Change some display options on the Roku.

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

First I much prefer using Roku to using either my Fire TV or my Shield TV. However there are some things that are in the Android apps that I would really like to see in the Roku app. I know I have mentioned some things before but I thought I might try again.

 

1. In the Android apps there is a setting that allows a brief text pop-out to appear at the bottom of the screen with at least the first part of the synopsis in it. I really like seeing that. 

2. Also the Android apps allow the icons, at least in a movie library, to be resized so three rows can fit on the screen. Please do not change the movies to the horrible horizontal scrolling in the Android apps but allowing smaller icons so more movies can fit would be great.

 

 

Those are the only two parts of the Android apps that I like better than the way it is currently done on the Roku. But there are a few things that I think could be done better or differently on the Roku.

 

When browsing "All Movies" the text under the posters often cuts off so much of the title that I do not know the actual title.and the poster that gets chosen is less than informative. To help with that I think the title of the current selection could be shown in the top area of the screen. I do not have good eyes but even with their limitations I think the font used is too large by about 50% and using a smaller font would free up some space.

 

Another thing that would be good would be to make the rating display optional or give us a way to remove all ratings if desired. The letters "G" or "R" or other single letters are not bad but things like "Approved" or "Not Rated" knock the release date virtually off the display and, for me, release date is a lot more important than the rating. I never care what a movie's rating is, they are good or not good, but I do care when the movie was released.

 

The excessively huge posters are pervasive throughout the interface. Another place where it is really not needed is in the "Next up" row. In that row I only see three full posters and some of a fourth. I think it would be better to use posters that are 50% smaller so more can be seen on the screen and it would reduce the number of presses of FF to get through "Next up."

 

Generally the interface feels zoomed because everything is just much too big.

 

Thank you for reading this and I know I may be in the minority but it sure would be good to have options.

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

Way back in Feb I posted this and it received no answer so I thought I would bump it just to see if there was an answer this time.

 

#1, for me, is the most important but I would like smaller posters so more can fit on the screen.

[speechles 1917]

I can be honest with you. I never saw that post. But I can be honest here.

 

For #1 building a pop-up of sorts wouldn't be too complicated. So that as you move across each poster it is like the 'ol BNN was and had a popup bubble of sorts. So you can see a few details about the item as you hover focus on it. The problem here is there are so many other issues we have to squash. These issues eat the clock as they require finding the exact cause. We have spent alot of time chasing these issues users report and these are the #1 priority. Some issues we may chase forever as we can never nail down the cause if it is us or a Roku firmware issue. We will try to get this in when time allows. We aren't just avoiding the request and hoping it stays under the rug. We actually do care about what users want in the future. We are listening. We just have to focus our efforts correctly.

 

For #2 this is also possible. But to change the poster sizes and redo the entire design is a time consuming process. The entire scene has to be rebuilt along with tie all nodes back into said scene. Not impossible just very time consuming to get there. We can get this in eventually as we want everyone to be happy and this is in the other app so it is a no-brainer it should be in this one and is presently missing.

 

I apologize it appears we didn't even care you made a request. This was never the intention. I appreciate the time you took to give your opinion too. Not enough users do this and it is nice to know what each individual feels is most important and missing. I can add both your feature requests as issues to the issue tracker. This will keep it with the other issues and give it a priority. I cannot promise we will get this today, tomorrow or soon. I can promise we will get to it eventually. Thanks.

Edited December 21, 2018 by speechles

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

Thank you. "Eventually" is much better than "never" and it is much better that the nothing Plex gives when similar requests are made.

 

FWIW: Your display is much better than Plex's for many reasons but, other than their non-background, the fact that they only give just "Series name SxxEyy" which gives no info about what the episode actually is about and you give the title of the episode makes what you do better. The title plus the season and episode is the way I think it should be.

 

Also I know some folks, a minority, that really dislike popups covering any part of the screen so I think having a popup should be an option. My use case means I would always use it but there are those others that dislike that kind of thing a lot.

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

I just want to bump this again as I believe that this:

1. In the Android apps there is a setting that allows a brief text pop-out to appear at the bottom of the screen with at least the first part of the synopsis in it. I really like seeing that.

is pretty important, at least for me, and I would REALLY like to see this on my Roku as an optional setting.

 

I know, as posts in this thread indicate, there are other things that matter more but this does not seem to be too hard and I hope it "could" be worked into an update for the Roku fairly soon.

 

Thanks.

[speechles 1917]

I just want to bump this again as I believe that this:

1. In the Android apps there is a setting that allows a brief text pop-out to appear at the bottom of the screen with at least the first part of the synopsis in it. I really like seeing that.

is pretty important, at least for me, and I would REALLY like to see this on my Roku as an optional setting.

 

I know, as posts in this thread indicate, there are other things that matter more but this does not seem to be too hard and I hope it "could" be worked into an update for the Roku fairly soon.

 

Thanks.

