2013-12-03, 16:02
Hi there,
sorry if this is something of a dumb post for a first time participant in this forum, but hey, I still hope it's useful for the developers to see where a novice struggled with the XBMC user interface.
I installed XBMC using OpenElec 3.2.4, my system has a MCE remote control. Everything installed and worked out of the box without a problem, kudos to all the guys who made this. My OE 3.2.4 came with XBMC version 12.2 Git:d1002b4.
The user interface looks great and is very appealing. However, I struggled to use it.
Why? Because it is not obvious how to navigate lists and how to enter into the next sublevel of a menu and back out of it.
You see, the MCE remote has a "Back" button (the "<-" below the "Rewind" button, see image), but it differs slightly from the PC keyboard's "backspace" and the keyboards "ESC" key behaviour.
Often, at least to me, it is not always clear *what* to do to enter a submenu or how to leave it properly. I feel lost and pressing "back", "OK" or arrow buttons on the remote does unexpected things.
Here are some examples of things I'd consider quirky. I'll split it up since the forum doesn't allow me to post 7 images in one article...
Task: You're in the skin list chooser. Move to the "Get More..."-UI-button.
What I expected: Press "down arrow" on remote until the end of the list, then the highlight will jump to "Get More..."
Actual solution: Press "left arrow" to leave list, this will highlight "Get More..."
Additional weirdness: When "Get More..." is highlighted, one can use either "left arrow" or "right arrow" on the remote to go to the list above, but only "left arrow" will let the user leave the list to go back to "Get More...".
Task: Choose a folder from the list
What I expected: Use "up arrow" and "down arrow" on the remote to choose an item, "right arrow" to enter a directory, "OK" on remote to finish the selection.
Actual solution: "up arrow" and "down arrow" will choose an item, but "OK" will enter a directory and continue the selection. To finish the selection, you have to press "left arrow" (?) to reach the "OK"-button of the user interface.
Task: While browsing a nested structure, return to the parent item (e.g. the parent folder)
What I expected: "back" on the remote. Oh no, that will close the dialogue. "left arrow"? Oh no, that will jump the "OK"-UI-button.
Actual solution: highlight "..", press "OK"
Additional weirdness: See "additional weirdness" above.
Task: Leave the "Skin" settings, go to "Screensaver" settings.
What I expected: Press "back" on remote, go down via "down arrow" on remote to "Screensaver", press "OK" to enter submenu.
Actual solution: "left arrow" and "right arrow" on the remote will move between the vertical tab list and the tab's content, while "back" on the remote will leave to return to the "Settings" menu.
Task: Leave this menu
What I expected: "back" on the remote.
Actual solution: "back" on the remote. Yay!
But here's what I did: Uh, now that I'm already thoroughly confused about the use of the "back" button, let's try the "left arrow" first. Oh wow, that opens a rather unexpected options menu!
Additional weirdness: That options menu will also open when pressing the "right arrow" on the remote, although the menu is to the left of the screen.
What I expected: "back" on the remote, then move to the right via "right arrow" to "Plugins", "OK" to enter submenu.
Actual solution: "up arrow" on the remote, then move to the right via "right arrow" to "Plugins", "down arrow" to enter submenu.
Additional weirdness: Even while in the submenu, one can change tabs directly with "left arrow" and "right arrow". This is in contrast to the third screenshot in this article where you can't do the same in 90 degrees.
Task: You were watching TV, now play a file from the local harddisk
What I expected: Press "MCE button" (green windows logo) on remote for main menu, go to Videos, choose video, play. Oh no, "MCE button" doesn't do anything while watching TV. Ok, then press "back button" on remote. Oh, doesn't do anything, too.
Actual solution: Press "stop button" on remote, main menu appears, now go to Videos and so on.
Additional weirdness: The PC keyboard's "backspace" key or the "ESC" key will show the main menu while watching TV, but the remote's "back" button does not. Why?
Task: Turn on de-interlacing for live TV
What I expected: Go the XBMC settings, look for video settings, turn on de-interlacing. Oh, it isn't there. Then look in the Live TV settings. Oh, it ain't there either. PVR plugins? Nope.
Actual solution: Start Live TV, open menu, highlight "film roll", then look for the setting. Now this is well hidden!
Ok, maybe it's the skin's fault. So let's try another. "Bello". Oh, this is really weird to navigate with arrow buttons only.
Task: Go to "Music" settings
What I expected: Press either "up arrow" or "back" on the remote to enter the tab headlines above, then move to "Music", then press "OK" or "down arrow"
Actual solution: Press "left arrow" to enter tab headlines above. (Huh?) Then move to "Music", press "OK". "Down arrow" will cancel and return to "Appearance".
To sum up, a suggestion: It would be cool to have a simple, standardized path to walk through nested menu or directory hierarchies. So that browsing via buttons is consistent among different UI elements throughout the application. I'd like to see arrow buttons for browsing, "OK" to enter the next level down the hierarchy and "back" to go up to the parent element of the hierarchy, but that's just one possible way to do it.
