Looking for a skin for my old TV

[gemmagirl]

I have been using GB for about a week and love it. I have a old TV that has a hard time displaying the default skin. I was lucky enough to find another designed for older smaller tvs. I can't recall the name of it, but it looks like the default skin but the text is much larger and there are cute retro images beside the buttons in the main menu.

Anyhow, I am looking for a skin that might look like the file attached (which I believe was a older version of GBPVR) AND works with a older tv. I'd like something that dosen't scroll - which was cool and high tech looking, but after a few days I feel like all I do is scroll though the menu for stuff.

[johnsonx42]

You can look on the wiki page for skins here: http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Skin/ActiveSkins. I assume the skin you mentioned first is Blue-Retro-SHV? You might try Mayhem, it looks like it doesn't scroll. I think the image you attached is from the old GBPVR.exe UI, which was dropped ages ago (I've never seen it personally).

Slick (included with GB-PVR) uses a horizontal layout with fewer buttons that may suit you better.

You can also disable menu items you don't need in the config app, and you can also put less used items into a sub-menu. I think though that the Slick skin won't work if you have items in a sub-menu (I know it didn't with 1.3.7, and haven't heard about it being fixed in 1.3.11). Unfortunately, much to the dismay of many, you can't get rid of the Exit item. Sub has said he might consider the possibility of maybe fixing that limitation some day if he has time and every other bug is fixed. I mention that only to avoid you coming back and asking why you can't get rid of the Exit item... I am not meaning to yank sub's chain in any way

[johnsonx42]

oh, also, forgot to mention, you might give a try to Community Skin 4 - you can edit many properties of the skin, including various text sizes, right from the included Skin Plugin.

[gemmagirl]

I gave Comm skin 4 a look, it looked a little difficult to edit - But I'll give it another look later.

Don't even mention then name Slick. I was just looking at that one today and it crashed my computer, and corrupted something, so that I am now back at square one installing stuff. But that's not all, the tuner card is in denial again, that dosen't think it has a digital tuner - so it's unplugged till it rethinks the error of it's ways. *Sigh* At least all the stuff I have learned is still in my head, so it shouldn't be too hard to reinstall and configure. Besides, the evil skin's text was too small.

Mayhem sounds promising, I'll check that one right away, thanks.

[stustunz]

if you have to keep unplugging tuners to get them to work you might want to look at your cooling

[johnsonx42]

IDon't even mention then name Slick. I was just looking at that one today and it crashed my computer, and corrupted something, so that I am now back at square one installing stuff.

Sorry about that... there is a known bug where you can't switch to Slick from inside PVRX2, you can only do it from the config app. But I've never heard of it doing anything more than crashing PVRX2 so you'd have to restart the app. You'll forgive me if I'm starting to think your computer is a bit fragile.

But that's not all, the tuner card is in denial again, that dosen't think it has a digital tuner - so it's unplugged till it rethinks the error of it's ways.

if you have to keep unplugging tuners to get them to work you might want to look at your cooling

Agreed. Perhaps try a slot fan next to your tuner? http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLis...tegory=573

Brand name systems are notorious for providing barely adequate cooling for the factory configuration, to say nothing of what happens once you add something. I've seen a lot of Dells with the main fan installed backwards (not by accident I'm sure, I have no doubt some idiot at Dell decided it would be better to make an effectively closed cooling loop between the back fan and power supply, leaving the hard drive and expansion cards with absolutely no airflow).

[gemmagirl]

You'll forgive me if I'm starting to think your computer is a bit fragile.

No insult taken. :p I have been thinking the same thing. I bought it off ebay, and I know the OS wasn't a fresh install. I've found bits of many different programs as I've poked around. I should have done a new install, but I was being lazy, and was in a hurry to get it running. I know.... asked for it. If I get really annoyed, I'll dump everything and start over.

Perhaps try a slot fan next to your tuner?

Wow, they look neat, and are cheaper than I thought. Cooling is another thing I've been thinking of, but so far I've been doing okay - or I should be. The system I am using is a IBM Thinkcentre, it's got a open grill on each end and two huge fans pulling air though the case. I've got into the case after a days worth of running and felt around everything is slightly warm at worst. And just to be on the safe side, I took the back end off the TV cabinet it's currently in, so there is air flow going straight though.

However with that said, for the tuner card to go out like this, and to only work after a long power down (I got it working in three hours), you would think heat would be the problem. I guess I had better save up for a fan.

Hey, is there a list of know bugs I can read? I'd like to know what pitfalls to avoid, you are right - Slick crashed it while I was in the main software.

[johnsonx42]

Do a new install. Please. Have the installer format your drive. You have no idea what sort of garbage could be in there.

As to known bugs, I'm afraid the only list is in sub's head. The rest of us either discover them as we go, or read about them here.

[Jaggy]

I'd like something that dosen't scroll - which was cool and high tech looking, but after a few days I feel like all I do is scroll though the menu for stuff.

I am fairly sure that the scrolling menu, either horizontally like the slick skin or vertically like most of the others are the only options available at the moment. Reordering the items in config for the mainmenu to group together what you use most cuts down the amount of scrolling you have to do & make the use a lot more pleasurable. For older tv's you need a skin that displays larger fonts, or have super good eyesight, so I think you only have to choice of either my Blue-Retro-SHV skin or the Community4 skin & upping the sizes of the fonts in the skinplugin at the moment. But first I think you really need to get your computer stable before you worry to much about the skins etc.

[gemmagirl]

I am fairly sure that the scrolling menu, either horizontally like the slick skin or vertically like most of the others are the only options available at the moment.

Thanks for letting me know that, I'll look into what it would take to make something that doesn't scroll.

But first I think you really need to get your computer stable before you worry to much about the skins etc.

I thought it was when I asked the question.