Backend optimizations, frontend optimizations, and UI design improvements

Backend optimizations:
- GZip middleware for compressed responses
- Concurrent WebSocket broadcast
- Skip status polling when no clients connected
- Deduplicated token validation with caching
- Fire-and-forget HA state callbacks
- Single stat() per browser item
- Metadata caching (LRU)
- M3U playlist optimization
- Autostart setup (Task Scheduler + hidden VBS launcher)

Frontend code optimizations:
- Fix thumbnail blob URL memory leak
- Fix WebSocket ping interval leak on reconnect
- Skip artwork re-fetch when same track playing
- Deduplicate volume slider logic
- Extract magic numbers into named constants
- Standardize error handling with toast notifications
- Cache play/pause SVG constants
- Loading state management for async buttons
- Request deduplication for rapid clicks
- Cache 30+ DOM element references
- Deduplicate volume updates over WebSocket

Frontend design improvements:
- Progress bar seek thumb and hover expansion
- Custom themed scrollbars
- Toast notification accent border strips
- Keyboard focus-visible states
- Album art ambient glow effect
- Animated sliding tab indicator
- Mini-player top progress line
- Empty state SVG illustrations
- Responsive tablet breakpoint (601-900px)
- Horizontal player layout on wide screens (>900px)
- Glassmorphism mini-player with backdrop blur
- Vinyl spin animation (toggleable)
- Table horizontal scroll on narrow screens

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

scripts/install_task_windows.ps1

@@ -2,17 +2,17 @@ Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName "MediaServer" -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction Si
 
 # Get the media-server directory (parent of scripts folder)
 $serverRoot = (Get-Item $PSScriptRoot).Parent.FullName
+$vbsPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot "start-hidden.vbs"
 
-# Find Python executable
-$pythonPath = (Get-Command python -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Source
-if (-not $pythonPath) {
-    Write-Error "Python not found in PATH. Please ensure Python is installed and accessible."
+if (-not (Test-Path $vbsPath)) {
+    Write-Error "start-hidden.vbs not found in scripts folder."
     exit 1
 }
 
-$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute $pythonPath -Argument "-m media_server.main" -WorkingDirectory $serverRoot
-$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtStartup
-$principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId "$env:USERNAME" -LogonType S4U -RunLevel Highest
+# Launch via wscript + VBS to run python completely hidden (no console window)
+$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "wscript.exe" -Argument "`"$vbsPath`"" -WorkingDirectory $serverRoot
+$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogon -User "$env:USERNAME"
+$principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId "$env:USERNAME" -LogonType Interactive -RunLevel Highest
 $settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries -DontStopIfGoingOnBatteries -StartWhenAvailable
 Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "MediaServer" -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -Principal $principal -Settings $settings -Description "Media Server for Home Assistant"