Humanizing PC and TV Connectivity: 2007 Integrative Home Media Slide 1 of 19

Humanizing
PC and TV
connectivity
2007 Integrative Home Media slide 1 of 19

Problem Statement
The process of convergence of consumer electronics and computer industry

brings media extenders to the cutting edge of the progress. This puts the need
for standard usage experience on ultimate demand. Current situation when UI,
remote control and the very logic of usage fluctuates sporadically from vendor
to vendor slows down the adoption of new technology.
Unified 10 foot UI and IR remote layout experience combined with clear

usage scenario will facilitate wide consumer audience for avalanche adoption
of media extenders and related devices.
The issue of standardized UI and remote control experience is also getting

momentum due to emerging HDMI-CEC technology intended to simplify and
unify AV equipment operation using just one remote and TV screen in a
manner of “a browser”.

Sources Of Observations
Ideas presented are the result of many years of usage of various media extenders
• From antique Simple Devices (obsolete Home-RF wireless standard based)
audio only box
• Thru pre-UPnP Prismiq audio-video STB
• To DLNA mainstream
 D-Link DSM – 320[RD]/520 (and similar devices from other vendors)
 Buffalo and I-O Data devices of “common roots”
• And contemporary Netgear EVA 8000 of its own kind
• Ending with just announced Win XP MCE\ Win Vista Extenders from D-Link,
Linksys and others
Both IT- professional usage as well as “whole-family” experience were accumulated

thru more than 5 years of media extenders technology early adoption.

Technical Part
10 foot UI and remote control

principles implemented for
Integrative Home Media
Media Extender

Remote Control Buttons
Basically all remote control buttons (for TV\DVD\Set Top boxes) constitute 5
groups:
• Media rendering control buttons : Play-Pause, FFD, RWD, Next, Prev, Vol +/-,
Mute, Chn +/-
• Screen navigation and special buttons : four arrows, Select, Back and Info.
“Home” button could be also placed into this group (“Start” button in MS
terminology)
• “Context buttons” : Red, Green, Yellow, Blue
• Device-function-specific buttons, i.e for DVD : Title, Language, Subtitles,

Angle and Setup
• Alphanumerical entry buttons, in some cases with additional “clear” and

”enter” keys (This group could be hidden under sliding panel)
IHM “Minimalistic” Remote
Based on abovementioned considerations “minimalistic” remote
control buttons set was defined for Integrative Home Media
reference implementation
• “System” buttons
• Alphanumerical entry buttons
• Screen navigation buttons
• “Context” buttons
With such a Spartan set it is obviously necessary to use the same

button for different purposes depending on operation context (not
only for intentionally “context” color buttons !).
So it is reasonable to have at least explicit media rendering control

buttons. Still “minimalistic” remote could be quite usable.

IHM Remote Control Basics (1/4)
“System” buttons
• Home : This button is always used to bring user back to the starting navigational
point – Home Screen. From this screen all device’s functionality is conveniently
available including setup operations. This screen also appears after power is
switched on. Home button is not active inside dialogs.
• Back : This button always brings to the previous screen. On dialogs this button has
the meaning of “cancel” and could be used instead of navigating to “cancel” button
itself. This button is NOT used as “delete” button inside input control.
• Info : This button toggles additional info. Availability of this function is displayed
by the letter i. During video playback this button brings up dialog which displays
some media info and allows to save current viewing status as “deferred program”.

Alphanumerical entry buttons
These buttons are used to enter data. For “string input control” (like search pattern or
update server name) each button allows to enter several symbols by pressing it
repeatedly – a method well known from phones. For “number input control” (like IP
address or go to page) buttons will be interpreted as “digits only”. While navigating
thru selection lists these buttons could be used for direct jump to the line with
particular number instead of up-and-down-arrows navigation.

