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2020-07-14, 14:19
(This post was last modified: 2020-09-25, 08:14 by tars.)
Currently tmm offers two image cache options: smooth & fast. But even with smooth, the cached image quality is pretty lower.
To see the exact same image quality as the original, the user has to disable the image cache option. But then it doesn't show any pictures with data sources disconnected.
So would it be possible to add a new cache option that doesn't lower image quality at all?
Of course, the user must accept its adverse effects on the performance side (longer cache loading/building time, etc).
But that would still be better than seeing no pictures at all with data sources disconnected for users who's willing to see better image quality in sacrifice of performance.
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And about the resolution of cached images, how about making them in the possible maximum picture size of the Details panel on the right?
On 1920 x 1080 display, poster would be about 382 x 572 and fanart 382 x 214. That size of no degraded image cache would make the user feel the same as seeing the original pictures regardless of the picture size configured by panel layout.
And of course, it would be a lot faster than accessing the (sometimes huge) original pictures residing in various data sources, not to mention that they can show up with those sources disconnected.
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Thanks a lot for implementing this (v4 nightly)!
With FHD display, I'm using BIG and Quality setting and quite satisfied with the result.
But one thing I don't like is how it handles images smaller than 1000px long side.
When I first read the descriptions of "BIG" option "Scale images to a resolution of 1000px long side", I thought it would only scale down images bigger than 1000px long side and use original size for the rest of smaller images.
But that's not what it's doing. Looks like it currently creates a two-thirds scaled down image with maximum 1000px long side for every image.
As a result small images don't look good since every image is scaled down in cache, and it's kinda defeating the purpose of providing better image quality with these new cache options.
How about using the original size (converting to JPG will be still useful for big PNGs) without scaling it down if the image's long side is smaller than 1000px with BIG option (and 400px with SMALL option), or providing such an option?
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I know no upscaling is being done and have no complaints about scaling big images down to maximum 1000px long side.
What I'm referring to is how it handles smaller images.
For 509x755 poster, it builds 339x503 cache image which is actually smaller than the maximum picture size (382x572) of the Details panel on FHD display.
Why not just use the original size (509x755) for cache without scaling down when long side (755) is smaller than 1000px?
For 1280x720 fanart image, it creates 853x480 cache image. Why not scale it down only to 1000x563 instead since 1000px is maximum long side?
Of course downloading a big image in the first place would be one solution, but many old, non-US movies don't have big posters available. I'd like tmm to show those small images as sharp as possible without further scaling down.
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you are right - there was some ancient code left behind. This will be fixed in the next build
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Thanks for the fix! Works great now.
It really changed the look of the program, when cache is enabled, with crisp and sharp images replacing blurry and dull images.