P: Capability to display embedded preview or sidecar Jpeg

I shoot RAW+Jpeg because my camerea does very well with colors in the Jpeg which I use as reference.

I would like to be able to view the Jpeg within Lightroom and ideally compare it side-by-side with the RAW I am developing. I know I can keep the files separate when importing but I do like having them linked in general.

I would love to see more work done to allow better management of sidecar Jpegs including viewing, comparing with RAW and deleting/detaching.

I would also like to be able to see the embedded JPG whenever I feel like it. The embedded JPG often looks pretty good in terms of exposure, color balance and contrast and I want to be able to see it side by side with the RAW file in order to match the RAW file to it.

I'd agree, it's a request I hear regularly, particularly from volume shooters who are currently using Breezebrowser or Photomechnic for initial culling, before switching to LR, because it's faster to use the embedded JPEGs. They shouldn't have to use other software for such an integral part of the workflow.

In Lightroom it would be handy if there were a setting for Library view and image import that would take the "Embedded & Sidecar" option a step further and disable LR's rendering of the 1:1 previews (in Library view). That way, you have quick and dirty 1:1 previews (from the camera) which are good enough for a lot of purposes (i.e., sorting, making comparisons). It's easier to make direct comparisons when the images are all rendered the same way (all from the camera or all from Lightroom).

See http://forums.adobe.com/message/4479429 for a little more background.

Obviously this should be an option only, and LR should still render its own version in the Develop module (otherwise what's the point of using LR?). How the Library previews should be handled after you make some edits is an open question. Once you start making edits, you're probably done making comparisons, and you would want to see your changes, so maybe the edited ones should be updated in Library view and the rest keep their embedded 1:1 previews.