ubuntu-tv team mailing list archive

[Bruno Girin <brunogirin@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 28/11/11 20:55, Ian Santopietro wrote:
> What about taking a cue from existing set-top boxes (i.e. DirectTV)? 

Absolutely! A TV is used and viewed very differently from a desktop: you 
are further away from the screen, it uses a simplistic interface 
(remote), no keyboard or mouse, no touch. It can support unusual 
interfaces as well such as game pads, Kinect or the Wiimote but those 
are optional. Set-top box vendors have spent a lot of time and effort 
producing TV interfaces over the years so we could do worth than taking 
cues from those guys. MythTV and game console interfaces can also be 
used as inspiration. Here are the basic points I can think of:

 * Navigation should be possible using only a 4-direction pad and an OK
   button,
 * Data entry should be avoided as much as possible, PIN entry is OK
   but anything more complicated would be a pain,
 * Everything should be readable from afar (so large fonts are a must)
   and highlights very obvious,
 * If a screen has UI controls, one of them should be highlighted by
   default so that users know where they are,
 * No mouse cursor, no right click, no tooltips when hovering over a
   control,
 * No windows per se (as it would be a pain to use with a remote) so
   everything maximised or tiled.

My £0.02.

Cheers,

Bruno