Remote Improvements

Channels DVR Server
#1

I got a “free” 4k Apple Tv by prepaying for DirectTv Now, so I figured I’d try it out for a while. I have to say I like some of the remote actions and UI elements they are using, and think they would work very well for Channels.

Swipe up/down/left/right seems pretty intuitive using their app. Left/Right during live playback changes channels, during on-demand it skips back/forward. Swiping Up brings up their universal way of looking through shows. Swiping Down brings up a universal menu.

Preferably I’d like to see Channels use the menu button to bring up a full screen transparent guide during playback. Swipe up could bring up the recordings menu (could even incorporate favorites) over top of live content the same way DTV Now does. Swiping Left/Right for changing channels or even as another way of timeshifting would be nice too.

If nothing else I hope the devs will try it out and consider incorporating some of the navigation and UI elements in their own way.

#2

Early versions of Channels offered swipe based interactions and it was a disaster. Accidental swipes would switch channels and cause you to lose all of your buffer.

#3

I still believe some of the swipe navigation could be useful, for example swipe up could bring up a transparent guide, left/right offer time shifting, and at that point the menu button could be a universal action for bringing up the top bar menu (menu would exit the guide if is on screen).