Info Screen Optimisation

[Wade Coxon]

This request aims to allow the user to dismiss the Event Info Screen by pressing the "INFO" button. This will allow the user to display the Info Screen, and then dismiss it using the same button.

On the Info Screen, the "INFO" button is already assigned to a search function, and that functionality is duplicated by the "MENU" button.

The proposal is that both the "MENU" and "INFO" button actions be removed, and the search functions relocated to the "GREEN" and "RED" buttons in the Info Screen.

1. Remove the "Add Timer" action currently assigned to the "GREEN" button, and replace with a "Search EPG" action.
2. Add a "Search IMDB" action to the "RED" button.
3. Remove the "Menu" and "Info" button actions and icons.
4. Pressing the "Info" button while the Info screen is open should dismiss the Info Screen.

[prl]

Where will the "Similar" and "Search EPG' search functions go? I think Add Timer should stay on GREEN, for consistency with other EPG-related screens (which is presumably why IMDb Search" is being proposed for RED.

I'm not even sure about this as a general idea. The INFO button only defaults to the Event Info Screen. INFO can be set to take you to any EPG screen (and other functions, too). Should those EPG screens also exit when INFO is pressed? Even if they are reached by pressing EPG (which can also be set to go to any EPG screen or Event Info)?

[Wade Coxon]

At the time, I had not been aware of the "Siimlar" function, as this never appears when using IceTV for the PG and EIT for Now/Next. I agree that Similar should remain as-is. (This was discussed in the Beyonwiz forum thread here: http://www.beyonwiz.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=10517

On a similar note, I agree that Timer should remain. The arguement for removal was that the only way to see the Info screen for a future event was from the EPG, where the Timer can be added easily. Now that I am aware of the Similar function, I can see that it appears in other Search type contexts.

As for the dismissal of the screen on pressing INFO, I think that it is still valid. INFO duplicates the function of MENU on this screen and is as-such wasted. I think there is no need to extend this functionality for INFO to dismiss non Info screens. The idea is to streamline de-activation of the Event Info display, and not intended as a way to dismiss other types of screens.

Only Item 4 on the change request remains as a valid change.

[IanSav]

I think there is value to the use INFO to return the user to the screen that triggered the display of the program information screen. The INFO button prompt should remain and have a help topic that indicates that this returns the user to the previous screen. The MENU button serves no appropriate function here and can be removed.

I have an alternate suggestion for rearranging the other functions and buttons:

• RED can stay as it is (Similar).

• GREEN displays a pop up menu to select the type of timer. See Issue #516.

  Alternatively:

  • GREEN could create a Timer for the event.

  • Long GREEN could create an AutoTimer for the event (If the AutoTimer plugin is installed.)

• YELLOW could trigger a Search. See Issue #517.

• Long YELLOW could trigger display of the Search menu. See Issue #517.

• If AutoTimers are not handled by GREEN as listed above and in Issue #516 then BLUE could create an AutoTimer for the event.

• EPG can display the currently selected / default EPG view.

• Long EPG can display the EPG selection menu.

Note that the long EPG menu includes options for performing some of the searches. I will add a new issue (Issue #518) to cover some changes to improve the long EPG menu that will further improve the options for this request.

[prl]

If the Event Info screen is entered by pressing EPG, should INFO dismiss it? Or EPG? or both? If the Event Info screen is entered by pressing INFO, should EPG dismiss it? Should either (or both) EPG or INFO dismiss other EPG screens?

A lot of discussion around this assumes that INFO and EPG from live TV have fixed functions.

[IanSav]

In my opinion only the button that opened the event info screen should close it.

For example:

• Pressing INFO from live TV to view details of the current event then you should be able to press EPG to view the selected/default EPG view or INFO to close the screen.

• Pressing EPG from live TV to view the selected/default EPG then you should be able to press INFO to view the details for the current event or EPG to close the screen.

For the above examples the screen you get when you press of INFO or EPG doesn't matter. It can be what ever is configured. Just the button you press to get there should be the only button you can press to exit or return. The other button should do what it is programmed to do.

[Wade Coxon]

If be happy if both INFO and EPG could close the screen regardless of which button was used to invoke it. EPG is currently unused in this context AFAIK, so no downside.

[IanSav]

EPG is used within both the EPG and INFO button presses. On my T3 they both bring up the single channel EPG.

I am not sure if this action is configurable.

[Wade Coxon]

What prl was talking about was if EPG is configured to open the Event Info screen from Live TV, not that the Event Info screen can be invoked from the EPG.

I think that since the YELLOW button can already invoke the Single EPG from a Live TV invoked Event Info screen, then the EPG button does not need to be used to also invoke the Single EPG.

That would unfortunately spoil your plans for changing the function of the colour buttons though, which is not ideal.

[IanSav]

I am not following what you are saying or how it breaks the proposed button layout.

[Wade Coxon]

I just meant that the short-press EPG would no longer be available for other actions if used to close the Event Info screen. The long-EPG allows access to the Single and Multi EPG in your proposal, so no functionality is lost, so no biggy in hindsight.

[IanSav]

Either of the EPG or INFO buttons only close the screen if the same EPG or INFO button, respectively, opened it. EPG will not close an INFO opened screen and vice versa regardless of what functions the EPG or INFO buttons are programmed to access.

[Wade Coxon]

Makes sense.

[prl]

A screen has no idea of what button (or other) action caused it to open. Any information about that has to be explicitly given to the screen. There is also the complication that INFO and EPG don't just open EPG-related screens from live TV, they also do it from other EPG-related screens (and elsewhere, like the MoviePlayer class). Doing this the way people seem to want it seems to be getting to be a bit of a tangle.

[IanSav]

If the proposed change to allow EPG and INFO to open and also close the various screens can not be made cleanly and uniformly then I don't think the change should go ahead. Most users are already familiar with pressing EXIT to close various screens.

If the other button changes are workable then they could still go ahead.

[Wade Coxon]

I really do think simplicity is the key here. The original change request was made so that with default settings, a press of INFO would show the Event Info and a second press would dismiss it. The same can be done for EPG. Regardless of whether INFO or EPG button invokes the Event Info screen, EPG should also close the Event Info screen. Any additional enhancements that IanSav wants to add to the Event Info page can work around those two buttons being fixed function such that they close the Event Info screen.

[IanSav]

Using INFO to close an EPG screen and vice versa is not a good UI to me.

If the EPG button is to be made an EXIT button then the EPG functions from my button list will need to remain on a colour button. This would be unfortunate.

[Wade Coxon]

The INFO button would not close an EPG screen, it would close the Event Info screen. A user who invoked the Event Info screen using INFO is unlikely to want to use EPG to close it again, they will either use INFO or go to EXIT, so there is no user confusion here. The opposite also applies. This method of operation would mean that if you had the Event Info screen open, then INFO, EPG, OK, and EXIT would all be able to close the screen. Having to move the thumb to a different button to close this screen slows down a user that just wanted to see the Event Info for a moment before returning to their previous activity. It is unfortunate that your proposed changes are not easily accommodated with this user requirement, and I am more than happy to help incorporate them into this change request, but they were not part of the original intent.