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Author Topic: Theater View Search, Exit and Time  (Read 2327 times)

park

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Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« on: October 03, 2009, 09:28:50 am »

3 of the things that constantly niggle me when in the living room:

1. I cant see the time when I'm in a view.

2. When I want to exit I have to go up x number of levels and then scroll right x number of times. It tires me :) I know that we can rorder the list of items on the front page, and I have put exit as the first item. But this sends a really bad signal out. When I turn on the tv and computer, the first thing we see on the screen is the word "Exit". Since it's a button users will use every time they use Theater view, I think it should be on its own in a second row. Down arrow from anywhere will take you to it.

3. Search is another big one that should be more at people's fingertips.
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JimH

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2009, 09:47:31 am »

Exit shouldn't be too easy, in my opinion.

To scroll up from deep in a view, try the left arrow.  It takes you to the top.  Left, left, left ...

Escape pressed twice exits.

I would not like to see time everywhere.

In a view of Artists, you can type the first few characters of the name.

Theater View has been a challenge for us since we have to accommodate mouse, keyboard, remote, and touchscreen.  I'm pretty happy with the current state.  I realize you may not be.

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park

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2009, 10:24:07 am »

When I am in Video>Television Shows>Sci-Fi>Battlestar Galatcica>Series 3> it takes me 6 left presses to get home to see the time. Then it takes me another 8 right presses to get to Exit as MC is set up by default. I dont want to press escape because that will take me to standard view. I am using the living room PC as a media PC, so all it ever shows is theater view. I use the exit button so that I can shutdown the pc at the same time.

I dont mean to sound unhappy. I am "happier" than I was :) Theater View is constantly improving. There are just a few things that feel harder than they should.
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JimH

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2009, 10:42:42 am »

When I am in Video>Television Shows>Sci-Fi>Battlestar Galatcica>Series 3> it takes me 6 left presses to get home to see the time. Then it takes me another 8 right presses to get to Exit as MC is set up by default.
Instead of going right, go left once to get to Exit (in its original position).  There is a slight delay required at this point, so that from deep down, you could just "stand on" the left key.
Quote
I dont want to press escape because that will take me to standard view. I am using the living room PC as a media PC, so all it ever shows is theater view. I use the exit button so that I can shutdown the pc at the same time.
I stop all playback and leave MC at Theater View home before putting the PC to sleep.  It seems to work fine.
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Marty3d

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2009, 10:55:51 am »

When Theater View changed in MC14, I was also missing the time. Still do. There's plenty of space to put a clock in, but for some reason no-one seems to need it. Is there a reason I'm not seeing for not showing time anywhere else but at the root?
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rick.ca

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2009, 03:53:15 pm »

When I am in Video>Television Shows>Sci-Fi>Battlestar Galatcica>Series 3> it takes me 6 left presses to get home to see the time.

Use Shift+F11 to toggle Current - Home - Display views. I've programmed it to a convenient key on my remote. I believe the "Green Button" on the MCE remote does the same thing.
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raym

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2009, 06:12:29 pm »

Exit is one of the options I've actually removed from the menu as I don't want anyone shutting down my PC or exiting Theater View by accident or otherwise. In a HTPC environment, I don't see the need for Exit on the main menu myself but perhaps some people do. Pressing standby on my remote does the trick nicely. Alternatively, you could always script exactly what you want to do, and map it to the power on/off button on your remote.

Re the "time everywhere" thing. I agree and it can be accomplished by adding the code below to your skin's XML config. If Obsidian (for instance) the file resides here: C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center 14\Skins\Theater View\Obsidian\main.xml:

Code: [Select]
  <TEXT>
    <Item Text="[Time]" Location="" TextColor="FFFFFF" Rect="RootText\50,0,100,100" Capitalization="0" Alignment="1" Alpha="50" Size="[Medium Text Height]" />
    <Item Text="[Time]" Location="**\" TextColor="FFFFFF" Rect="0,0,8,8" Capitalization="0" Alignment="1" Alpha="50" Size="[Medium Text Height]"/>
  </TEXT>

This will add the clock to the top left hand corner of the title bar for every screen (as well as where it resides currently for the main menu). If required, play with the Rect="0,0,8,8" values to change the position of the clock to your taste. If you want more info on this stuff, take a look here also: http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/Theater_View_Skinning_Tutorial

Cheers.
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park

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #7 on: October 04, 2009, 05:00:22 am »

I have theater view set to use the hdmi port of the computer going to the TV and when I put the vaio to sleep it often wont wake back up again, or wakes up but doesnt see the hdmi output. I prefer to use the shutdown feature and save on some standyby power while I'm at it.
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JimH

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2009, 07:33:33 am »

The deep sleep (S3?) uses something like 3 watts.

Make sure you stop playback first.  It should work.

I have Sony equipment at home except for the PC.  The TV and Blu-ray player have settings that allow the devices to communicate with each other via HDMI.  When I turn the TV on, it turns on the receiver.  Blu-ray turns on the TV, and that turns on the receiver.  Once in a while this doesn't work right and I have to turn one on manually.  I wonder if your problem is related to this auto-on and off. 

My office PC sometimes won't find the display if I forget to turn the display on first.  Putting the PC to sleep and waking it again after I've turned on the display usually solves it.

A lot of idiosyncracies ....
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maxxsid

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #9 on: October 05, 2009, 11:23:51 pm »

+1 for the time/clock. Right-bottom corner? Maybe as an option?

When Theater View changed in MC14, I was also missing the time. Still do. There's plenty of space to put a clock in, but for some reason no-one seems to need it. Is there a reason I'm not seeing for not showing time anywhere else but at the root?
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maxxsid

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #10 on: October 05, 2009, 11:26:48 pm »

Will this be overwritten on the next MC install/update?

Re the "time everywhere" thing. I agree and it can be accomplished by adding the code below to your skin's XML config. If Obsidian (for instance) the file resides here: C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center 14\Skins\Theater View\Obsidian\main.xml:

Code: [Select]
  <TEXT>
    <Item Text="[Time]" Location="" TextColor="FFFFFF" Rect="RootText\50,0,100,100" Capitalization="0" Alignment="1" Alpha="50" Size="[Medium Text Height]" />
    <Item Text="[Time]" Location="**\" TextColor="FFFFFF" Rect="0,0,8,8" Capitalization="0" Alignment="1" Alpha="50" Size="[Medium Text Height]"/>
  </TEXT>

This will add the clock to the top left hand corner of the title bar for every screen (as well as where it resides currently for the main menu). If required, play with the Rect="0,0,8,8" values to change the position of the clock to your taste. If you want more info on this stuff, take a look here also: http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/Theater_View_Skinning_Tutorial

Cheers.
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Marty3d

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2009, 11:32:38 pm »

Will this be overwritten on the next MC install/update?


It has been before, that's why I don't bother with it anymore...:/
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maxxsid

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Re: Theater View Search, Exit and Time
« Reply #12 on: October 06, 2009, 12:07:01 am »

Well, I made a copy of Obsidan, called it Obsidan Timed and made those changes. It will now stay (until HD format)..
Still I thing the clock needs to be included in the stock skins..

It has been before, that's why I don't bother with it anymore...:/
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