HDHomeRun UI (20250314) feedback

[Señor Bob]

We don't plan to offer sort options for the episode view.

This goes to my point about features. If you're going to introduce a new interface, it should be able to provide the same features as the old one. Perhaps accessible in a different way. Removing features being actively used is a disservice to your users. This makes the application less useful.

The goal is to be less like a spreadsheet and more like the streaming services people are used to.

Then don't make it look like a spreadsheet. Provide the ability to sort, be it through a configuration option, drop down box, etc.

[WHJ58]

I agree.

The big graphic/photograph in the new version GUI, that takes up approximately 75% of a screen frame is unnecessary.

Also, using three to five times the rows of text space to list each episode, recorded or future, is inefficient. It may all look pretty, but it is difficult to look at the overall availability of episode(s) and their associated channel(s) and make a logical (pathway to resolution) best decision for setting up a single or multiple recording for a specific event. Hypothetical as that may be.

Many of us HDHR users live in broadcast TV imperfect markets. Reception may be affected by different factors. For example, weather events, topography, temporary construction, time of day/night, seasonal foliage, EMI, and etcetera can have an effect on fringe area reception. We have learned over time how to select the best available recording setup to accomodate conditions. That is why being able to see episode(s) availability in a one page single row spreadsheet type form is desirable.

Thank you for reading and your consideration.

[ze3e7b]

1.) No channel numbers anywhere! If I'm coming from the Discover tab, I can't tell which of the 'Now Playing' baseball games is on the good ATSC 1.0 Fox, and which is on the busted ATSC 3.0 Fox. If I'm coming from the Tasks tab and looking at one of my series recordings, I can't tell which episodes of This Old House are 1080i on channel 18.1 and which are 480i on channel 18.2.

It will play the highest priority channel, same priority as choosing which channel to record.
You can specify favorite channels (or disable broken channels) in the Settings menu Channels screen.
If you don't specify anything it will pick 1080i 8.1 over 480i 8.2 because 1080i is better.

My highest priority channels are the ones without commercials. Is that show on TCM or TMC?

[Señor Bob]

Many of us HDHR users live in broadcast TV imperfect markets. Reception may be affected by different factors. For example, weather events, topography, temporary construction, time of day/night, seasonal foliage, EMI, and etcetera can have an effect on fringe area reception. We have learned over time how to select the best available recording setup to accomodate conditions. That is why being able to see episode(s) availability in a one page single row spreadsheet type form is desirable.

Agreed, the current interface is great and makes it easy to see, select and deal with the factors that affect broadcast TV. This new interface is supposed to make things look more like streaming services. As you succinctly stated, we "live in broadcast TV imperfect markets." So it bedevils me why Silicon Dust is making the interface look like that of a streaming service--which it is not. Looking at the interfaces of streaming services, when they provide access to classic TV series (e.g., The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, Gunsmoke, etc.), they will typically have the entire series available, all at once, which they organize by season and episode number. Contrast with broadcast TV, where a series will never be there all at once. Depending on the broadcaster, some will broadcast episodes in logical and sequential order, where season 1 episodes will air first, followed by Season 2, Season 3, etc. But a number of them broadcast things out of order, so being able to sort things has become a valuable tool to find and select what is to be recorded.

The argument has been made that using the Record More option, to record the series will take care of this. Yes, it does, but only when the record process has access to all the episodes recorded. I tend to move things over to a device with more storage after Record More has most of the episodes of a given series, then I disable Record More for that series and use the Discover guide to find the episodes that were missed or need to be recorded again because we are dealing with broadcast TV and not a streaming service.

One of the great benefits of using the Silicon Dust devices has been the flexibility to control and do things in a manner that works for me. This interface diminishes that ability and is much less useful.

[twagoner]

I really miss these sort options too.

By channel
By airdate
By title
By episode number
By seasons (all season are reverse sorted in this interface)

Please bring them back.

