Help make new default skin

[venger]

Agree with andlju MP was my first go in the HTPC world.. and even tho, i continue to try out each release... i've always found that the 'small window' feature lead to:
(1) instability issues - additional logic means additional bugs i suppose
also, it seems that 'small window' with scrolling text (like in MP) just chews up CPU% - and for no additional return except for the cool factor...

(2) less intuitive GUI - i would click on "My TV". To get to the other TV features (eg recorded TV, pending recordings), I have to zoom out to the small window. Compared to GBPVR, it always felt like I was pressing an extra button or two in MP.

[reven]

i like the grouping of similar task in mediaportal, less buttons to clutter the main menu, i have a submenu now for the recordings, live tv, guide etc now, but i do prefer the way this is done in mediaportal. but then that uses a preview window aswell, and their guide is absolute rubbish (looks to much like windows with those stupid slide bars).

but the grouping is cool.

[nkh]

(looks to much like windows with those stupid slide bars)

Other than the super stability and good logic, this is what I love about GBPVR: it doesn't look like a windows app, it looks like it's part of my tv.

What I think would make it look even less like a windows app and more like something that belongs on the tv, is to make the menus look like lists where you select the functions instead of buttons that you press. At leased that's how the menus on my tv and vcr (unused of course ) works.

I do like simple icons, transparency and shadows and stuff, the whole "3D button" thing just looks out of place if you don't have a touchscreen.

I guess we could also look at other interfaces to get inspiration, maybe Sub can give some hints about what he likes

I like the look of Audis MMI interface. It's very simple, it's usualy just red and grey tones, it's that simplicity that makes it nice (imo):


This B&O menu looks nice too (I don't know if it's from the cd-player, the dvd-player in the tv or if it's from a pc running BeoPlayer (alternative link)):

[nkh]

Wow cool modern setup! Is that a 6 way CD changer to your left int he screen. What size TV you got there...?

It isn't my setup. According to the website it's a BeoSound 9000 and the TV is a 32" BeoVision Avant with DVD player. The Beo4 thing mentioned on the site is the remote.

Anyways, I just liked the menu/style thing, I don't hope GBPVR will reach B&O's prices (BS9000 - £1695, Avant 32" DVD - £2495, Beo4 - £125, notice that these aren't even new products....)

[Kevl]

Hi

Have been reading with interest the discussion of skins etc.

I have a view which might be controversial. I have been playing with HTPC front ends for many years - this might indicate that it is really hard to get all of the stuff working, or that I'm incompetant - or both :-).

The best performing UI I have seen is that on the Microsoft MCE app. Ignoring style and colours - which will always be a matter of taste, the way the menus move (they seem to overshoot when scrolled) and the sheer responsiveness to remote commands is very impressive. Haven't seen anything that gets close. Pity MCE is so limited in other respects.

On the subject of skins- Why is the GBPVR skin limited to 740x480?

PAL pictures have more lines than this and PAL is probably just as common as NTSC. - if the 480 line thing is based on this.

The GBPVR screen fonts might benefit from a higher screen res. I think the mediaportal skins are higher res.

Kev

[sub]

On the subject of skins- Why is the GBPVR skin limited to 740x480

They're not limited to that, but that is what most skins are designed for. You can create higher resolution, or widescreen skins.

[ShiningDragon]

Hm, i changed in the skin.xml the standard size from 720 x 480 (no PAL Resolution) to 768 x 576 and changed the Background, the Buttons and the Text.

Now it looks much better on my TV. The text is sharper too, and better readable.

I think that the grey-colored text isn't a good idea. Perfectly seen on a PC-CRT, but at TV... me eyes..., i don't like it.

[Kevl]

ShiningDragon,

Is changing the standard size just a matter of changing a text string or is there more to it. I would like the sharper text.

Kev

[sub]

I think that the grey-colored text isn't a good idea. Perfectly seen on a PC-CRT, but at TV... me eyes..., i don't like it.

Looks good on my TV, but then my TV is pretty good and I connect via DVI.

[ShiningDragon]

Looks good on my TV, but then my TV is pretty good and I connect via DVI.

My TV is really a big one, but it's connected over the S-VHS cable from the Graphicscard. I think that it's not comparable with your DVI-Solution.