[vdr] Re: Enhancing vdr UI usability

[Klaus Schmidinger <Klaus.Schmidinger@cadsoft.de>]

Mike Frisch wrote:
> 
> On Thu, Jun 03, 2004 at 05:27:55PM +0200, Klaus Schmidinger wrote:
> > I'm afraid I can't follow you there: you actually find it more user
> > friendly to press a button to open a submenu, select an option from
> > there and press "Ok", than to simply press a single color button?
> 
> I was more thinking about having the options on-screen and selectable
> with a remote using the arrows/Ok button.  This is typically how a
> standalone STB would do it.
> 
> > I find the color button feature very useful and don't plan to change
> > that.
> 
> To each his own...  I want my vdr box to more closely resemble the
> operation of every other STB I've ever used.

Ah, that's what's generally called the "baby duck effect" (no offense ;-).

> In programming a learning remote (atiusb) to control vdr, I noticed too
> many of what I consider to be inconsistencies in how the user interface
> is structured.  In an STB, the arrow keys and the "Ok" button are enough
> to navigate the various screens.  There is no need to press
> Red/Green/Yellow/Blue on different screens to perform different actions.

Well, then let's take a look at a simple example: in, for instance, the 
the "Recordings" menu, how would you delete a recording with just the
arrow keys and the "Ok" button?

> I am hoping to build some flow diagrams which might better explain what
> I am referring to.

I'm pretty sure the number of key presses you need to do the same things as
in the current VDR will be considerably higher... ;-)

> > > Regarding an EPG/IPG, I would like to see something in the grid format
> > > that we've grown accustomed to in consumer electronics devices.
> >
> > I believe there is a plugin that does this.
> 
> Would you happen to know the name of it?

AFAIK it is called "calendar"

>  Is it generic in that it'll
> use the existing VDR EPG data without having dependencies on a certain
> service or data source?

If it is implemented correctly, yes (I haven't written nor used it).

Klaus