[msuckow]

I am also of a mixed mind about the new interface, which is now 20250315.
Clearly a lot of work has gone into this UI, and it's pretty.

We don't plan to offer sort options for the episode view. The goal is to be less like a spreadsheet and more like the streaming services people are used to.

Like others, I have issues with this. HDHomeRun UI is not a streaming service. It is a DVR and a media repository.
For example, I record "Great Performances at the Met", for which I have a large number of recordings. Some are multiple recordings of the same opera with different casts.
I used to be able to sort by title and locate the two iterations of, say, Madama Butterfly. With the new interface, I would have to linearly search each season to find the matches.

Note that this problem would be somewhat mitigated if the search would work on episode titles, but it doesn't.

[twagoner]

As of right now 3/19/25 9am, the mobile app still allows sorting on title, date, size, channel, and episode. If they don't mess with that, you can find the episode you want on the mobile app and then go to your HTPC and find it. Cumbersome, but possible.
I really hope they will fix this.

[WHJ58]

Per msuckow: "Like others, I have issues with this. HDHomeRun UI is not a streaming service. It is a DVR and a media repository."


I agree.

[goofnroxx]

Make it like a streaming service huh? How'd that work out last time?

[NedS]

This is all good feedback, by the way. There's a lot of internal discussion going on, ideas being floated, tweaks happening, and so on.

[WHJ58]

NedS, thank you for the status information and for considering the HDHR users concerns. IMO, most HDHR users are not your typical, casual, streamer crowd. HDHR users are methodical and focused on objective goals, and would like to have a GUI that allows them function over aesthetic form, in a logical, effective and efficient manner. Thanks to all the HDHR folks for your consideration.

[Bibbit]

Regarding why somebody would want to record in SD, it also makes sense if it's an old show that was originally shown in SD. Old TV shows tend to look just as good when recorded from an SD channel as they do from an HD channel. In my experience few channels or networks clean up old SD shows. And the fact that SD recordings are smaller is a bonus.

My problem is with the recorded section not always showing the recorded date. Sometimes it does show the recorded date, but many times it does not. I have recordings that show the same date for every recording, usually shows like a news show. The recordings all show the same description and date, which is usually the date of the first showing when the program began, as well as the original description. I also have recordings that show the date of original airing for an episode, as well as the proper description, but not the recorded date. In this second case if several shows record before I get a a chance to view them, I'm not sure when they recorded, which disappoints me because I usually prefer to watch in order of recording.

I'd insert images for examples, but I can't get it to work. I was hoping I could simply paste them into this, I've never had to use a URL before, and I don't know what, if any, website is safe to use for uploading the images.

[nickk]

My problem is with the recorded section not always showing the recorded date. Sometimes it does show the recorded date, but many times it does not. I have recordings that show the same date for every recording, usually shows like a news show. The recordings all show the same description and date, which is usually the date of the first showing when the program began, as well as the original description. I also have recordings that show the date of original airing for an episode, as well as the proper description, but not the recorded date. In this second case if several shows record before I get a a chance to view them, I'm not sure when they recorded, which disappoints me because I usually prefer to watch in order of recording.

We have added record date to the episode information - it will be in the next release (possibly today).

[emg60060]

Hey Nick, any update to add the channel number? Also, it would be helpful to add the original airdate. For example, MLB games, and other sports events are sometimes re-aired without any other indication on the guide. It would be nice to know before picking, if it is a replay or a real-time game. Essentially, the "legacy" UI has all of the info relevant to me. I like the look of the new UI, but want that same information available. I would remove the word "Available" on upcoming events and add "On XXXX" after the air-time or "Now Playing". I would also add the original episode date, or leave blank if it is an original airing, in parenthesis to the right of the air-date in the lower right corner.

[Bibbit]

We have added record date to the episode information - it will be in the next release (possibly today).

Thanks for the reply. I'll watch for the update.