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[Matt]

Jim once described deciding what to show when we have no thumbnail as "filling in donut holes."  I think he meant it was impossible to make it look too good.  Or maybe he was hungry.

Regardless, I think the current solution looks messy if you don't have consistent art.  The problem applies to Standard View and Theater View.  I'd like to improve it.

We created an "extend the edges" algorithm for Theater View backdrops.  I'm wondering if this could be part of the solution.

Here's a sample view showing mismatched aspect ratios and blanks:


Here's what it looks like if we enforce an aspect ratio, use a solid color blank, and extend the edges for mismatched aspect ratios:


I'm not sure what belongs on the blanks.  Currently it's just a solid almost-black.

Thoughts?

[Matt]

It's worth mentioning that the problem is even worse in the 3d flow list, which is now the default movie view.  Transparency on the face of a 3d object is confusing.

[glynor]

Here's what it looks like if we enforce an aspect ratio, use a solid color blank, and extend the edges for mismatched aspect ratios:

Better.

I'm not sure what belongs on the blanks.  Currently it's just a solid almost-black.

Take the current movie reel icon, shrink it, make it more translucent, and put it on those rectangles.

[MrC]

Better.

Maybe make the missing thumbnail icon smaller, and move to a less prominent position?

[NickF]

How about using the item Name on the blank Icon in a complementary colour, larger font than the label below with wrapping when necessary.

Nick.

[Osho]

Here are my 2 cents:

1. Having consistent aspect ratio for Movies and TV Shows is definitely an improvement. In fact, I would suggest that in most such views, the aspect ratio should be identical as much as possible.
2. I am not sure why thumbnails are not available. Shouldn't the thumbnails be always available? Anyways, if they are not available - I think the text that is displayed below the missing thumbnail could be used to build a rectangle thumbnail with the backdrop of the small movie-reel image.

Thanks,
Osho

[kensn]

I like MrC's suggestion a lot. To help lessen the obvious missing cover art, a small film reel on a transparent box with a frame might be nice. We could a least see the background.

Ken

[darichman]

I like your mockup - I especially like the blank replacement posters to replace the standard video icon.

Personally, I would not like to see the original images stretched or squashed when used for thumbnails... but  I think filling in edges to maintain the aspect ratio is fine and probably a good idea.

[jmone]

... but  I think filling in edges to maintain the aspect ratio is fine and probably a good idea.

Not keen on the Lamb Poo Brown however!

[gvanbrunt]

I like Mr C's mock up as well. As for the comments on stretching etc I also agree. I would rather not see it.

I also don't necessarily want "lamb poo brown" either . LOL What might look good is something I saw in an Android App called Power Amp. To fill the background area behind an album it uses some kind of algorythim to find the prominent colors and then it fills in the background with various "canvases" filled with those colors. It blends really well.

[fitbrit]

The proposed change is much better. I like MrC's effort too, but I would make the reel bigger. If the movie name could be incorporated within the box, that would be cool too. For the TV show media type, there could be a TV icon instead of the reel.

[InflatableMouse]

No names in thumbnails, please. There's a name under the box.

Personally I think half-filled thumbs are not quite it. It's better than how it is now, but still not quite there.

For the reel, try making it slightly bigger than the thumbnail box but crop the top, bottom and right edges and offset the image to the right a bit. It will fill the box but would leave the side with the film hanging out uncropped, touching the left side of the box. I can't make a mock Im at work right now.

For the film thumbs, show them on actual film (with the perforated sides), one complete image in the middle, half an image above it and half an image below it (like film rolling). This would fill the thumbnail but still show a complete image without looking goofy like it does now. What would be cool is if this is dynamic showing the image at the place of the bookmark for partially watched movies.

My 2 cents .

[MrC]

As moves are now digital, maybe its time to ditch the celluloid skeuomorphism.

[MrHaugen]

As for no cover art, I like MrC's suggestion. Perhaps just a bit bigger icon?

When it comes to wrong aspect ratio, I'm wondering how this will be if it's the other way around? Like episodes that mostly have vertical images, but a few have the TV show cover art. I hope the thumbnails will not get screwed over because of this. I think it would be fine to pick a subtle color to fill the missing gap to create a correct aspect ratio. But I also think it might be nice to pick up the most used color in the cover art and use that as a filler. I'm talking about the algorithm that was mentioned by one earlier here.

[mojave]

Solid color blanks and enforced aspect ratios are improvements. I do like the mini movie reel in the corner as suggested by MrC.

We created an "extend the edges" algorithm for Theater View backdrops.

By the way, this is very well done and I like it a lot!

[AndrewFG]

Solid color blanks and enforced aspect ratios are improvements.

Have you looked at the recently released new version of iTunes. In their Album info pane, the background colour and text colours are pulled from the colour pallete of the album art, so the info pane looks beautifully colour co-ordinated with the album art. Dare I say it, it looks rather cool. PS I would love to know the algorithm behind it...

Edit: PS I see that Matt was trying to do this; at least if I am not much mistaken the "lamb poo brown" is the dominant colour of the 20th Century Fox screen logo (but don't tell their lawyers...)

[Matt]

Aspect ratio enforcement and revised blank handling for movies and TV series images was added to MC 18.0.85.