Thank you!
sorry if this is something of a dumb post for a first time participant in this forum, but hey, I still hope it's useful for the developers to see where a novice struggled with the XBMC user interface.
I installed XBMC using OpenElec 3.2.4, my system has a MCE remote control. Everything installed and worked out of the box without a problem, kudos to all the guys who made this. My OE 3.2.4 came with XBMC version 12.2 Git:d1002b4.
The user interface looks great and is very appealing. However, I struggled to use it.
Why? Because it is not obvious how to navigate lists and how to enter into the next sublevel of a menu and back out of it.
You see, the MCE remote has a "Back" button (the "<-" below the "Rewind" button, see image), but it differs slightly from the PC keyboard's "backspace" and the keyboards "ESC" key behaviour.
Often, at least to me, it is not always clear *what* to do to enter a submenu or how to leave it properly. I feel lost and pressing "back", "OK" or arrow buttons on the remote does unexpected things.
Here are some examples of things I'd consider quirky. I'll split it up since the forum doesn't allow me to post 7 images in one article...
Task: You're in the skin list chooser. Move to the "Get More..."-UI-button.
What I expected: Press "down arrow" on remote until the end of the list, then the highlight will jump to "Get More..."
Actual solution: Press "left arrow" to leave list, this will highlight "Get More..."
Additional weirdness: When "Get More..." is highlighted, one can use either "left arrow" or "right arrow" on the remote to go to the list above, but only "left arrow" will let the user leave the list to go back to "Get More...".
Task: Choose a folder from the list
What I expected: Use "up arrow" and "down arrow" on the remote to choose an item, "right arrow" to enter a directory, "OK" on remote to finish the selection.
Actual solution: "up arrow" and "down arrow" will choose an item, but "OK" will enter a directory and continue the selection. To finish the selection, you have to press "left arrow" (?) to reach the "OK"-button of the user interface.
Task: While browsing a nested structure, return to the parent item (e.g. the parent folder)
What I expected: "back" on the remote. Oh no, that will close the dialogue. "left arrow"? Oh no, that will jump the "OK"-UI-button.
Actual solution: highlight "..", press "OK"
Additional weirdness: See "additional weirdness" above.
Task: Leave the "Skin" settings, go to "Screensaver" settings.
What I expected: Press "back" on remote, go down via "down arrow" on remote to "Screensaver", press "OK" to enter submenu.
Actual solution: "left arrow" and "right arrow" on the remote will move between the vertical tab list and the tab's content, while "back" on the remote will leave to return to the "Settings" menu.
Task: Leave this menu
What I expected: "back" on the remote.
Actual solution: "back" on the remote. Yay!
But here's what I did: Uh, now that I'm already thoroughly confused about the use of the "back" button, let's try the "left arrow" first. Oh wow, that opens a rather unexpected options menu!
Additional weirdness: That options menu will also open when pressing the "right arrow" on the remote, although the menu is to the left of the screen.
What I expected: "back" on the remote, then move to the right via "right arrow" to "Plugins", "OK" to enter submenu.
Actual solution: "up arrow" on the remote, then move to the right via "right arrow" to "Plugins", "down arrow" to enter submenu.
Additional weirdness: Even while in the submenu, one can change tabs directly with "left arrow" and "right arrow". This is in contrast to the third screenshot in this article where you can't do the same in 90 degrees.
Task: You were watching TV, now play a file from the local harddisk
What I expected: Press "MCE button" (green windows logo) on remote for main menu, go to Videos, choose video, play. Oh no, "MCE button" doesn't do anything while watching TV. Ok, then press "back button" on remote. Oh, doesn't do anything, too.
Actual solution: Press "stop button" on remote, main menu appears, now go to Videos and so on.
Additional weirdness: The PC keyboard's "backspace" key or the "ESC" key will show the main menu while watching TV, but the remote's "back" button does not. Why?
Task: Turn on de-interlacing for live TV
What I expected: Go the XBMC settings, look for video settings, turn on de-interlacing. Oh, it isn't there. Then look in the Live TV settings. Oh, it ain't there either. PVR plugins? Nope.
Actual solution: Start Live TV, open menu, highlight "film roll", then look for the setting. Now this is well hidden!
Ok, maybe it's the skin's fault. So let's try another. "Bello". Oh, this is really weird to navigate with arrow buttons only.
Task: Go to "Music" settings
What I expected: Press either "up arrow" or "back" on the remote to enter the tab headlines above, then move to "Music", then press "OK" or "down arrow"
Actual solution: Press "left arrow" to enter tab headlines above. (Huh?) Then move to "Music", press "OK". "Down arrow" will cancel and return to "Appearance".
To sum up, a suggestion: It would be cool to have a simple, standardized path to walk through nested menu or directory hierarchies. So that browsing via buttons is consistent among different UI elements throughout the application. I'd like to see arrow buttons for browsing, "OK" to enter the next level down the hierarchy and "back" to go up to the parent element of the hierarchy, but that's just one possible way to do it.
Thank you!