 

At the moment I cannot say when we can make this happen. Presently we are in the process of adding translations and getting the app ready for the world, not just for English speakers. Once this task is completed we can decide how to handle this. The problem is the Roku app makes use of the entire screen for the grid. There is no space really to lay this information like it is done in the Android app. So we would need to have a popup box (an overlay). The same way the original Emby Roku app worked. Where this popup box is located and what it is shaped like is to be determined. We will have to discuss how to get you what you want and make it look like it belongs there.

 

It cannot look clumsy. It must look clean and polished. It must be perfect. You will notice as we update the app that we are attempting to clean up areas where things were rushed. That areas that used to look odd now have a clean look. We are trying to provide a consistent look/design for all the apps so that as you move from one to the other the learning curve is next to nothing. There are some things that cannot be done identical. The popup box Roku will need will differ from Android TV but will offer the exact same functionality. We want you happy it will just take time. Please bear with us. I promise the very next task I will move to once I complete what I am presently working on is the popup you desire. Trust and you will be happy.

Edited April 14, 2019 by speechles

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

Thank you again.

 

At the moment I cannot say when we can make this happen. Presently we are in the process of adding translations and getting the app ready for the world, not just for English speakers. Once this task is completed we can decide how to handle this. The problem is the Roku app makes use of the entire screen for the grid. There is no space really to lay this information like it is done in the Android app. So we would need to have a popup box (an overlay). The same way the original Emby Roku app worked. Where this popup box is located and what it is shaped like is to be determined. We will have to discuss how to get you what you want and make it look like it belongs there.

 

It cannot look clumsy. It must look clean and polished. It must be perfect. You will notice as we update the app that we are attempting to clean up areas where things were rushed. That areas that used to look odd now have a clean look. We are trying to provide a consistent look/design for all the apps so that as you move from one to the other the learning curve is next to nothing. There are some things that cannot be done identical. The popup box Roku will need will differ from Android TV but will offer the exact same functionality. We want you happy it will just take time. Please bear with us. I promise the very next task I will move to once I complete what I am presently working on is the popup you desire. Trust and you will be happy.

 

If you are really looking for perfection then you are doomed to failure. The only thing I have ever seen that seemed to be perfect was a picture in a magazine with the initials "PB" and that turned out to be airbrushed. Striving for perfection is a noble pursuit but just remember the Robert Browning quote: "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for."

 

I will remain patient but I will also continue to bug people about what I think should be important.

 

BTW: Emby is really getting to be a pretty strong platform. I just recently migrated two of my elderly neighbors from Plex to Emby for their local library and all three people (a husband and wife and a very merry widow) are over the moon happy with the stability and ease of use. They use Rokus exclusively which is probably part of their reason for being so happy.

 

The two families have configured their Rokus quite differently and Emby comes very close to perfect for both families.

 

I am in the process of investigating making an Emby setup for the local senior center and the responses from my neighbors will help to convince the board to finally move on from their VCR/DVD library.

Edited April 14, 2019 by Gilgamesh_48

[speechles 1917]

Thank you again.

 

 

If you are really looking for perfection then you are doomed to failure. The only thing I have ever seen that seemed to be perfect was a picture in a magazine with the initials "PB" and that turned out to be airbrushed. Striving for perfection is a noble pursuit but just remember the Robert Browning quote: "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for."

 

I will remain patient but I will also continue to bug people about what I think should be important.

 

I am looking for perfection. I personally use the app and test everything myself. I go the extra mile to throw the kitchen sink at the app during my bug testing of any major changes. When these bugs slip through I feel stupid. Like I let you down. I don't like to feel like I am responsible for causing damage.

 

When I say I want it perfect that is what I mean. I want it defect free. It might still be lacking features and some skills but what we have will look and feel much better. Our presentation will have to appeal to the world. We our going global on Roku even if Roku doesn't want to. Global within reason. Roku cannot properly support Right-To-Left languages and unfortunately we are not leaving them out on purpose. We cannot proceed on that yet. We need more information and we need time to decide our audience in this languages/regions and if Roku even has presence or value there for Emby. It is no longer acceptable for us to give an image that appears clumsy or somewhat unpolished on the Roku.

 

It is my responsibility that we do better. When we have bugs or crashes it makes me honestly feel like I destroyed a planet. Oh no! Alderan! Not really that bad... lol... but in that way where my mistakes may have possibly made users abandon Emby and cancel their memberships and I deprive Emby of revenue. Mistakes have repercussions. There is no mistake that is damage free. We just chalk up the loss, move on, and pray we never make that mistake again.

 

This is where I am to provide value I must be perfect. I am at a level now on Roku where I feel much more confident attempting things outside the box and being obnoxiously creative. Therefore...to be perfect one must not be content or happy with the way things are. Do not accept that things must remain the way they are. Concede they must change and you must be humble. You must always do better and convince people to change. This is how I approach this job/hobby/fun. As long as you feel Emby is moving in a direction that makes you happy well then we are happy you are happy.

 

I am trying to be perfect even if there is no such thing as perfect. The fact one can believe perfect exists and can try to work towards it you cannot fault the guy for trying. To be perfect you must listen twice as much as you type/talk. You can see how much I type. Imagine how much I listen and read on this subject. I dream of electric Roku sheep jumping Emby fences. I will be creating some awesome things for Emby on the Roku. We will try to first clean up and polish the screens we already have and get those into every possible language. I will not forget your feature request either. We are buddies. I have a mind like an elephant. I won't forget.

