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Early this morning I d/l another music to try out. It's called Astro Player Nova.
The Nova is a beta app but looks to have promise. It contains several features that I look for and even includes the ever-elusive equalizer!
I use a combination of my Eris' stock player, Cubed (3) and Zimly to accomplish my desire to create playlists, queue songs and have an easy to use interface.
The stock player creates playlists the easiest of any app I've used that can do it, while I love the way that Cubed handles music selection and queuing of songs. Zimly has the easiest and slickest interface of any app I've tried. In fairness to Zimly, I recently found a way to create playlists and queue songs in the app. These features aren't as easy to find or identify in Zimly as within the stock music player or Cubed, but they exist.
Well, I am trying the Nova from Astro and it looks VERY promising! This app allows playlist creation, provides queuing of songs and...wait for it...Waittttttt for it...IT HAS AN EQUALIZER!!!!
This product is still in beta so I'm taking it through the paces, including the equalizer. I have an aux input in my car, I use wireless FM xmitter in my wife's car and I wear headphones when exercising, so I should be able to reasonably assess how useful the equalizer is.
One nice feature of the beta app is that it has a option to send feedback to the developers right from the app. This is nice for those of us who don't have a problem with apps transmitting user data.
I will update this thread as I use Nova more. Also, I'm interested in other opinions from new users.
The Following User Says Thank You to lakeside For This Useful Post:
Here's my first review of the Astro Player Nova after 4 days of use:
1. Memory/buffer optimization needs much improvement. Any action to the handset causes skips/delays (micro-delays in terms of half-sec pauses). When I say "any action" I mean mean anything: activating the screen after it goes dark, turning off the lock screen with a swipe, background receipt of text or email messages, and probably any background function peformed by the OS.
I don't have this problem with the stock player that comes with the Android OS, Zimly or Cubed-3. Zimly and Cubed are also beta apps according to their developers, although they are more matured apps in the beta state.
DETERMINATION: A CON
2. The equalizer...DOES ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!! I have been trying the equalizer in my car using the Aux input. I played several songs using Zimly, Cubed and Nova. I was amazed at the quality improvement once I started using the equalizer in Nova. Note that Zimly and Cubed do not have equalizers (neither do the majority of music player apps on the market!).
DETERMINATION: A PRO
3. Nova has a feature that I will label as "Cumulative Queuing." The primary screen has a button labeled as "ADD" which allows the queuing of songs for play after the current song ends. What is quirky about Nova's implementation is that the queue history is permanent. Even after I've closed the app and opened it later, the history of all songs I've added to the queue are still there. This is essentially "playlist-building on the fly."
I'll have to go back to my other installed players and see if they can perform this feature.
DETERMINATION: NEW FEATURE TO ME, BUT A PRO
4. Lyrics button on the main screen - When I first saw this button, I thought it was a lyric finding feature. I don't think that is its actual purpose. I believe this is for lyrics that are stored as a part of a song's ID tag.
DETERMINATION: A BIT MISLEADING, SO A CON, BUT NOT A SHOWSTOPPER.
That is all for now! With the weekend here, I'm really going to put this app through the paces, with my exercising, lawn work, etc., that will do!!
Last edited by lakeside; October 17th, 2010 at 05:53 PM.
I did an update to the beta thinking it was a resolution of performance issues.
I think this update actually removes the Nova functions and installs the basic Astro Player. I no longer have the ability to use the equalizer and the queuing features. I keep getting a message to upgrade to the fully enhanced version. However, the beta version of NOVA is still available for d/l.
For now, I'm going to uninstall this app. The buffering problems are too significant for me to buy the product and determine that they have been resolved.
Too bad because I thought this app had promise!
Just some more FYI on my experiences. I had the beta version (labeled Astro Player Nova) and it worked with full functionality through two release updates, 1.70 and 1.71. On yesterday, release 1.74 restored me to the what i've called the basic functions. the advanced features were deactivated with this release (equalizer, queuing, etc). I'll have to buy the upgrade to resume testing of the features.
That being said, the base version I've been busted down to by the update, does not have nearly the sound quality of Zimly, Cubed or even my Eris' stock player! And these players don't have an eq function!!
