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Is that the new Plex DVR implementation of this feature?
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Yes..
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I think many people will move to Plex because they there first to implement that feature , I done it day they implemented its bit harder for my mrs cos she likes channels, hope channels will follow and add some more features like skins , refresh app in background , and playing last channel after waking Apple TV . if they do that it will be winning app for live tv , but now it just lags behind non dedicated dvr app like Plex
If u mean the idea to continue playing the active channel while viewing the guide....then that has been a thing since Windows Media Center days. Long before Plex had it.
Otherwise, pretty much every other media center like or live tv tuner software i have used over the years has some sort of mini guide bar of sorts that u can use while still watching live tv. Emby has it is since the days it was called Media Browser. Kodi has it, i think. I don't use Plex, tried it a couple times over the years, hated it. The HDHR app it self has a right sidebar guide like thing that u can right scroll to see upcomming shows.
Channels Quick Guide bar i do like, but do agree would be nice to have mini guide grid option (like Emby has) or PIP type thing when u back out into the Guide page.
SageTV has has 3 options ..1. it will pause current show while in the guide.. 2. It will show current show in a window while browsing guide .. 3. You can have full screen video while browsing the guide.
Sagetv has always been ahead of the curve. Even though it is the oldest dvr software.
its apple tv topic not windows media centre or kodi which is not even supported on apple tv (and no mrmc or whatever is not full kodi and is shit waste of money) or other one , it doesnt make any sense to write about something else except apple tv , isnt it? i tried and bought few dvr apps over years but plex is firs who uses pip in grid view plus it looks modern not some purple mess , i know it has some drawbacks but till boys at channels modernise their soft iam using plex
and one more thing - all my family was using channels for around two years till last friday, in that time there was no major improvement in UI , they added airplay ( who the hell care about that?! ) , i think that is to lazy , i would pay another extra if they started improving UI rather adding some none important things , hope plex will make them think about improvements or they will loose apple tv users!!!
The title of this thread is " Play current channel while on grid" to which it is a feature request...thus i can apply to any version of Channels app.
It has a Apple TV tag as seems the OP had a Apple TV.
The mention of what or how other softwares do this feature are relevant for discussion on how a Channels user would want such a feature.
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Apple ecosystem is Channels primary focus for development far as I can tell.
They have a new beta version, that, i think is different looking than the stable version...I don't have anything Apple so I can't try it out.
Many users like the UI as it is. Basic, strait forward. Even my elderly folks can use it.
Emby and Plex, have more "mature" and feature rich, and tweak-able UI's sure, but they can be overwhelming to some.
Personally, just add a dark/black theme to Channels and that would make it look far better to me. That is already a feature request.
i agree is basic and straightforward but if they add some sort of pip it wont make it more complicated , and if they modernise colour scheme it won’t make it harder to navigate , and why it crashes and restart every time you leave app ? surely it can refresh in background and not crash , it was working fine in tvos12
If you’re looking to see what we are working on, you can check out this thread:
Well i would like to but dont have access to your link
You’ll need to sign up and install the DVR to be able to use the Apple TV beta.
I too like some of the features of Plex but don’t like that everything is accessible from the main interface. An example is navigating to the left side of the screen in Plex and having all those options to change the look of the UI, change the channel grid, sort options, etc. It’s way to easy for my wife, children, or someone using the remote to accidentally change something and get lost in a menu they have no business being in or accessing. The options are nice, just not in the main interface- they should be only accessible in the settings.
I think we (all of us in this forum) are among the very few who like to mess and tweak and have tons of features to play with in this platform. The majority of people though just want something consistent and easy to use. Think about a grandparent, spouse, or child who uses the tv. I think Channels has done a very good job of balancing this. They give you options to change but keep the simplistic view and ease of use intact.
Would I like to see additional options like different colors for themes- YES. Or, live view while navigating the guide - YES. Do I want it to look and act like Plex - NO. Channels first and foremost works smoothly and consistently, Plex does not. Plex has a place in my home, I’m a lifetime Plex Pass subscriber, just not for live tv and recording.
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Exactly. Well said.
For me, I am a lifetime member for Emby, and I have that still running for home media/local files.
Channels does a pretty good job for live tv and DVR.
At first, i was just gonna use the default ATV Channels Tv or whatever the default app is on my Shield.
But then, Channels I found in the Play store, and discovered it the only software i know of that supports TVE.
The simple UI, a modern "stream box" like thing, a good "cable box" replacement in my opinion.
As I have mentioned around here, there are aspects of features/UI elements that Emby has, i really think Channels needs to consider adding to their product.
But i am fine not having more advanced features if it means sacrificing a stable and reliable product. Also, as long as TVE is an exclusive thing to Channels, i ultimately locked into use it.
Also, i did look at the images of the Beta app thread for AppleTV......dont really like the look at all. But, i dont know is normally like that on Apple's OS or not. or the if the stable version is the same as the AndroidTV version. There is where i really would want to be able to hide or adjust things, like i can do so in Emby's settings for the user dashboard for each user.
If i had any money to spare, I would get a AppleTV temporarily to try out and compare.
However, anything Apple does NOT work well with me. (long story)
The AppleTV version is looking very good. Less purple too which is nice. I only use AppleTV for a few things and much prefer Android TV overall.
I agree with you, but he has a point when he mentions the slow process in which Channels releases new features. I’ve had Channels for about a year now and the only difference/new feature I’ve noticed is the Swipe down for favorites thing. Hardly a new “feature”. I love the stability of the software and appreciate how great it all works, but as far as features go, Channel has a loooooong way to go and the features are slow to make it to production builds. 2 months ago, I almost considered going back to Plex after noticing that absolutely nothing is happening as far as features go other than a UI refresh that has been in beta for months now. The media import has been in Alpha for months, just made it to beta, so it’s safe to assume that’s going to take several for months for full implementation. Channels is making money, I think it’s time for them to expand team wise and get some new features, or old features we’re used to on other platforms rolling. At the moment we’re paying more than any other software like it, but I don’t mind because of its stability. But what happens if Plex or another platform finally improve code and make their platform as stables as theirs? They can’t just sit around now and continue to milk the cow. They have to get these things rolling. If they can’t do it, then hire more people to get things done.
As someone coming from Plex LiveTV & DVR that small picture when browsing the guide is what I miss most, Unlike YouTube TV, Plex will only show you that picture in guide format once you have backed out of watching a channel - not a preview of all the channels in the guide. That has got to be technically easier - just extending the session of the current stream in a smaller scale until a new channel is selected.
Please, please, please, put this on the Apple TV client roadmap.
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This can easily be resolved with something simple like single/short press of “Menu” button frees up the Tuner and takes you back to the guide and maybe a Press & Hold of the “Menu” button takes you back to the guide with the tuner still active. Maybe with the Menu button it won’t be optimal as the Apple TV for example already utilizes the button in that way, but it can be accomplished with other buttons/button combinations.