Can we have a checkbox in the Settings dialogue to disable the "do you want to transcode" pop-up?

I'm not interested in ever transcoding (hell, most of the music I have is already in a compressed format, so transcoding again would reduce quality). I do copy things to my collection very frequently. It'd be great if I didn't have an annoying new window every single time I copy an album to my collection.

The audiophile in me also longs for a warning label that transcoding an already-compressed file will always reduce quality, but that's probably too much asked

Finally, Amarok is great and keeps getting better. Thank you.

Hello,

I do agree with you !
This is bugging me too.
I did open an enhancement request (https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=263270) but the least I can say is that I was not heard
I definitely think this should be an option too

Bleah. We waited over a year for transcoding, and now you are complaining you have to make a click to say Copy? Sheesh.

Hello,

We are not complaining.
Transcoding is great, this wasn't my point.
My point is that from a user interface perspective, "copy" should be the default mode, and transcoding should be made optional.
Yes, it is juste one click, but it's one wasted click in my opinion.
I'm sure you can hear that.

I understand that integrating transcoding into Amarok wasn't an easy feat, but I'd think that feedback on usability would be welcome. Please look at this from the developer's point of view too exclusively - I'm sure you've seen additions to programs that the developers were very fond of, that some users wanted, but that you personally weren't interested in at all.

I copy albums to my collection very frequently, and this is just very annoying! From a usability point of view, if you're going to assume that everyone who copies something to his collection wants to transcode, at least give us the option to say "we aren't interested in transcoding, please stop asking". It's no more than a "remember this answer" checkbox that we're asking for.

After all, we do click "copy to collection", not "transcode to collection".

OK, let's look at this from the point of usability, because believe me, the developers keep usability uppermost in their minds, and don't do a lot of stuff which seems cool and fun, because the usability just isn't there. Remember the cover-flow applet? It was cool, but that wasn't enough.

Transcoding is important for lots of people, I think you'll agree. If we did it your way, and put a checkbox somewhere (where would be a good place for that?), what happens when you *want* to use it? Will you remember how to recover that capability?

The proliferation of choices, oddly enough, makes for worse usability. The developers work really hard to try to make good choices, while providing as much flexibility as possible, consistent with good usability.

Think about another issue, which Amarok is bumping up against -- discoverability. How do people know where the choices are, and what they mean? Please feel free to file a bug, and mark it WISH, but think about and discuss these issues in your bug report, because that is where the developers start.

We're not asking for a "disable this functionality" checkbox for every function you add to amarok.

The issue here is that there's two different functionalities - "copy files to collection" and "transcode files" that have been lumped in together. My personal gripe is that I copy a lot but never transcode, and that's just an extra click, but it's also an issue the other way around. What happens if you want to transcode something now? It's impossible to find if you haven't copied a folder before.

I'm not certain a checkbox is the best way to go about this, I'll admit that. Perhaps it needs two different options in the right-click menu. But right now, discoverability is also worse off.

Now we are getting somewhere. Perhaps we should take this discussion to the bug-tracker? Or write up a usability proposal and send it to the amarok list: amarok@kde.org .

Thanks!

Cool.

Well, since you mentionned the cover flow applet, I am still very disappointed that we eventually did not ship it with amarok 2.3.x
As long as it was optional (if you don't want the applet, you just ignore it) AND eagerly awaited by possibly lot of people (googled forums & co)
I understand the legal issue (Apple patent) but as all other music players (not even mentionning other supports like TV & phones) seem to provide with that view, I personnaly think that the risk was neglictible and that we could have improved it a lot by "unleashing" it to the end users.

Sorry to have steered the thread off-course. Part of the argument against including the cover-flow was not just the legal implications, which we absolutely can't afford, and thus could possibly end Amarok forever, but usability. The code is still there for people to play with and modify, and hopefully someone will come up with something both free from legal issues, snazzy, AND with good usability.

I agree that it was fun, and I was disappointed that it couldn't go forward.

*sigh*
Yep, I know...
I am compiling amarok locally just for that very purpose.
I am using CoverBling on my computer on a daily basis without glitches.
Hopefully someone will come up with a more innovative (and legal) stuff in the future (maybe a Gsoc project ?)

Valoriez, I've opened a bug report as you asked, at https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=264681. If it turns out this will not improve Amarok, of course - but I believe separate options will help usability

Um. Do you expect me to write up a usability proposal too? Thought that I'd at least get a response to the bug report

@NilePenguin: you will get a response to your wish as soon as a developer has time to do so. We only have 2 hands per developer and all work on Amarok in their free time. You could eventually speed up by writing to the amarok-devel@kde.org mailing list with a proposal.

@manu: did you commit your improvements to git? I just tried the CoverBling again and it still chokes on my 10.000+ tracks collection.

@Mamarok :
Well, everything is in git.
As I mentionned, I'm using it on a daily basis with a 15GB+ collection without glitches.
What is the problem exactly ? Is it a performance issue ?