For anyone interested, here's the link to the site where I found out about the changelog:
I think the skipping you are having is a Froyo wide problem. I get skipping when playing back music on both the stock and Mixzing players. Not too big of a deal, but frequent enough to notice. I never had this with 2.1.
Thanks for the review. Personally I use Mixzing. It has everything you mentioned above, but also with a touch gesture widget, allowing for easy skipping of songs by swiping. This is great when driving. There is also a setting that will wake up the screen in between songs for a few seconds. This is great when you dont know the song ... you can look down and see what it is with out having to mess with the phone. This also makes for easily skipping the song with a swipe if you dont like it. But it also comes with a more expensive price tag =)
I'm using 2.1 on my Eris, it is a rooted phone though, so the skipping is probably on the app side and not a function of its integration with a specific OS. It could be the way it's integrated with Android regardless of the OS version, I just know that it skipped enough to be annoying.
I had tried MixZing when I bought my phone several months ago and I didn't see it being functional for me. I'll revisit it since I'm a more savvy user than I was at time I bought the phone - heck I rooted my phone after only 4 months of ownership!
4. Lyrics button on the main screen - When I first saw this button, I thought it was a lyric finding feature. I don't think that is its actual purpose. I believe this is for lyrics that are stored as a part of a song's ID tag.
DETERMINATION: A BIT MISLEADING, SO A CON, BUT NOT A SHOWSTOPPER.
I know your putting us on. Lyrics?! Do you know how you thought equalizer was great. Double that for the lyrics.
Lyrics are part of the tag in a MP3 file ans 15% of my 15,000 songs have it.
I will be checking this program out. Will it show the art work that's in the tag.
All comments on this site looked good as reflected by you. All so it seems the program does not have art work. That would be nice but I can deal with it.
As I was thinking that you might get so many updates untill you end up back with the base product. I will let you know, unless I buy it straight out.
[QUOTE=AlexNC;1761601]Personally I use Mixzing. It has everything you mentioned above, but also with a touch gesture widget, allowing for easy skipping of songs by swiping. /QUOTE]
Does it have art work? Can it show the album cover?
[QUOTE=AlexNC;1761601]Personally I use Mixzing. It has everything you mentioned above, but also with a touch gesture widget, allowing for easy skipping of songs by swiping. /QUOTE]
Does it display art work? Can it show the album cover?
I checked out the above and decided against it. I ended up trying "Player PRO" & "MixZing. Player pro was going to be my choice until I found that "MixZing" can update Album covers and art. The draw back to "MixZing" was the lack of lyrics ubless you use a linked program called "Instant Lyrics". I don't mean to sound down on "Instant Lyrics". If you have nothing else it is a good solution. There set update list very few program that it works with. I believe it works with the default Droid prg.
If "MixZing" was the lyrics built in, so to speak, I will go with it.
I appreciate all of the comments; I'm done with this thread since my latest update removed the functionality that initially thrilled me about the Nova beta.
I'm moving on to evaluating MixZing! I do know there were concerns expressed about the rudeness coming from the dev regarding what user data the app is sending to the dev. I'm going back to those threads to see the resolution, if any.
I'm going to recommend people not try MixZing. I was the one who raised the concerns about data being taken originally. The best response I got from the dev was that they collect data about your library so they can "stay in sync with it." Now personally I have no clue what that means. I don't know what data is being collected and I don't know why their server has to stay in sync with my library. I asked for clarification and was basically told that my question had been answered sufficiently and I was just being difficult and I should pound sand. Personally I would recommend btunes if you are using 2.1 or earlier. If you're using 2.2 it's a buggy, buggy program and it's no longer supported. Rumor has it the dev is dead. It's easily the best player pre 2.2 I think.
On my brief checks on "Player Pro", "MixZing". I think it was"Player Pro" that did an wierd music add to collection. That would be OK If I could turn it off, but option did not work. Again I think it was "Player Pro". I did like it if not for the add.
"MixZing" I decided against but have since saw a item on there site that seemed to suggest it had lyrics. If it's done with out the out side program, see above, I will try.
"HELP"
I wanted to highlight the words
see above and create a link to my above message.
