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produno · (This post was last modified: 2014-09-30, 15:42 by produno.)

Im not really sure where to post this, so ill post it here Smile

. Im hoping I can encourage some discussion for the Live TV screen views in the new Kodi. Some people may have seen discussions about a 'new look' Kodi, so lets discuss concepts and ideas here. This is for the Live TV/PVR part of Kodi only.

My main goal with Kodi is to have the current features of XBMC/Kodi with a very good solution to Live TV also. So ive decided to mod several EPG screens of different skins to try and get the best results. This is my latest WiP Concept. Ive used Amber as a base, mainly because I already liked the skin, its light weight, runs very fast and I much prefer it to the clunky boring Confluence.

Some of you may notice ive taken inspiration from other EPG programs from big manufacturers. The truth is, they have probably spent millions and have top coders, testers etc to find the best intuitive solutions. So why not exploit this to make Kodi as good as possible.

You will notice I have groups plus other buttons to other menus on the same screen. Ive disabled the sidebar, because I feel its too clunky and just gets in the way.
The way its set here, you press backspace when on the EPG grid and it takes you to the other options above it. You can select the different groups or menus etc and see them happen in real time, then press down and your straight back on the EPG grid. Very quick and Very easy with no sidebar getting in the way. If you press backspace again when on the menus, it will take you to the main menu screen.

Unfortunately for now it seems the play video in small window doesn't currently work in Helix Alpha3. So pressing on a channel to watch it currently takes you to fullscreen. Hopefully in the future with this problem solved and enabled, you will be able to click on a channel to 'preview' it in the video window on the EPG screen.

I feel the current design here offers a more modern approach than the current default Confluence without any more overhead. I have also left a space in the top left for the new Kodi logo Wink

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If anyone has any suggestions, comments or indeed there own concepts and ideas to make Kodi a more intuitive modern design then please do post.

**zag** · 2014-09-30, 17:12

Looks like the SKY EPG to me Wink

Nice ideas though

produno · (This post was last modified: 2014-09-30, 18:10 by produno.)

Heheh, yes SKY's EPG program is the main inspiration here. Whenever I use a friends or familys sky box, it always feels much smoother and easier to use than the current XBMC Pvr system.

Talguy · 2014-10-01, 14:41

This sounds great. I would love to have a EPG that is more like the Big Cable companies as that's what a lot of users are use too. There is an ongoing thread in the PVR Development forum that will put you in contact with the PVR developers. I think I read that one of the goals for Kodi v15 is to replace confluence with a new default skin (whether it keeps the same name or not I don't know). Maybe this could make it into that version as Kodi Helix is now in a feature freeze. I try to regularly participate in the PVR development thread and can tell you that in the last 6 months we've made some great changes to the user experience of the PVR software that it is now close to being similar to industrial settop boxes.

**jjd-uk** · 2014-10-01, 14:53

Looks good to me, I particularly like the idea of doing away with the sidebar in this manner and wonder if a similar method could used throughout Kodi to totally eliminate it.

Only thing that doesn't looks right is the use of "Timer" as surely that should be "Timers", but I'm guessing this is a core issue with the english string.

**jjd-uk** · (This post was last modified: 2014-10-01, 14:56 by jjd-uk.)

Of the UK boxes the Youview EPG is probably my favourite

**zag** · 2014-10-01, 16:38

That youview EPG doesnt help very much accessing recordings though.

I have the setop box and find it a right pain to find a recording.

**jjd-uk** · 2014-10-01, 16:52

Yep that's something that is a pain on both Sky & Youview, no single button access to recordings.

RockerC · 2014-10-01, 17:28

Doesn't this whole discussion belongs in this other existing thread instead?

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=175135

either that or it might belong in the PVR development or skinning forum?

JesusOnEez · 2014-10-01, 17:44

I've always found the Sky guide very sluggish...pretty, but sluggish.

To be honest, you can pretty the PVR up as much as you want, but until a series link option becomes the norm, my wife won't go near it. I know that's down to skin and plugin developers allowing features in the back-end to come through though.

**zag** · (This post was last modified: 2014-10-01, 19:10 by zag.)

There is already a series link PR working its way through github Wink

https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/5208

produno · 2014-10-01, 20:33

Yeah, the Timer title is hard coded.

I never had a problem with sky being sluggish, but then i had the latest HD+ box so maybe that was why?

If anyone wants to try what ive done so far i can upload the skin to dropbox. You will need to download Helix Alpha 3 though.

**jjd-uk** · 2014-10-01, 21:34

Depends on what you're used to, my Sky HD+ 2TB box is definitely slower than my Freeview HD+ box.

produno · 2014-10-01, 22:15

But hopefully Kodi will be quicker either way. So its a mute point really. I prefer the ease of use from sky than any other epg ive tried.

Though opinions will vary and hopefully the point of this is to discuss the best of all of them to create the best experience possible for the future Kodi.

nickr · 2014-10-02, 08:26

Well of course these things will look different in every skin won't they?