special characters
// It seems as though some but not all special characters are supported for syncing. A few examples would include 'è', 'œ', 'ï', etc. 'é' seems to be supported.

may be part of why I have this problem.

If you have music on your computer at a couple of different levels it doesn't always sync properly.

I have

N:\music\artist\album\song but I also have
N:\music\singlesong purchases\artist\album\song and
N:\music\comedy\artist\album\track

etc.

All the items that are in playlists that are in this structure

N:\music\artist\album\song

sync pretty reliably, most of the others almost never sync.

However, I think there may be an additional problem beyond just the special character issue.

Last I'd add this to your Super Features list unless there's a way to do it already.

Winamp needs to list or have a way to find the total size in megs or gigs of the songs in a playlist so one can have a hope of designing playlists that fit on your device.

Thanks for putting this list together.

Happy new year.

[Deacon Crusher]

One other item.

When doing a wifi sync it starts fast but after while it slows way down (phone going into low power or sleep mode?) Can't winamp android client software force the file transfer speed to stay fast until it's complete?

[think_lenovo]

Definitely agree with:

"Make it possible to setup the music folder, like in USB sync
// It's stupid to have an option to set the music folder in USB sync, but not in wifi sync. Atm wifi sync puts all the music files in the music folder, but this should be configurable."

To me, this it the only thing holding me back from completely switching to winamp and forgetting about my iPod and iTunes completely. This not only allows all music to be in the same place, but also works for compilation albums because then you can just set up folders by \Album\ so that all the songs will appear in the same album in the player.

Until then I'll still be using a mix of iTunes and MusicBee.

[one3rd]

WIRELESS SYNCING

• Support for special characters
  // It seems as though some but not all special characters are supported for syncing. A few examples would include 'è', 'œ', 'ï', etc. 'é' seems to be supported.

I just noticed today doing USB syncing that while tracks with special characters (including é and —) will transfer over to the device but will not be included in any playlists that are synced. They can be added to a playlist in Winamp on the device, however.