INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => Media Center 13 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: lalittle on April 13, 2009, 04:10:02 am
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I can get used to many aspects of the "roller" approach, but I just discovered that Theater View no longer allows the use of the "right" arrow to start playback when drilling all the way into a song, and instead adds a new roller. I'm not asking for a "no roller" approach, but this new roller and the lack of the "right arrow to play all" is a BIG frustration for me. I used to be able to navigate and drill in using just "down" and "right" arrows, where the final right arrow would bring up the "play" menu, and the next right arrow would select "Play All." Now I HAVE to use the "enter" key to select "Play All," which destroys the "rapid fire" ability to drill in and play using only two keys on the remote (or four keys -- all arrows -- if one overshoots and has to navigate back up or back out.)
I'm guessing that this probably sounds like a small thing to some users who don't navigate this way or who don't use remotes, but being able to use ONLY up/down/left/right arrows for navigation was a significant feature with the previous navigation model, particularly when you knew where you wanted to go and only required "down" and "right." The new model just adds complexity to this approach, and creates the necessity to carefully watch the new "song roller" menu and go to the "Enter" key on the remote EVERY time playback is started. If I hit the right arrow one too many times, I navigate onto "add" and end up feeling "stuck" on this extra roller until I stop and think about what I need to do. This is just not the "smooth" and "intuitive" navigation that people like myself are looking for.
Is there any way that we keep the option for the "right arrow to start playback" model? It's feeling more and more like Theater View is being designed with a really specific navigation preference in mind, but this preference is distinctly different from what I'm used to, which is simple, intuitive navigation. I'm sure that the new model is perfectly logical to some people, but it's creating frustration for me, and with this recent change I feel like it's starting to really move away from something I can use effectively.
Larry
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I felt like this initially, but I used it quite a bit over the weekend and I got used to it. Sorry, Larry, I'm okay with it as is.
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I didn't even realize it worked that way, so clearly I won't miss it. :P
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This might be different functionallity but have you tried pressing the space bar?
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This might be different functionallity but have you tried pressing the space bar?
I'm not pressing the space bar since I'm not using a keyboard. I'm using a remote, and the ability to navigate AND play using ONLY arrow buttons was extremely helpful in my situation since it was so intuitive. I didn't find myself on a new "roller" where the same "right" arrow button would suddenly start highlighting other options. Regardless of any type of key/button mapping I might do, it is STILL far easier to navigate and play if I'm not forced away from the arrow buttons
I think that this points to a fundamental issue for some of us -- the current design seems targetted at keyboard users at the expense of remote users. People that use keyboards to navigate Theater View just don't experience the problems that the current model is causing some remote users.
Larry
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I think that this points to a fundamental issue for some of us -- the current design seems targetted at keyboard users at the expense of remote users.
Remote controls with only two arrows are no longer supported.
I'd get a remote with four arrows and an enter key.
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I felt like this initially, but I used it quite a bit over the weekend and I got used to it. Sorry, Larry, I'm okay with it as is.
Are you just "okay" with it, or do you "prefer" it this way?
I can't help feeling like the designers are using keyboards and/or touchscreens for their primary design decisions, and that remote control use is little more than an afterthought these days. Making the paradigm "work" with remotes is different than designing it with remote use specifically in mind. I understand that it's very difficult to make a single interface that works with remotes, touchscreens, and keyboards, but these recent changes are clearly not designed with 'my' use in mind, which is sad given how long I've been using Theater View.
Larry
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I can't help feeling like the designers are using keyboards and/or touchscreens for their primary design decisions, and that remote control use is little more than an afterthought these days.
Both Matt and I use remotes heavily. They are MSMC compatible remotes.
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Remote controls with only two arrows are no longer supported.
I'd get a remote with four arrows and an enter key.
It's sometimes hard to maintain a sense of humor when such a useful feature of MC just keeps becoming less intuitive and more difficult to use for my family. Joking aside, being able to drill in and play using just two arrow keys was a really nice feature that I used EVERY single time I used Theater View, so it's a VERY noticeable loss.
Larry
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Both Matt and I use remotes heavily. They are MSMC compatible remotes.
Forgive me, but what does "MSMC" stand for? I'd also be interested in the specific make/models of remotes that you're using. The remote I'm using is a basic X10 remote that allows me to control any application via Girder, but Girder is always a bit complicated to get set up right, so I'm always looking for other options.
Thanks,
Larry
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MS is Microsoft
MC is Media Center
Do you have XP or Vista?
Here's a thread on what we did:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=50639.0
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Are you just "okay" with it, or do you "prefer" it this way?
I like some things about it both ways, but in the end it is really a wash. It comes down to this: only an "expert user" would probably try to select songs (intentionally) using the Right Arrow. It was a convenience since the arrow key wasn't being used for anything else anyway. There are some things I like about the new menu, and it certainly seemed clearer than the previous system to some novice users I had over throughout the weekend.
So, in other words... To me, using the Right Arrow to actually play songs was a convenient shortcut, for an otherwise unused key, but it is not worth giving up "something real" in order to keep it. That, and I tend to agree with Matt...
Remote controls with only two arrows are no longer supported.
I'd get a remote with four arrows and an enter key.
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I like some things about it both ways, but in the end it is really a wash. It comes down to this: only an "expert user" would probably try to select songs (intentionally) using the Right Arrow.
I disagree. It always struck me as a logical extension to drilling in -- i.e. you keep drilling in until it plays the song. Just like the right arrow "selects" a list item and drills into a new level, it also "selects" Play All. Different people obviously don't have the same experiences, because this always seemed completely intuitive to me.
It was a convenience since the arrow key wasn't being used for anything else anyway. There are some things I like about the new menu, and it certainly seemed clearer than the previous system to some novice users I had over throughout the weekend.
That's really odd, because my experience with new users is exactly the opposite.
So, in other words... To me, using the Right Arrow to actually play songs was a convenient shortcut, for an otherwise unused key, but it is not worth giving up "something real" in order to keep it. That, and I tend to agree with Matt...
I'm unclear what you mean here -- what is the "something real" is in this case?
Thanks,
Larry
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I'm unclear what you mean here -- what is the "something real" is in this case?
The new Play roller that shows in the thumbnail and file info area on the right. Left/Right is needed to navigate this roller.