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NEW: Improved OSD

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MrHaugen:

--- Quote from: Matt on August 23, 2012, 09:56:26 pm ---I tested with my 5 year old and it didn't go well.

She doesn't know what a subtitle is and can't read everything fast enough before the OSD goes away.

I think a few tweaks would help a lot:
1 ) Remove header text like 'Color Controls' -- it's just more to comprehend and not needed.
2 ) Automatic selection of the first (or middle) sub-menu choice so you don't have to press left/right to start selecting.
3 ) Require enter to go into a submenu choice like 'Subtitles'.
4 ) For some submenus like 'Subtitles', show several (or all) the languages on the screen at once so you're not working through a long list one at a time.
5 ) Make the OSD wait 25% longer before going away on its own.
6 ) Possibly a better selection indicator than just bold (maybe the list selection graphic from Theater View)
7 ) Possibly a bottom line of instructions on the OSD in a slightly smaller font that describes what you should do (wouldn't help my daughter, but might help adults).
8 ) Make sure the most common commands (maybe 'Subtitles') are not nested
9 ) Make the menu button bring up the OSD.

My goal is to get something that my 5 year old can use without too much trouble or instruction, without switching to something that hides the movie, dominates the screen, or requires extra keys to use.

--- End quote ---

Yes. Something have to be done. It was not intuitive to use. I think this is a good list of tweaks. I've commented in red.

1 ) Remove header text like 'Color Controls' -- it's just more to comprehend and not needed.
Indeed. Not needed in most cases. Only thing I'm wondering about is how obvious things like Subtitles vs Audio streams would be if they just show language. Perhaps just tone down the header much, or place it on the left of the selections if they are needed? I'm not sure.
2 ) Automatic selection of the first (or middle) sub-menu choice so you don't have to press left/right to start selecting.
Yes. There is no reason why a selection should not be the default. It makes people wonder where they are at. I would say make the left item the default
3 ) Require enter to go into a submenu choice like 'Subtitles'.
Yes. People are used to this. It makes it more intuitive imo.
4 ) For some submenus like 'Subtitles', show several (or all) the languages on the screen at once so you're not working through a long list one at a time.
Yes. People are used to this. It makes it more intuitive imo.
5 ) Make the OSD wait 25% longer before going away on its own.
I guess it would not hurt much.
6 ) Possibly a better selection indicator than just bold (maybe the list selection graphic from Theater View)
Yes. A select indicator would be better imo. A skin customizable graphic. Perhaps make these a option in the skin engine, or is the display view separated from Theater View? In that case, just go for Theater Views selection
7 ) Possibly a bottom line of instructions on the OSD in a slightly smaller font that describes what you should do (wouldn't help my daughter, but might help adults).
No, please. It's annoying as it is with things like the instructions every time I restart the client and pop Theater View. This should be so self explanatory that the user know within a few clicks how it behaves
8 ) Make sure the most common commands (maybe 'Subtitles') are not nested
IF you want to show all languages in subs and audio (which I think is a good idea), these can not be nested. So, yes. Unnest items with several selections like subs and audio streams. Group the rest of them
9 ) Make the menu button bring up the OSD.
I'm not so sure about this one. Menu is often used for the DVD menu if that's playing. At least on My Harmony 900 and the remote that came with my HTPC. It would break something that some users are used to.

*EDIT*
Scratch all that. I believe my suggestion below would fix most of this :)

jmone:

--- Quote from: MrHaugen on August 24, 2012, 02:29:57 am ---9 ) Make the menu button bring up the OSD.
I'm not so sure about this one. Menu is often used for the DVD menu if that's playing. At least on My Harmony 900 and the remote that came with my HTPC. It would break something that some users are used to.

--- End quote ---

Uggg - Good pick-up MrH (I missed this).  This would be a backwards step IMO, as I like how the Menu Button brings up the full DVD Menu (with a DVD) and would like it to bring up something similar with BD / Media Files etc, NOT bring up the MC OSD (Up / Down Arrow is fine for this one).

Hendrik:
Menu Button on BDs brings up the title selector, doesn't it?
At least i distinctly remember it doing that. :)

jmone:
No - it brings up a Diag asking if you want to play a DVD from a Drive

Scolex:
I find that the new OSD is different but not better, if anything I find it more confusing this is not something you should have to think about and IMHO you do.

Better would be:
Items like color, brightness, contrast, zoom, rew/fwd or any other thing that needs to be live because they are visual or aural in nature.
up/down to select category
left/right to highlight sub category ok to select sub category
right/left or up/down to change setting and ok to exit sub category (right and up are the same as are left and down)

Items that you know the effect like subtitles, audio track, etc.
up/down to select category
left/right to highlight sub category ok to select sub category
right/left or up/down to change setting and ok to apply setting which in return exits the sub category (right and up are the same as are left and down)


Ideally though I would like something similar to what is represented below.
My thought is that with the below scheme there is a visual reminder of what you need to do based on what is visible/hidden.
The flow:
On initial entry the top item of the left panel is selected, you use up/down to cycle through the items and ok or right to select that item
after ok/right the focus moves to the right panel and you use up/down to cycle and ok/right to select
if the item has an additional setting that requires the bottom panel focus moves there after ok/right
once in the bottom panel you use left/right to adjust and ok to apply/return to the right panel (some items would be a live setting due to their respective function so ok would only function as *return*)
left acts as return in any panel except the bottom panel, when in the bottom panel up/down functions continue to control the right panel.

PS: IMO the playing now info should be moved out of the standard OSD and instead be available through i/info I say that because it serves no real function and is strictly informational.

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