Any help for a struggling pro.
Last edited by amerifax; October 20th, 2010 at 11:33 PM.
I'm going to recommend people not try MixZing. I was the one who raised the concerns about data being taken originally. The best response I got from the dev was that they collect data about your library so they can "stay in sync with it." Now personally I have no clue what that means. I don't know what data is being collected and I don't know why their server has to stay in sync with my library. I asked for clarification and was basically told that my question had been answered sufficiently and I was just being difficult and I should pound sand. Personally I would recommend btunes if you are using 2.1 or earlier. If you're using 2.2 it's a buggy, buggy program and it's no longer supported. Rumor has it the dev is dead. It's easily the best player pre 2.2 I think.
My guess is it's to better their algorithms regarding the recommendation features that play similar music. I don't really see a problem with it.
I personally use Lithium for the crossfade feature, if MixZing had it I'd switch to that personally.
The Following User Says Thank You to negreenfield For This Useful Post:
My guess is it's to better their algorithms regarding the recommendation features that play similar music. I don't really see a problem with it.
I personally use Lithium for the crossfade feature, if MixZing had it I'd switch to that personally.
If that's what it's being used for I wouldn't necessarily see a problem with it either. My problem is the dev won't just come out and say, "we're collecting data about your listening habits so we can improve our recommendations." Why is it so hard to just say what data you're collecting and why? Why does he have to say instead, "We collect data about your library so we can stay in sync with it." That doesn't tell me what data is being collected nor does it tell me why the server has to stay in sync with it. Why be so vague about what data you're collecting?
If that's what it's being used for I wouldn't necessarily see a problem with it either. My problem is the dev won't just come out and say, "we're collecting data about your listening habits so we can improve our recommendations." Why is it so hard to just say what data you're collecting and why? Why does he have to say instead, "We collect data about your library so we can stay in sync with it." That doesn't tell me what data is being collected nor does it tell me why the server has to stay in sync with it. Why be so vague about what data you're collecting?
Fair enough. I agree they could answer this better. Hopefully it's nothing nefarious, at worst I guess it would target the advertising based on your music? Don't really know what else it would be good for.
Fair enough. I agree they could answer this better. Hopefully it's nothing nefarious, at worst I guess it would target the advertising based on your music? Don't really know what else it would be good for.
Just to clarify things, I sent the developer an email. He is usually pretty quick about replying, so we will see. I will let you know what he says, or even if he does not reply. Here is what i sent him ...
=============
"It has been brought to my attention that your Mixzing app may be collecting personal data and sharing it with third parties. I understand this is a means for many companies to fund their projects, and I see no problem with it, as long as I am made aware of it. Personally, I do not buy apps that have been shown to use this practice. I am a fairly personal individual, and I do not like the idea of my data being used without my knowing consent. I paid for your full version of Mixzing and was under the impression that it did not share any of my phone's or my personal information.
Can you please confirm or deny this?
Keep up the good work. It's good to see your application continue to evolve into the best android music player on the market!
My original question was "I realize that if I have recommendations turned on MixZing sends information to the server so the server and recommend other songs from my library. If I have that turned off I'm told that MixZing still transmits data to the server. What kind of data is being transmitted and why does the server need this if I have media recommendations turned off?"
The dev's answer was "We track changes to your library (songs/playlists added/deleted) so that we can keep in sync with it."
When I asked why data was still being sent when when recommendations were turned off the reply I got was "As I said we need to keep track of your library so that we can perform the various functions of the player. If you don't want that information being sent to our server then just uninstall the app."
I have no idea what keeping in sync with my library means. I have no idea what "various functions of the player" means or why they need my information to do that. Nor do I know what information they're collecting.
When I told him that his answers were vague and evasive his reply was, "Please don't be so dramatic. We aren't secretly collecting information on our users nor are we refusing to disclose the nature of that information. I told you very clearly what we collect as soon as you asked."
Apparently I'm an idiot because his answer was not clear to me at least.
