[mythtv-users] reprise: improve frontend usability: working with a slick remote

[Stroller]

On 27 Mar 2007, at 15:25, come se fosse antani wrote:
> ...
> months ago I posted on our ML with a question regarding a possible
> improvement of the remote interface with mythtv [ I forwarded the
> entire conversation below].
> My "dream" is to use a very slick and little remote (like wiimote, for
> example) to control a rather complex app like mythfrontend; instead of
> using e.g. 7 buttons for "stream movements" (like stop, play, pause,
> rew, fwd, ffw, rrw) why not ONE "movement button" and then an osd on
> screen to use together with the usual up,down,right,left?

Hi there,

Adolfo R. Brandes also raised this recently in a response to the  
"Linux MCE project" thread.
<http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/260334>
He has also started another thread on the Gyro mouse.

> So, any idea changes here on the ML?
> I'm yet the only one that is looking for something like a "slick  
> remote"?
> Do you like _really_ that huge HTPC remote? :) I've an ati remote  
> wonder...

I also like this idea. I don't see the point of 30+ buttons on a  
remote, when you already have the TV available to use as a UI.

But considering the popularity of the Harmony remotes (I detest  
these!!) and recent requests for support for Microsoft SideShow- 
capable remotes <http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/ 
259402#259402> there are obviously two quite different schools of  
thought on this matter!!

See also Marvin's post:
<http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/260336?#260336>

> As we know, mythtv has more type of FFWD / RWD, e.g. in order to skip
> commercial or to go fast / slow forward and so on. Each of this type
> of commands (any of them useful) needs a specific button on our
> remote, for both FWD and RWD.
>
> My suggestion is to use a sort of OSD which let you to choose the kind
> of FWD you want to use.
>
> in order to limit the issues with my poor english, I describe the  
> step:
> 1. I'm looking a recorded show
> 2. I want to FWD and I press one button, the "FWD Button"
> 3. A tiny osd menu appears and let me choose which type of FWD I want
> to use (fast, slow, commercial break, etc)
> 4. With cursor buttons (up,down,right,left) I choose the function and
> I give the FWD command
> 5. myth could also remember the last type of FWD I used and suggest me
> to use it for the next times

I made a similar suggestion in the "Linux MCE project" thread:
<http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/259942#259942>

I think that the fast-forward & rewind buttons should default to x8  
fast-forward & 8x rewind respectively. If you want to skip forward 1  
minute or 5 then clicking the play-pause button should bring up an  
OSD with 5 interface elements, the middle & default one being "play",  
so that pressing the pause-play button & then the same again pauses &  
resumes the movie as you'd expect. If you press pause & then the fast- 
forward button that navigates right to the "skip one minute forward"  
OSD element; press the pause-play button again to start playing from  
that point. The far right element is (say) "skip 5 minutes forward",  
and there are two similar elements on the left-hand side.

This above description makes most sense if you have an Apple remote  
in your hand. It has 5 buttons in a "rose", the pause-play button in  
the middle & surrounded by left, right, up, down buttons; there is a  
6th "menu" button below. So the first sentence of the previous  
paragraph could be read "the right & left buttons should default to  
x8 fast-forward & 8x rewind respectively"; the third sentence could  
be read "if you press pause & then the right button that navigates to  
the "skip one minute forward" OSD element; press the middle button  
again to start playing from that point."

I repeat this description because I wonder if this will make little  
sense to those readers who are very happy with their 90-button remotes?

As I said in my previous post, I'm a MythTV n00b, but I think this  
could perhaps be accommodated within the current framework by having  
user-definable OSDs. If one could define an OSD in a text file and  
map it to a key on the keyboard then I think LIRC could take care  
mapping that onto the remote. But I think one would have to be able  
to link one's custom OSD to another custom OSD and possibly execute  
multiple consecutive MythTV commands in response to the selection of  
one OSD element in order to get the desired effect.

Stroller.