Implementation of a true "shuffle" or random playback from USB

[quantech]

One of the uses I purchased my Ultra for was to play back my music library that's stored on various USB drives.

I noticed almost immediately that the random or shuffle playback feature is very limited and unlike any other randomization feature in any other app or device I've ever had or used.

If I want to play MP3s randomly on the Ultra, I have to pick a song from the library and then turn the random option on. However, it only randomly plays 502 or so songs (no matter how many songs are on that device or in the library) that alphabetically follow the song I initially chose. For instance, if I pick the song "Follow You, Follow Me" it will play that song then randomly play another song that starts with the letter F and then another and another and work its way perhaps up to the letter G. A true shuffle or random playback would jump all over the place, to songs starting with A, Y, W, D, etc.

I would assume this would be something very easy to implement, and as it stands now, the shuffle or random playback is mostly useless. I may as well just randomly pick songs myself from the song list in the music library each time one song is about to end.

 

[Darren2]

I also purchased my Ultra primarily to play back music from a USB device. It arrived today.

I just want to insert a USB stick of my music into the back of the Ultra and play random tracks from the entire library.

The current random/shuffle playback is completely unsatisfactory.

I would like it to select tracks from the entire device rather than just 502 tracks adjacent to the first track that is played.

 

[simbun]

I also purchased my Ultra primarily to play back music from a USB device.

If you're using it primarily for local content then try a third party control point e.g. BubbleUPnP.

 

[Darren2]

I just want to put a USB stick in the back of my Ultra and play all that music in random order. Should not need third party apps to work. In fact I would prefer to be able to start up and play my music (in random order) just using the Ultra on it's own, I already resent that I need to use the app on another device as part of this process...

 

[quantech]

I'm not sure why this feature wasn't implemented from the get-go. I am not a developer or programmer, but I can't imagine it would be that difficult for the Ultra to scan/index your music library on a USB flash or hard drive and then offer an option such as "Shuffle All". I've been on Android for years and years and pretty much every Android music app I've ever used has a Random/Shuffle All option. It's a bit of a head scratcher why it's limited to 502 tracks adjacent to the track that was selected initially.

On the plus side however, at least the Ultra recognizes all the tracks on my USB devices. I've had other devices in the past that had a strict limit of like 999 or 5000 tracks and anything beyond that would be ignored.

And I do NOT want to use a third party controller nor do I want to "cast" anything. I may as well just use my Android phone at that point and stream the music from that or setup a DLNA server or something similar, and these are all the things I wish to avoid. I still see no reason the Ultra can't function like an iPod or a portable MP3/music player and index your music collection and offer this feature.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

@quantech and @Darren2, have you both sent feedback to WiiM via the WiiM Home app, to let them know your thoughts on this feature, and what you would like it to do?

 

[quantech]

I have sent feature request/feedback via the Wiim Home app several times since I received my Ultra concerning this. Never received a response. I assume they have bigger fish to fry and this is something that perhaps they may entertain implementing down the road but who knows.