Screen navigation buttons
• Up and Down : are used to navigate inside selection lists and switch controls. They
are NOT used to navigate between controls. During media playback they could be
used to increase or decrease volume if such an operation is supported by set top box
hardware (i.e. for analogue sound output but not for digital output).
•Left : is used as “backspace” inside input controls. It is NOT used to navigate
between controls. During media playback it could be used as “previous” for audio
tracks or as “rewind” for videos.
• Right : is used as the only navigational button. So only “forward” (cycled)
navigation is possible which seems to be ok because of small number of possible
controls on screen. During media playback it could be used as “next” for audio
tracks or as “fast forward” for videos.
• OK : is always used as default “ok” button (i.e. “select” or “accept” or “search” –
depending on supposed logical action) or explicitly selected another button. It is
never used to change status or value of controls itself.
* up/down/left/right could be used to navigate on “picture tiles” screens.

“Context” buttons
Four color buttons originating from teletext functionality of TV sets are used as
“context” buttons. For example as “search”, “delete”, “save program status” or even
“pause/play”. If such a functionality is available “color” buttons are displayed on
screen with corresponding tips.

IHM 10 foot UI Basics – General Layout

IHM 10 foot UI Basics – Video Selection Sample

IHM 10 foot UI Basics – General Layout : Notes
Screen Title Bar – this line helps to
identify which media extender is used
(important for multi-devices installations)
and what particular operation or media
storage is being used
Selection List – when selection list is not

a part of a dialog but the only control on
the screen it is not marked with a border
Info Bar – displays basic information about the title like format and size
Color Buttons – “context” buttons are displayed if corresponding functionality

is available
Additional Media Info – display of this area is toggled by i (“info”) button and
information to be displayed could require additional server request (which takes
time) to be obtained. So initially this area is blank.

IHM 10 foot UI Basics – List Control
List Control – highlighted border is used to mark current selection and

selected item as the most intuitively clear way in comparison with text or
background color highlighting usage which could be ambiguous in case of
just two options.

IHM 10 foot UI Basics – Button
Buttons – while the control having “focus” is not a button (list or input
or switch control) “OK” key on remote control will initiate “default” button
action. When focus is held by a button, this button becomes “current”
and “OK” key on remote control will initiate it’s action.
Traditionally the right most button has logical meaning of “cancel”

operation (also could be initiated directly by pressing “back” key on
remote control). Next to the left is “OK” or logically natural action like
“select” or “search” and further to the left are additional buttons if any,
like “search again”

IHM 10 foot UI Basics – Input Control
Input Control – for string input each key on the remote control is used
to enter several symbols, so when typing they are displayed below the
control as a tip. For number only input fields remote control keys are
used for digits only so no screen tip is required.

IHM 10 foot UI Basics – Switch Control
Switch Control – this control is used when user should make selection
from few (usually just two) options. These options must be intuitively clear
to a user and do not require to be displayed before selection. For
example this control is used to select time zone offset.

IHM 10 foot UI Basics – Dialog States
Dialog – example of navigating (transferring focus) between Dialog

controls
Test Implementation
The principles presented in this presentation were implemented using set

top box available with GPL firmware and source code.
For further information please contact Leo Lozner

[email protected]
www.integrativehomemedia.com

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Humanizing

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 1 of 19

The process of convergence of consumer electronics and computer industry

Unified 10 foot UI and IR remote layout experience combined with clear

The issue of standardized UI and remote control experience is also getting

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 2 of 19

Both IT- professional usage as well as “whole-family” experience were accumulated

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 3 of 19

10 foot UI and remote control

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 4 of 19

• “Context buttons” : Red, Green, Yellow, Blue

• Device-function-specific buttons, i.e for DVD : Title, Language, Subtitles,

• Alphanumerical entry buttons, in some cases with additional “clear” and

With such a Spartan set it is obviously necessary to use the same

So it is reasonable to have at least explicit media rendering control

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 6 of 19

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 7 of 19

Alphanumerical entry buttons

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 8 of 19

* up/down/left/right could be used to navigate on “picture tiles” screens.

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 9 of 19

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 10 of 19

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 11 of 19

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 12 of 19

Selection List – when selection list is not

Color Buttons – “context” buttons are displayed if corresponding functionality

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 13 of 19

List Control – highlighted border is used to mark current selection and

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 14 of 19

Traditionally the right most button has logical meaning of “cancel”

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 15 of 19

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 16 of 19

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 17 of 19

Dialog – example of navigating (transferring focus) between Dialog

The principles presented in this presentation were implemented using set

For further information please contact Leo Lozner

2007 Integrative Home Media slide 19 of 19

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