After reading through the forum thread that you linked to, I think the Mixzing developer very clearly answered your question. They collect the songs metadata to help recommend other music. Or in his words ... "the main functions that we need the meta-data from your library for are to generate recommendations, find album art, and locate artist info." The way I read it is that the data is collected no matter if you are wanting recommendations or not (your concern). This is probably to help speed up the process if you ever turn that toggle back on. That way it will have a back history in order to make suggestions. Makes sense to me. I think you are over reacting.
I will still keep you updated with his response to me. I was very clear about my concern about them sharing personal data with third parties. That is my main concern. And from his responses to you, it sounds like they are not doing that.
I asked for clarification and was basically told that my question had been answered sufficiently and I was just being difficult and I should pound sand. Personally I would recommend btunes if you are using 2.1 or earlier. If you're using 2.2 it's a buggy, buggy program and it's no longer supported. Rumor has it the dev is dead. It's easily the best player pre 2.2 I think.
Some people are not the best at diplomacy but good at code. I was off but now I'm back to trying MixZing. I'm also reviewing PlayerPro.
I work in the "New Home Indurstry" in Wisconsin and have loads of time on my hands for obvious reasons. So here I am reviewing for my clients and it's the software i review not the person.
Last edited by amerifax; October 22nd, 2010 at 09:40 AM.
I got an email response back from the Mixzing developer stating that they definitely do not release any data to third parties. So, case closed, stop your worrying. Here is his complete response ...
Quote:
Hi Alex,
I'm surprised to hear this, we definitely do not share any personal data with third parties. We will soon be posting an official privacy policy stating this. The only time we make any personally identifiable data public is if you opt in to share your music library by giving us your Facebook username, in which case we will be sharing your public profile and music library via our SocialMuse app and feature that will launch in the next month or so. And of course you'll be able to opt out of that if you choose.
Where did you hear that we were sharing personal data? I'd like to clarify that publicly if we can.
Not sharing you personal information with 3rd parties is not the same as not collecting information they don't need.
Know what data any application collects is very important, not only because of the possibility they could sell it (or share) but also because now your information resides on their computers and who knows (only them) how secure they are and when they are compromised.
Better not to have this information on anything you do not have control of, if you can.
Not sharing you personal information with 3rd parties is not the same as not collecting information they don't need.
Know what data any application collects is very important, not only because of the possibility they could sell it (or share) but also because now your information resides on their computers and who knows (only them) how secure they are and when they are compromised.
Exactly, that's why we don't collect any personal information from our users. The only exception to this is when you opt-in to share your music library and profile data by giving us your Facebook id, which is obviously a different case. (And we are very careful about the security of our servers in any case.)
I'm really sorry that A.Nonymous took my initial response in our forum so negatively. I wrongly assumed that he would understand what I meant by keeping our server in sync with a user's library: it just means that we need to know what songs you have on your device. So when you add and delete songs we notify the server so that it can keep up to date on what you have. As I said in our forum, we use that data to give recommendations, download album art, give artist info, etc.
I asked A.Nonymous not to be so dramatic after he said he was "struck" by my "arrogance", and when he claimed that we "secretly collect information on your users and then refuse to disclose the nature of that information when asked." I really was trying to give him the information he wanted, but I obviously failed in this attempt.
I spend a good part of each day being very precise in my communications with our users, and I sincerely apologize that my initial response to A.Nonymous wasn't sufficiently informative--it clearly wasn't my best work. We take support very seriously, and while you can't please everyone I think the large majority of our users would agree that our support is very good.
The bottom line is that we have hundreds of thousands of active users, we're the top media player in the Android market, we've been plugging away at this for two years now, and we're not about to jeopardize all that by collecting personal information from users without their consent. I don't even know what value that information would have, but I'm pretty sure it would be far less than we currently make from our loyal users.
Peter after testing several players I have decided on MixZing. I don't care about the feature that looks at my music. It seems I can turn it off so I'm OK.
Your concern in regards to your tech support issue is a good lesson to all. I diffidently will keep it in mind when dealing with my own tech support issues. Thanks for taking the time to explain to all.
Thank you, Bob, we appreciate your support. We'll be coming out with some cool features in the next month or so--folder browsing, social music discovery and sharing, and yes lyrics, to mention a few--so I hope you'll enjoy them too.
A Promising Music Player App - Astro Player Nova
