Screensaver when paused (1 Viewer)

[fitto]

Hello,

It might be an improvement suggestion or even a bug, but I want to make sure it's not config related and everybody experience the same behaviour.

Say you have screensaver option on. If you leave MP at whatever screen, after a minute without pressing any button the screen goes blank. Fine, indeed very useful to avoid burn-in.

Now let's say you're watching a movie. Somebody calls you, so you press pause and answer the phone. The call might take longer than expected The frozen paused image will stay on screen forever.

Yeah, I know the workaround is to press stop instead of pause, but it's not same...

Do I have something missconfigured? Have you ever noticed it?

Wouldn't it be nice to have screensaver on when a movie is paused?


Thanks for your replies and best regards,

Fitto

 

[level20peon]

Hello fitto,

this is normal behaviour. Why should a screensaver been started when you are in the middle of a movie and then pause it to get something to drink or similar...

"Pausing" means that you are about to continue watching so I don't think this is a bad behaviour.

If the screensaver would be started then or the screen is blanked and you just want to get back the picture and press something like a cursor button because you don't know anymore where exactly in MediaPortal you are currently navigating you jump to another timeindex without wanting it. (just an example)


-level20peon

 

[and-81]

I think the way XBMC does it is rather good.

It will dim the screen after a certain amount of time if you pause a movie, that way you can see what it's doing when you come back.

If the screensaver would be started then or the screen is blanked and you just want to get back the picture and press something like a cursor button because you don't know anymore where exactly in MediaPortal you are currently navigating you jump to another timeindex without wanting it. (just an example)

I've never used the screen saver option in MediaPortal but if that's the way it acts then it's wrong, as far as I'm concerned. It shouldn't act on a button pressed while the screen saver is running. Pressing a button should stop the screen saver and nothing else.

Maybe these are things that should be discussed in terms of how MP-II will work. It's probably a bit late to be changing MediaPortal 1's behaviour in this area...

Though a minor change in the behaviour when paused is probably doable.

Cheers,

 

[fitto]

Hi guys,

Well, if it's normal behaviour then we should move it to feature request.

Let's think. Screensaver is meant to "save the screen". That means it's a safety feature to protect our screens from the burn-in.

The worst burn-in case is a full screen still image (like when paused). And the screen we want to protect the most is the one in the living room, it's usually the biggest and most expensive. That's specially dangerous for plasma screens, which are very sensitive to burn-in effect, though LCDs and CRTs are not on the safe side either.

My cheap DVD player (like most do) jumps to some kind of screensaver whenever an image is left paused. When resuming, the first remote keystroke brings picture back and the second keystroke does whatever you want to.

So, I'd request to keep in mind that if screensaver is enabled, a still image can't be left on screen forever. Don't you agree?

Thanks for your comments!

Fitto

 

[fairchild]

so is there a work around? i hate pausing mediaportal and then getting up to turn the tv off becuase its plasma and i dont want burn in and sometimes i might pause it for some time...

 

[mrkaras]

I agree that it is not the best behavious but is normal (for MP). the dimming idea sounds good but regardless the first press should not do anything but clear the screensaver (except maybe pause and play?). the workaround is to press esc or the fullscreen button so it is paused not fullscreen TV the blank screen will then operate as expected.

 

[level20peon]

A "workaround" would be to replace the plasma by a LCD

But seriously, why don't you just press "stop" instead of "pause" ? This way the screensaver / monitor blanking is activated and when you return you can resume your video where you turned it off.


-level20peon

 

[mrkaras]

Stop does nothing to fullscreen TV (I'm sure must it works for videos).

 

[fairchild]

i guess pause is more natural than stop and requires less effort than pause esc or stop resume

i would take my plasma over any lcd

 

[fitto]

Hi,

A "workaround" would be to replace the plasma by a LCD

Very good !!! But this is a war we don't wanna start here, do we? It's lost beforehand...
Anyway, the next time you go to an airport or fancy train station, take a close look to those big LCDs displaying info... Can you see the burn-in there?

But seriously, why don't you just press "stop" instead of "pause" ? This way the screensaver / monitor blanking is activated and when you return you can resume your video where you turned it off.

That's what I personally do, but WATs just love pressing PAUSE. And don't even dare to mention "burn-in" or things like that... Pause is pause and that's it.
If it worked just as other equipment (like DVDs), Mediaportal would greatly increase WAF

Take care!

fitto