Grid display of recordings

Channels Apple TV Feature Requests
#1

It would be helpful to have a grid display of recordings that could be sorted on either recorded date/time or alphabetical order. It’s much easier to scroll for information in up & down, as opposed to scrolling in two directions (left/right & up/down), as in the current interface. The more recordings you have, the more appropriate a grid display would be for ease of use. It would make finding a certain recording, or certain span of recordings much easier than in the current interface. Thanks!

Chief

Recording List View
#2

What screen in the app are you referring to? The Recordings tab? Or what you see when you click on a specific show?

#3

recordings tab - Grid display of recordings. Something laid out like the guide is, but only with recordings. It’s just much easier to go through that type of interface with a large amount of recordings, keeps the scrolling limited to up and down, instead of requiring left/right as well. Also would make it much easier to sort the recordings.

#4

This view doesn’t scroll left to right, it just flows down.

The recordings tab is more of a summary attempting to surface things you probably want to watch, so that you don’t need to browse through an entire huge list of shows every time.

What you want is available by clicking the More option at the end of the list of Recently Recorded. In that view you will see every show that is in your DVR with the option to sort by Recently Recorded or Alphabetically. That sort option is sticky so it will be the same when you visit the view again.

#5

I realize the entire view doesn't scroll left and right, but your eyes have to scan left to right to see the shows as there are more than one on each line. They view you get by clicking on more does give you the ability to sort, but still displays more than one show on a line. A grid display shows the recordings in a view much like the guide display, with one on each line with associated data. That way your eyes only have to scan down, instead of left and right as well. It presents a much quicker way to go through a large amount of recordings. Most other DVR options for OTA or satellite offer this type of display, I'll attach a picture of an example from ChannelMaster's DVR+, which is also very similar to DirecTV's dvr recorded show display.

I've worked a lot of GUI development for military control and engagement systems and any time you can give the eyes only one direction to scan you get better results from the user in hands-on tests.

Chief

#6

So a list, not a grid.

We find with accompanying art, a list doesn’t provide the density we’d like. You trade eye moving for scrolling.

3 Likes
#7

Not sure I understand what you are trying to say here. The list just provides a much easier way to wade through large amounts of recorded shows. The way it’s currently displayed is great if you have no idea what you want to watch and want to look for something that triggers your interest. If you are looking for something specific, it throttles your ability to do it quickly. I see giving the user a choice between the two ways to display this information as a great benefit. If you are looking for something specific, use the list view. If you have no idea what you want to watch, use the current view.

#8

Perhaps a hybrid approach like this..

1 Like
#9

That’s pretty ugly.

#10

Oxymoron, but I agree!

Personally, I prefer Channel’s “grid” layout, however I’ve seen other solutions which offer both grid & list.

#11

A list type display like channel master’s that I posted above would remedy the current situation with disappearing thumbnails a mute point. As it is now, the DVR listing is almost unusable without the thumbnails.

#12

I completely agree with this. they also don't have to mutually exclusive. I'd love to see an option for a list view of recordings by date or alphabetical.

Additionally, I don't fully understand why things are organized the way they are today (APTV - Recordings tab"). There is a category for "Up Next" and "Recently Recorded". Keep in mind I don't have a ton of content yet but I would assume that everything fits into one of those two categories over time? Just having a list of all shows/movies I have recorded would be great. I feel there is too much emphasis put on cover art these days. Don't get me wrong, it's not "bad" and it likely comes down to a personal preference. Personally, I prefer a compact list for shows and tile view with art for Movies.

Just my 2 cents.

#13

I realize this is an old thread, but I was not quite ready to start a new one on the topic of general custom list display. I put my two cents in a reply to a similar topic.