Author Topic: TouchTunes by Bose (Read 20465 times)

SirPoonga · « **on:** June 27, 2003, 02:29:41 pm »

This juke box is AWESOME. It was at the bar I played pool at last night. The software is great! It shows the albumn, all touch screen. That machine was 3 plays for $1. But at the end of selecting there is a whack a Tune game to get an extra credit.

http://www.touchtunes.com/

SirPoonga · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2005, 01:43:01 pm »

I have to ask you guys.
I really like this jukebox the few times I've used one in the bars. The touchscreen interface is awesome. Only one feature it doesn't have, what song(s) are in the queue.

I've been looking at screenshots of jukebox software. I'm trying to find one that is simular and touchscreen friendly (large buttons).

Also it would be cool to be able to remote manage the available songs while the program is running (hopefully as simple as dropping the albums in a folder).

I plan on picking up a old wood radio and converting it to a jukebox. The radio I found has a pull out drawer with a turntable. Will replace that with a touch screen. That way from the outside it still looks original.

nipsmg · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2005, 02:07:04 pm »

Workin on it ;-)

Seriously, this is my next project. I've got a touchscreen off EBAY and am making a touchscreen jukebox, and am planning on doing something touchtunes-ish with it. I've just started on doing some megatouch game cloning (tri towers, castle bandits, etc), so if these come out well, I'm just going to integrate them into my jukebox project. Why buy 2 touchscreens when I can just launch the games from that as well?

Whether or not I actually keep at it remains to be seen, but I'm all gung-ho for it at the moment.

I'm just shuddering becuase I KNOW GDI+ is going to be inadequate, and I'll have to learn Directx

--NipsMG

SirPoonga · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2005, 04:15:02 pm »

Cool. otherwise I was going to learn directx and wmp api

nipsmg · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2005, 05:09:10 pm »

Something to this effect:

http://www.gerety.net/images/tunetouch.jpg

SirPoonga · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2005, 05:21:56 pm »

those letters seem small for touchscreen.

nipsmg · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2005, 05:47:40 pm »

Yeah I know, it's only an interface mockup. Just quick and dirty in photoshop. But the first iteration will look SOMETHING like that.

Ken Layton · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2005, 06:50:36 pm »

Touchtune jukeboxes are junk. Some of the taverns around here got slickered into putting them in on 3 year contracts. Constant problems with them, blown amplifiers, monitors crapping out, credit card readers dying, etc. Many of the tavern owners were not happy with the company's pricing per play nor the split they got. In fact some of the tavern customers thought it was an ATM machine. That Bose sound system is just a marketing hype.

I remember when the Touchtunes salesman had come to our shop to demo these to our boss. The salesman was touting the great Bose sound. He would only play the "Battlestar Galactica theme" by Stu Phillips to demo the system. When I asked about that he said other recordings were inferior. Well excuse me salesman, but customers play all types of songs from brand new to old 1940's Big Band music. Salesman would not play anything else on it. I looked inside the machine and I did not like any of it. The worst part was the amplifier. Around here these jukeboxes earned a great nickname: Looney Tunes.

SirPoonga · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2005, 08:52:52 pm »

I'm asking about jukebox software that is simular, not the product itself. The interface is awesome.

mflint · « **Reply #9 on:** March 21, 2005, 09:20:07 pm »

For an interface mock up it really looks good. I think I have read about everything there is on touch tunes out there. I thinks it's a 50/50 split between people who likes it and people who didn't
Ecast hurt them so bad they took them to court for a real battle.
I hope you come up with a viable big button easy to use touch screen version of your own. It looks like you have the technology for it.Good luck on your projects guys

Fat-Johnny · « **Reply #10 on:** March 22, 2005, 05:55:24 am »

Quote from: SirPoonga on March 21, 2005, 08:52:52 pm

I'm asking about jukebox software that is simular, not the product itself.

Silver · « **Reply #11 on:** March 22, 2005, 07:43:10 am »

That interface is very much like something I'm after - with the BIG buttons (I have a small touchscreen) AND it has sorting by Artist/Decade etc..etc... Very nice.

BUT it all sits in a Window with Minimize and Close buttons and all - nasty! And all the skins have that too so it could be too limited for my tastes....

SirPoonga · « **Reply #12 on:** March 22, 2005, 09:28:24 am »

Exactly, that's teh other rquirement, has to go full screen with no windows.

Fat-Johnny · « **Reply #13 on:** March 22, 2005, 12:21:39 pm »

Quote from: SirPoonga on March 22, 2005, 09:28:24 am

...has to go full screen with no windows.

thepcjukebox can do that, there is a "fullscreen" mode.