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

I know this is not forgotten and I am sure that there are things, such as bug fixes, that must be more important but this has slipped down a couple of pages so I thought I would bump it a bit just to keep it in an advanced position.

 

There is little that I want on my Roku more than the pop out synopsis particularly for TV episodes.

 

Just to reiterate one point: I would like the pop out to behave like the Android app does where the synopsis appears and, after enough time to read it passes, disappears allowing the underlying items to be viewed normally. It also should be, as it is in the Android app, optional.

 

Thanks and I am a little sorry to keep bugging you about this. OK, I'm not really sorry. Age makes one impatient at times.

[speechles 1917]

Oh yeah.. it gets eyes.. Believe me

 

Reference: Fix #458: [PosterGrid] Info Bubble changes - accessibility - less clicks

 

But like all things great and small we must wait until it is ripe to pick it. Right now it needs to ripen in the sun. There are other things coming. While this waits it isn't like motion stops everywhere in the app. I just need Eric to find how/where we can get this to fit into the paradigm that is Emby. I have it fit how the "old" Roku app used to sort of do this with a bit of modern. But it still has that popup synopsis that disappears after some time to read it and that is where the divide is. How can we get that to look.. sexy or better or even modern? Maybe it already does but it must pass through the same as every other change. It must fit Emby.

 

Open door policy full disclosure. We want you happy. This change happened during our "Freeze" for Beta. When only bug-fixes and critical issue fixes get addressed. We don't want to introduce new bugs while we prepare the push to store. Once the push to store is done this means we can make a new Beta. I suspect that is part of the reason. There is more than just your changes for the poster grid waiting to get applied too. Isn't like we are just wait on that.. lol.

 

Being 100% honest with you because this is seriously the issue. You will get your wish very soon. I will get with Eric and find a way to get that into the next Beta if possible. We are already there it is just sweating the details at this point. All the work coding it is done. It is a working proof-of-concept in need of a home. 

Edited June 22, 2019 by speechles

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

Oh yeah.. it gets eyes.. Believe me

 

Reference: Fix #458: [PosterGrid] Info Bubble changes - accessibility - less clicks

 

But like all things great and small we must wait until it is ripe to pick it. Right now it needs to ripen in the sun. There are other things coming. While this waits it isn't like motion stops everywhere in the app. I just need Eric to find how/where we can get this to fit into the paradigm that is Emby. I have it fit how the "old" Roku app used to sort of do this with a bit of modern. But it still has that popup synopsis that disappears after some time to read it and that is where the divide is. How can we get that to look.. sexy or better or even modern? Maybe it already does but it must pass through the same as every other change. It must fit Emby.

 

Open door policy full disclosure. We want you happy. This change happened during our "Freeze" for Beta. When only bug-fixes and critical issue fixes get addressed. We don't want to introduce new bugs while we prepare the push to store. Once the push to store is done this means we can make a new Beta. I suspect that is part of the reason. There is more than just your changes for the poster grid waiting to get applied too. Isn't like we are just wait on that.. lol.

 

Being 100% honest with you because this is seriously the issue. You will get your wish very soon. I will get with Eric and find a way to get that into the next Beta if possible. We are already there it is just sweating the details at this point. All the work coding it is done. It is a working proof-of-concept in need of a home. 

 

First I will address your last point: If you are truly trying to be 100% honest they you REALLY need to stay out of politics as the most successful there have no idea what honest means and being honest would insure failure at any position above dogcatcher.

 

To the rest of your post: I will remain the optimist in most ways even though it runs contrary to my basic nature.

 

"The optimist says we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears that is true."

[speechles 1917]

First I will address your last point: If you are truly trying to be 100% honest they you REALLY need to stay out of politics as the most successful there have no idea what honest means and being honest would insure failure at any position above dogcatcher.

 

To the rest of your post: I will remain the optimist in most ways even though it runs contrary to my basic nature.

 

"The optimist says we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears that is true."

 

I mean honest as in true. No lies. Just literally removing the buffer between what some people see as the truth and reality. I mean truth as in no buffer. Nothing in between. That is right from the horses mouth. I know that Pull Request(#458 info bubble) is sitting there and I know Eric saw it. We just need to make it less obtrusive. It is possible to do that we just have been busy on other things to get what obtrusive really means. 

 

But since you brought it up I wanted you to know that truthfully and without any doubt it will get into the app. The only hold-up is the presentation style. Where the overlay has to be and can we animate things out of the way.. should we.. that kinda thing. The boring yawn part. The tiny nitty gritty details. We are held up over those. Once that gets addressed we can push it into the app. The hard part is creating the working example. The easy part is fixing the example to conform to the Emby world.

 

Happy is the truth. Truth is being happy. I know we have both.

Edited June 22, 2019 by speechles

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

...

Happy is the truth. Truth is being happy. I know we have both.

 

But "Happiness" is a warm gun.       

[speechles 1917]

But "Happiness" is a warm gun.       

 

and 2 more full magazines next to it.. :)