13 replies to this topic

[pingflood]

Hi guys,

 

I bring here for discussion some suggestions I have for media player infobar.

It follows the same look and feel used at channel infobar.

 

Better than trying to explain with my broken english, please check the screenshots.

 

I hope you like it.

If you do, I have already pushed the suggestions on github.

If you don't, I hope you can use some of this idea on your own projects.

 

Best regards

Attached Files

•  0_infobar.png   1.01MB   305 downloads
•  1_dvdplayer.png   729.02KB   362 downloads
•  2_movieplayer.png   742.58KB   270 downloads

[pingflood]

Add: Of course this suggestion is for PLiHD skin. I've forgot to add it to the title, and now I can't edit the post anymore. :/

 

Sorry for this.

 

Regards

[littlesat]

You mean to change the movieplayer infobar.... I suggest we are used that it is on top of the screen for more then 3-4 years... so I suggest a lot of protest to change this...

This does not mean this is a good idea...

But sometimes it is usefull that it is on top (even for the normal infobar)... when keep in mind subtitles...

Changing these kind of thinks may lead to a protest...

But still you are free to fork the orriginal skin and give your own version...

Or there must be a lot of confirmations here that I change it...

But when changed then the same for DVDs...

[pingflood]

You mean to change the movieplayer infobar.... I suggest we are used that it is on top of the screen for more then 3-4 years... so I suggest a lot of protest to change this...
This does not mean this is a good idea...
But sometimes it is usefull that it is on top (even for the normal infobar)... when keep in mind subtitles...

Well, the channel infobar is also at the bottom, and so many channels have movies with subtitles, and I don't think this was a big deal until today.

"Being used to" is not always the best reason to keep something like it is.. IMHO, the way we have the media player infobar today feels like something is broken: Just some labels and pixmaps floating on top of the screen. It simply doesn't fits with any other PLiHD parts..

I think that if you really like the infobar on top, then I would suggest you to at least add the same background (upside-down) you use on channels infobar.

Changing these kind of thinks may lead to a protest...

Well, any change will always cause some protest. ( remember xkcd 1172? http://xkcd.com/1172/ )
Some will just lead to more or less protests than others.
I would just suggest you to try how it feels, before discarding it totally.

But still you are free to fork the orriginal skin and give your own version...

The skin I have for personal use is already way different that the one used on PLiHD stream.
Sometimes I just like to share some of the changes I made, sometimes I just think it will not worth because is so small things that no one else besides me will care. (I can't see one pixel out of its place that will bother me until I fix it.. )

Or there must be a lot of confirmations here that I change it...
But when changed then the same for DVDs...

As you told, changes like this may lead to a lot of protests. Even having shared it here, I don't have so much expectations.
Anyway, the patch already changes dvdplayer, movieplayer and mytubeplayer. Any plugin that uses the regular player will experience the same effects.

Best regards

[metoo]

 I like it very much

Edited by metoo, 19 July 2013 - 22:06.

[littlesat]

Being used so is in spite how the world works... So they are even users that are still using neutrino remote controll layouts... I even was thinking a lot of times to put the normal osd infobar on top....
But it is very simple. Setup your own skin and arrange a third party ipk or a fork on github that we can use... So the users can make the choise...

Everything is about taste and use to... And that will be an never ending discussion...

Please note all your suggestions and arguments are valid... But sometimes too much change is a nogo...

Edited by littlesat, 19 July 2013 - 22:49.

[pingflood]

Being used so is in spite how the world works... So they are even users that are still using neutrino remote controll layouts... I even was thinking a lot of times to put the normal osd infobar on top....
But it is very simple. Setup your own skin and arrange a third party ipk or a fork on github that we can use... So the users can make the choise...

As I told before, for personal use I have my own mods, and I don't think it would fit everyone needs. That's the magick of E2 and OpenPLi.

I was just sharing some ideas and thoughts on how (IMHO) you could try to improve the user experience. I think you can understand on how bureaucratic and tiring is the process to develop, submit and especially try to convince that a patch could be useful (even the smaller ones, that ones that just fixes small cosmetic issues).

I totally understand that some changes will never be implemented, and that's why I told from the beginning that I didn't had so much expectations. Was just a long shot.

Of course that starting a new project is always an option, so as using another image, another box, another system, or not using any system at all and living happy. But none of them have the same meaning of trying to help the official project.

Ok, I already understood your point over the topic here: The infobar is not an issue and you don't need help about it; I'm talking about any other general thing that "being used to" could cause resistance to even consider any change and could lead to the same suggestion (start your own project).

Everything is about taste and use to... And that will be an never ending discussion... Please note all your suggestions and arguments are valid... But sometimes too much change is a nogo...

Understood. For me this argument is irrefutable, and since it could cause just empty discussion, I want to suggest you to lock the thread.

Best regards

[littlesat]

I saw you put your skin fork on github... https://github.com/p...lood/skin-PLiHD

This is wonderfull... The only thing that needs to be done is to put your skin in a different folder... PliHD-plingflood or so... So it does not feight with the orriginal one...
When this is done we have possibilities to add the skin to our feeds.
Sorry i'm really scared when I adapt your changes that it will have a bad side effect...

[ian1095]

is it possible to add the speed in kb/s and bitrate that a stream is coming in at to the movieplayer infobar ?

 

i know this can be obtained simply by pressing the epg button once mediainfo is installed,but i do feel that the addition of this info to the infobar would be a great step forward.

[UnimatriX]

""Being used to" is not always the best reason to keep something like it is.. IMHO, the way we have the media player infobar today feels like something is broken: Just some labels and pixmaps floating on top of the screen. It simply doesn't fits with any other PLiHD parts.."

I agree.

[littlesat]

""Being used to" is not always the best reason to keep something like it is..

I agree.... but why e.g. are there still E2 users that use the Pauli plugin?

Edited by littlesat, 21 July 2013 - 15:12.

[ims]

i also agree with your suggestions...

* links removed *

Advertising? All your post are advertising only !

Edited by WanWizard, 26 July 2013 - 09:03.
please don't quote link spam...

[littlesat]

No, links to skin treatments...

[MiLo]

Well, the channel infobar is also at the bottom, and so many channels have movies with subtitles...

Which would make a strong case for "please put the infobar at the TOP of the screen at all times".

I'd rather see the infobar on top, because the bottom of the screen usually contains useful information like subtitles and news context.

Historically, the infobar has always been at the bottom, I guess for no other reason than that somebody thought it was a good idea while creating a TV UI in the '80s.


A big difference with the "TV" infobar is that the movie infobar will be visible a lot. It appears when you (re)wind or skip, and will remain visible for a few seconds. Which is nice. But that also makes it necessary to keep is as inobtrusive as possible. That is why I designed it (in the Magic skin that pre-dated our current PLiHD) to be completely transparent, and occupy only a very small portion of the screen, with just the information that would be useful when winding and skipping. Adding a background and -within this context- useless information like screen resolution and path names will interfere with that. It'll become a major nuisance when you live in a country where everything is subtitled and commercial breaks appear at mostly random intervals and durations, so you have to skip and wind a lot while watching a recording.

If you want to get more information on the currently playing item, it would be much better to add a new screen, much like the second infobar, that displays it.