Changes I'd Like to See in Community-SD OSD Skin

[LewE]

I make the following changes to the OSD skin each time it is reissued. I think they apply to a large group of users and would like to see them incorporated into the basic OSD skin.

The first two changes are to relocate the timeline and program description so they are more near the center of the screen vertically. This becomes an issue if the show is broadcast in letterbox but I want to use the ZOOM function on my wide screen television to fill the whole screen. The standard placement of these put them off-screen when the set is zoomed in. You can see in the attached screen capture of a letter-boxed show that they are now positioned inside the program material area.

[COLOR="Blue"]<Placement name="Timeline" loc="10,15" size="80,8"/>
<Placement name="VideoShowInfo" loc="0,54" size="100,26"/>[/COLOR]

Since the placement would not adversely affect any users and would be useful to those that may ZOOM letterboxed shows, I think the change could be made to the basic skin without any complaints from users.


The other tweak I make is to change the color of the commercial area if GBPVR autoskips the commercials. We are able to switch between autoskip and not autoskip by entering 999 on the remote. The standard OSD skin displays the coomercial areas in a very slightly different way. It is almost impossible to determine which mode you are in from just looking at the timeline.

I changed the color so it is RosyBrown if autoskip is in effect and you can see the second capture shows where it is not in effect. I would have preferred to make the autoskip color to be Black and the Not Autoskip color be a less intense shade of the Green used for displaying programming on the timeline but I could not find a parameter to control that color.

<NamedColor name="TimelineAvailableAd" color="RosyBrown"/>

I don't think any users of Comskip would object to this change or an alternative that would make the distinction between Autoskipping and Not Autoskipping greater. The color RosyBrown wasn't my first choice. Like I described above, someone who knows the skin better than I could make better choices of color if they can also control the color when Autoskip is turned off.

[Fatman_do]

Will make the changes then, I have no objections. May need to bump me on this though.

My general thoughts are that any suggestions represent an improvement over the original.

[johnsonx42]

I'm in agreement with the comskip area color change; I didn't even know the timeline could show whether auto-comskip was in effect or not.

However I would very much not like the positioning changes to the OSD, unless it is to be done as a optional layout selectable from the skin plugin.

As the one raising the objection I guess that means I'm volunteering to implement the change in a selectable manner.

[gEd]

I'm not sure if people who watch a show in letterbox and want to use the ZOOM function on their wide screen TVs qualify as a large group of users do they?

I vote to leave layout as it is or make configurable via skin plugin.
Comskip colour: I've never had a problem but if it helps others out then I'm ok with that.

[roy]

I agree with the comskip color, but would not like the OSD position change.

[LewE]

I agree with the comskip color, but would not like the OSD position change.

I'm curious. Why the opposition to the change of the OSD position?

The OSD is not something that is always visible and is only brought up to briefly check status. So, why would it matter if it is moved slightly on the screen? If it had been this way when originally released, I suspect no one would be pushing for changing its position.

Since you are the second person to voice this I was wondering what your reason is.

[roy]

I'm curious. Why the opposition to the change of the OSD position?

I think it's more intrusive, even if briefly. I don't so much mind the timeline, but I do like the info all the way down out of the way as much as possible.

[johnsonx42]

Your screenshots just look wrong to me. Everything appears oddly out of place, and covers nearly the entire screen. If it had been this way all along, I'd be pushing to have it moved. If this change were made to the skin, we'd have far more complaints than kudos (yes, a certain percentage wouldn't care either way).

Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the change is desirable for those who use the various zoom functions of their TV's.

[LewE]

Your screenshots just look wrong to me. Everything appears oddly out of place, and covers nearly the entire screen. If it had been this way all along, I'd be pushing to have it moved. If this change were made to the skin, we'd have far more complaints than kudos (yes, a certain percentage wouldn't care either way).

Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the change is desirable for those who use the various zoom functions of their TV's.

I just don't see why people are concerned about a screen that is meant to just pop up briefly and while it is on the screen you are more interested in the information of the OSD than what the program material is. Am I missing something about how users use the OSD?

That being said, I am most interested in the timeline being moved in the standard skin and if the program description were to be left in its original position it wouldn't bother me that much.

The last thing I want to do is get into a fight about personal preferences about screen appearances. In a career of working on programs including their Uer Interfaces, I have found that the User Interface is the one area that everyone has an opinion.

[pBS]

it's another reason i like vmr9....i use the F7 to change the video zoom and the osd never moves, so it's only for people who use external zooming, so not really good as a default...
i like them almost transparent and close to the edges as possible, the timeline you can't force off like the info at botttom, it stays a short period of time even when cancelled..
and it's not like it needs a background, tho i like the outline outside..

i agree it'd be better as a layout choice then a default..