In emplode you can make a playlist and set a property for it to always be randomized. Does this mean EMPEG will see this and everytime it starts that playlist it automatically randomizes it?Yes. Independently of the state of the "shuffle" feature.
Is this the same as Shuffle?Not exactly. Shuffle takes the currently-playing playlist and its sub-playlists, then flattens that list, then de-dupes that list (based on FID), then shuffles it like a deck of cards.
"Always Randomize" does much less than "Shuffle". It takes the current playlist and shuffles it. It doesn't flatten it first (hence, sub-playlists are not shuffled, just the positions of the playlists themselves), and it doesn't de-dupe (so you might possibly get the same song twice).
Do I need to turn Shuffle on or just leave it?Personally, I don't use the "Always Randomize" feature. I choose whether or not to shuffle from the remote. All of my playlists are sequential. So I turn shuffle on and off with the "0" key on the remote as the whim strikes me. I find this the most flexible method.
When I select Shuffle from the menu it shows either On or Off. Is this its current setting or what the setting will be if I select it (DNPP)?EMPEG GUYS: THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE USER INTERFACE. It's been mentioned before, and it really should be fixed. After hitting that option from the menu, it needs to flash "Shuffle On" or "Shuffle Off" the same way it does when you hit "0" on the remote.
To answer your question, Squid, the main menu indicates the current state of affairs. When you hit it, it toggles it.
And if you still can't figure out its behavior from that description, that's just more ammo to get the Empeg guys to fix the interface.
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Tony Fabris