Chris · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2005, 01:34:15 pm »

I've really got to get around to finishing the CD mode for WinCab... since the touchscreen controls are part of the skin, they can be made any size you want, run in any resolution you want, in any rotation you want...

nipsmg · « **Reply #15 on:** March 22, 2005, 02:13:42 pm »

Hey SirPoonga:

If you give this a shot, lemme know if it's good. If so, there's no point re-inventing the wheel.

nipsmg · « **Reply #16 on:** March 22, 2005, 02:30:56 pm »

OK I played with it.

I will admit, it has a lot of features. However, it's merely a VB6 program with graphical buttons and lots and LOTS of frames.

It's also very slow filtering songs/albums. And generating the album list takes a long time, becuause (I believe) he's storing the album images in BLOB fields in an access database (I could be wrong, but I don't think so).. I personally dont like the implementation, but it works.

Silver · « **Reply #17 on:** March 22, 2005, 10:24:03 pm »

Quote from: Chris on March 22, 2005, 01:34:15 pm

I've really got to get around to finishing the CD mode for WinCab... since the touchscreen controls are part of the skin, they can be made any size you want, run in any resolution you want, in any rotation you want...

Now THAT sounds good to me!

Silver · « **Reply #18 on:** March 22, 2005, 10:25:50 pm »

Quote from: nipsmg on March 22, 2005, 02:30:56 pm

I will admit, it has a lot of features. However, it's merely a VB6 program with graphical buttons and lots and LOTS of frames.

It's also very slow filtering songs/albums. And generating the album list takes a long time, becuause (I believe) he's storing the album images in BLOB fields in an access database (I could be wrong, but I don't think so).. I personally dont like the implementation, but it works.

Argh! I knew it. No good for me then - far too many in the list. I've written my own VB6 stuff for various projects and the only way to deal with (very) large lists/arrays speedily is to you API doped routines (ie cheat).

nipsmg · « **Reply #19 on:** March 23, 2005, 12:58:00 pm »

I mean, that it's a VB Windows app. Almost everything is a control. I don't believe he's using any GDI or DirectX functions for drawing bitmaps or for blitting or anything. It's inherently going to be slow and windowsy looking for the sake of it. It's a form. That's why it's not fullscreenable. And even when you do use the "fullscreen" mode, he's merely hiding the taskbar. It's still a vb form program with windows controls, (albiet custom ones).

Well, the fact that he's NOT using a database to store the images makes it even that much worse. It takes FOREVER to pull an album list, AND I TRIED THIS WITH ONLY 7 ALBUMS on a P4 2.8 HT on Windows XP with 1.5 GB of RAM.

A lot of work HAS been put into this program, and it definitely does have its uses. I applaud the effort, honestly. However I personally don't like it, and I think it can be done MUCH better in C++ or even VB.NET/C# using GDI+ or DirectX. So I'm going to try to do it (not just whine about it).

I'm not saying don't try it, go for it, see how it is. I'm sorry however, VB6 is a great language for quickly banging out business applications (it's a RAD language), however it's not suited well for highly graphical applications. Read: IT'S SLOW. (Don't flame either, I've been a VB developer and a large supporter of VB for over 7 years).

--NipsMG

JukeboxHero · « **Reply #20 on:** March 23, 2005, 02:46:08 pm »

That's cool...like I said, just wondering.

I've been using his program for over a year now, with well over 5000 songs, and I don't notice any slow down with the album covers. Oh well. I think it works great.

nipsmg · « **Reply #21 on:** March 23, 2005, 03:43:00 pm »

Ok. New interface mockups. This should work better.
(note, about 75% of this I can save into bitmaps and use as a Skin. I seriously am considering doing this now. THIS IS JUST A MOCKUP IN PHOTOSHOP)

New interface:

http://www.gerety.net/images/interfacenew.jpg

Pop-out menu:

http://www.gerety.net/images/interfacenewmenu.jpg

str1der · « **Reply #22 on:** March 23, 2005, 03:49:55 pm »

You might want to take a look at www.nordbeat.com
He just came out with a new version the other day that adds all kinds of new features including dual cd rippers and web control. I've been using it with my touch screen setup for awhile. He is very good about adding user suggestions to the product.

str1der · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2005, 03:53:21 pm »

Quote from: nipsmg on March 21, 2005, 02:07:04 pm

Workin on it ;-)

Seriously, this is my next project.

nipsmg · « **Reply #24 on:** March 23, 2005, 04:00:13 pm »

Quote from: str1der on March 23, 2005, 03:49:55 pm

You might want to take a look at www.nordbeat.com
He just came out with a new version the other day that adds all kinds of new features including dual cd rippers and web control. I've been using it with my touch screen setup for awhile. He is very good about adding user suggestions to the product.

