When playing from the HDD, I cannot change the play mode. Take a look at the screen shot below. As indicated, the current play mode is 'Album'. When I press any of the soft buttons at the bottom to change the mode, let's say to 'Artist', the six soft buttons lose their text for about 10 seconds and then it comes back, play mode unchanged.

When playing from a USB thumb drive, I have no problem doing this, only from the HDD. Any ideas?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2357849428_1396ae4eae_b.jpg

You know, I experienced the same thing yesterday. I'll have to test it again and see if this scenario is what happened to me.

i think its because hysteria is such a terrible album

Mine does the same. Evidently that's the way it's suspose to work. The only way to change it is, to press whatever is on the center of the screen.

If you hold the bottom buttons down longer it will add the album to your programmable album soft buttons. If you let go too soon it will go blank for second and then return the display back to your screen shot. Whatever the mode in the center is the software thinks you are programming in that mode. The center button ( or use the select knob, push in a couple times) changes the mode.