I agree too and have been asking for this for a while. Just look at many Blu Ray discs or a TiVo which gives a bar that fills up as you proceed--with lines at each quarter waypoint. This gives a much faster view of one's position.
With a much more advanced OSD (not just text) there could be a lot more to expand to...all the adjustments could use bars (brightness, contrast, etc.)
Think 3-D and shiny, the best in user interfaces...