Now THAT looks really good.
That might force me to abandom my own project. Wow, it'd be very hard (while going to school AND holding down a 50+ hr a week job) to come close to that feature set in any reasonable amount of time.

Maybe it's back to the megatouch clone?

Chris · « **Reply #25 on:** March 23, 2005, 04:53:37 pm »

You could just develop your project as a skin to WinCab...

nipsmg · « **Reply #26 on:** March 24, 2005, 08:16:56 am »

I tried out NordBeats jukebox last night.

I do have to say, it's got an AMAZING amount of functions, and it works VERY VERY VERY well.

That said, my one gripe is that it's also a forms app, and maximizes full screen, but doesn't actually draw to the screen, it's all controls. There's some really great features, the configuration is a snap, it auto-searches for album art if you don't have it, the list of features is endless, but the graphics leave something to be desired.

I don't know that i can write a more functional jukebox. But mine might be prettier (which is kind of what i'm going for, for my sake only). Full Screen directx (or OpenGL).

I think I'm going to write this in my "spare time" (whatever that is).

--NipsMG

SirPoonga · « **Reply #27 on:** May 03, 2005, 11:01:44 am »

Interesting. I like your look nip.

Would it be possible to use wm10 API for this and for a "screensaver" have the visualizations?

nipsmg · « **Reply #28 on:** May 03, 2005, 11:14:20 am »

I was hoping to do some kind of full screen visulization as a screensaver feature. I recently got buried in school finals and work however, and havent' seriously started coding (framed out some .NET classes and libraries, but that's about it).

I'll hopefully get the chance to start working on it when I get back from my trip to Italy the 2nd half of next month.

WM10 was a possibility, but it's also kind of bulky and resource intensive. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to use to drive playback. I'll have to look at the WM10 API for things like ID3 tag reading and such. If it ends up being a do-it-all library for what I'm trying to do, then it might make it in there.. This project is more for me than everyone else (though I'm sure i'll distribute it when finished) so as long as it runs fine on MY machine, I'm happy for the moment. We'll see.)

--NipsMG

SirPoonga · « **Reply #29 on:** May 03, 2005, 05:37:05 pm »

In three weeks when I move for my new job and have high speed internet I will be able to spend more time on programming my own projects too. First priority is getting controls.dat updated. Then I might look into a jukebox app.

Karetaker · « **Reply #30 on:** May 15, 2005, 02:47:28 pm »

Hehehe.... Looney Tunes, that's funny Ken. I have to say though the biggest problem I had was trying to talk customers out of wanting the Touch Tunes box. I didn't want to get any of these boxes. But, some bar owners you just can't reach. They were good location so it was either get them the box or lose them. You couldn't tell them that there were better things on the horizon. Of course others where easy to talk out of it. As soon as I started talking about pulling that much money off the top every week the conversation was over. I guess they are like anything, they have there good points and bad points.

oznetradio · « **Reply #31 on:** July 29, 2005, 02:46:17 am »

Hey nipsmg,

Any further progress on the tunetouch software???

BTW: Has anyone tried Jukebox Pro (www.jukeboxpro.com). I am unable to get it to work on my PC.

Barry Barcrest · « **Reply #32 on:** July 29, 2005, 05:56:43 am »

Ouch!

nipsmg · « **Reply #33 on:** July 29, 2005, 09:04:32 am »

I was going for a more kind of "constructive criticism" and not trying to flame the author of PC Jukebox (which I'm guessing is you, barcrest?).

**EDIT** maybe not, I have seen your jukebox software Barcrest. Haven't played with it yet, but it does look very promising. Note: I didn't say stuff CAN'T be written to be fast and responsive in VB6, it's just very difficult and time consuming sometimes **/edit**

I did definitely make it a point to say that a lot of work went into it and it did definitely have its uses. I think the reason why it's so apparent to me that it's a vb6 app is beacuse I've written in VB for years, and I'm well aware of the shortcomings of the language (and its strengths). It's just not for me, which is why I'm writing my own.

As far as the questions on the touchscreen jukebox of my own....

Life took over for a bit there, and I was forced to put the project on hold, however I did pick it back up recently. I just recently finished the libraries for ID3V1 and V2 tags (including embedded album art), and for scanning the computer for media. I've also created the design documents and database diagram for the rest of the program, so it's just a matter of implementing the code at this point.

I hope that by October I can release some kind of somewhat stable (although probably not feature complete) version. At least in the beginning however, I'm writing this for ME, so any releases made will be under the category of "If it doesn't work for you, on your computer or hardware or OS, too bad."

If I have more time to really get it beta tested and fix bugs that appear on different OS's, I will later.

I'll keep everyone updated.


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