i-loop's design - work in progress - 2007-08-10

[LordMessi]

Originally Posted by infinityloop

*edit 2*


Tuning a sub-channel:

Some PayTV providers use a "portal channel" from where you are able to select a sub-channel you want to view.
the tv-server is supporting that with the "Linkage scanner"

currently you select the subchannel from the channel properties dialog box, i think that could be improved.

In miniepg select the "Portal Channel" and tune it
as soon as the channel was tuned you see a window which displayes the available sub-channel
you can select a subchannel or close the window and watch the portal channel
to restore the subchannels list, press"okay" 2 times. which opens the channel selection window and "tunes" the channel again

Could you perhaps give a screenshot example of this?
Perhaps it was possible to show some gfx, when zapping to this channel. Like an indication that sub channels exist.

I think the thing about double presses on a button to open some functionality is a bad idea - it's not very clear. Maybe it's already that way, but it's not intuitive.

So "OK" opens Mini-EPG. "i" opens OSD. Need two buttons more - one for accessing channel properties (subs, audio etc) and one for going to subchannels (of course the Mini-EPG should also show the indication that subchannels exists on the specific channel.)

Any suggestions/comments?

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

I use mplayer (gmplayer) on my PC for watching movies/recordings and what I like with that applications that when pressing the right/left buttons INSTANTLY moves me +/- ~10 seconds and directly continues playing.

well....... how do you skip 30minutes or even one hour then?

for me (and most of the other users) the skipssteps are working nicley as they do atm.

but i understand that you have an other opinion on that. and thats fine for me.

maybe you should try the "up" and "down" buttons, which instanly issue a fixed step forward/backward (cant remember how long that is, maybe should become configureable, so you are pleased then too

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

1) A configuration option to set MP to enter My TV at startup
2) A configuration option to set TV to start in fullscreen on last tuned channel without any menus - only the the bottom channel info banner should be shown

agreed

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

3) A configuration option to set how long the bottom channel info banner is displayed

the idea is not bad, but you can overdo the configurable options

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

4) A configuration option to switch off displaying TV station logotypes, especially in EPG/mini-EPG

i do not like that. what should that be good for?

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

5) Adding a current time (clock) in the bottom channel info banner

nice idea, but has to be checked where this can be added (place)

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

6) Adding SNR/BER values in the bottom channel info banner, could be optional via configuration setting

i would never add that because

1. unimportand info -> userinterface must be simple and not overwhelm the user with data
2. completely unrelieable informartion. because the majority of the TV-Cards drivers doesnt even provide these valuse.

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

7) Channel Proprties: Back moves you out to "main" TV menu

back should aways bring you "back" to where you came from. either MyTV homescreen of fullscreen Live-TV

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

8) "main" TV menu: Back exits the menu and shows current TV channel

that doesnt work.
because how do you want to get "back" to the MediaPortal Homescreen?

you can only get back to fullscreen LiveTV by pressing the "Watch Tv" Button

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

9) Another feature I would like is to be able to configure different resolutions between "MY TV"/"My Movies" and rest of the MP features. This is because I can set pixelmapped resolution of my TV but only at 60Hz and playing TV/movies at 60 Hz stutters a lot since they are for 25/50Hz and there are no smooth way of displaying that at 60Hz. So I prefer 720p or 1080i for those modes but watching the Weather or my pictures or listening to Radio or just viewing MP menus is best done at pixelmapped resolution.

I am sorry, but i am quite sure that we can not re-code MediaPortal to provide that specific configuration options.

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

10) And I would also want to be able to configure external players for specific file formats but that is off-topic

again, you can overdo the configurable options

no offence,j ust a general note:

this post is the best exmple of the "problem" we are faceing.

on one hand we have many user who say "KEEP IT SIMPLE"
on the other hand we have users who want to be able to configure virtualy everything.

we can only try to go the way in the middle somehow.

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by GetWell

But you looses the wifes and girlfriends when switching between TV-channels and TV-streams...
Can't you mix it together? Maeby with some kind of symbol showing if its a channel or stream?

most of the time noone will switch to the streams window.
and the small not below should help to clear any confusion.

i tried to stick it onto the channel winow, but that confuses even more......
at least i havent found a decent solution for that

the only other way to integrate it is the "old" solution with the seperate button in myTV home. which is worse then what i proposed.

Originally Posted by GetWell

Why not make the channel selecting window looking like the Channel Properties Section?
In the horizontal we have the groups, and down we have the channels?
If only one group, the channels will just been shown...

well......
i have ~50groups autocretaed on channelscan and ~1000 channels.
listing that in the way you image would be nice, but would take +5minutes

so not an option

[The_Stig]

Originally Posted by infinityloop

no offence,j ust a general note:

this post is the best exmple of the "problem" we are faceing.

on one hand we have many user who say "KEEP IT SIMPLE"
on the other hand we have users who want to be able to configure virtualy everything.

we can only try to go the way in the middle somehow.

That indeed seems to be a problem. We imho should keep in mind that on this forum here mostly technically advanced or at least experienced users write comments. But i guess regarding users of MP there are way more technically less experienced users in front of the screens. So my vote goes to keep it as simple and clean as possible (not meaning to remove important stuff).

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by LordMessi

Like an indication that sub channels exist.

erm......

you tune the portal channel from your PayTV provider where the subscriber knows that this a portal channel, and when you tune it you automatically get a dialog window with the list of selectable subchannels.

thats exactly how the settopboxes work. so users of STB will instandly know whats going on.
the sub-channels are pay-perview mostly.

i guess you never used such a system yet


the channel poperties are basicaly the same as we have atm. also the way how you reach it, but in my concept you have all options in one nice screen.
so at least one button press less if you want to enbale subtitles and switch audio language

[GetWell]

[quote=infinityloop;167984well......
i have ~50groups autocretaed on channelscan and ~1000 channels.
listing that in the way you image would be nice, but would take +5minutes

so not an option[/QUOTE]

wow what do you use so many channels fore? Thats crazy!
But okay I see your point

but still make the screen more look-a-like the new design you made instead of the old one

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by GetWell

wow what do you use so many channels fore? Thats crazy!
But okay I see your point

i dont realy use em all, but they are there.....

[joystick]

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

1) A configuration option to set MP to enter My TV at startup
2) A configuration option to set TV to start in fullscreen on last tuned channel without any menus - only the the bottom channel info banner should be shown

well this works already with the autostart plug-in, right?
But I agree, that you maybe should integrate this plugin in MP out of the box....

cheers joystick

[lkuech]

Originally Posted by GetWell

Can't you mix it together? Maeby with some kind of symbol showing if its a channel or stream?
The same with sub-channels..

That sub channel thing gives my an idea...

@i-loop:
What do think about integrating the sub channels in the mini-epg dynamically? Like a tree structure under the portal channel. This would be very intuitive and easy to understand for everybody. And because of the reason that the mini-epg always comes up with the current channel, switching between sub channels (i.e. multi channel sport submission) would be much fast and easier.

The disadvantage is that gemx get some work

Bye
Lars

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by lkuech

That sub channel thing gives my an idea...

@i-loop:
What do think about integrating the sub channels in the mini-epg dynamically? Like a tree structure under the portal channel.

there we face some major problems inside the skin-engine afaik.
i am also not sure how that should be solved "visualy" inside the mini-epg.

but you are right, switching between the camera-angles would be easier then......
or a solution to bring up the sub-channels list "easier" instead of merging it into the mini-epg.......