[VU+ Duo] Please care more for useability

[Laudatio]

Hi developers,

first let me say Thank you for all the work you put in this image.

To improve it further you might want to consider looking at the user side of this box.
I am sure there are others like myself who just

- want to watch TV
- have their favorite broadcasts recorded and prefer to have the timers for that created automatically
- sort things a bit into folders
- use an EPG
- watch recordings without advertising (skip or fast forward)

And that's it.
I don't use addons or other manipulations. I haven't connected the box to the Internet all the time.
I don't want another hobby. I just want to use this device.

So after a year I can now use the AutoTimer so it records at least most of the things I have put in it's keyword list.
It still surprises me with unexpected results but it works most of the time.

I have the same problems as some others here with the recordings cut off on hard drive. Hopefully the latest update (19x) will fix that.

Now I would REALLY like to see a file manager for the recordings that doesn't jump to the files in the root directory when I leave a subdirectory but stays pointing to the subdirectory instead.
Just like a file manager should do...

I still haven't figured out how to handle tags (and why I should use them).

I know my way around computers. But I don't want to spend hours per week in this forum to avoid destroying my box.
So please add a single Read-only thread with a change log. Together with warnings in it if you have to consider something before using it.

I have followed every image since I have bought this box more than a year ago. Nothing has changed on the useabilty side. But lot's of cool things happened under the hood that broke things here and there.
It's good to serve all the 'nerd' type users out there. But don't forget about us users who want to do something else with their spare time.

Keep up with the good work and improve it even further ;-) .

(Oh God I see the dreaded "Auto-Saved" in the corner of the edit box. Now I know why no reference in this forum is correct: 'Two messages above your post... Huh??' And the sequence in the threads is messed up because people do write at different speeds. You might want to tell the board admin to turn that feature off. Oh and tell them not to log out people while they are writing.)

 

[mcquaim]

I'm not sure I get your gripe, the Vix image in my opinion is so user friendly. My old man can manage it no probs and he is a dinasaur with no "nerd" tendencies..

Perhaps you need to stick to Sly or V!rgin if you want a moron proof sat box

 

[Larry-G]

You say that you do not want a "new hobby" you just want a box that works. well i'm sorry to say that you have bought the wrong machine for your needs. Linux based receivers are not, have never been and will never be plug and play. The user will always have to provide a certain amount of interaction to work these receivers, thats just how it is.

Personally i think you have some wildly unrealistic expectations of what you want from your receiver, I'd have to agree with the post above. You would be best served by a provider endorsed receiver from sky uk or at a stretch a non Linux receiver from the Technomate range.

 

[owenb]

oh dear what a gr8 start to the morning !


m8 as stated e2 is a lifestyle for a gadget enthusiast if u dont like tinkering and playing buy a closed source box and just wallow in its boring aura

 

[Laudatio]

Wow what a great start in the morning!

I am called a moron because I want improvements that have to do with <gasp> USING this device? Why would anyone want to use this thing?

Detailed descriptions that none of the Nerds can grasp?

I haven't asked for a plug-and-play box but for the Developers not to lose the useability out of sight like they did in the past year.
Just breaking the release versions in various ways without improving anything is not a good way of developing.
Let me just say this as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer who is used to tinkering with his devices.

Bye and have 'fun'.

 

[Larry-G]

Wow what a great start in the morning!

I am called a moron because I want improvements that have to do with <gasp> USING this device? Why would anyone want to use this thing?

Detailed descriptions that none of the Nerds can grasp?

I haven't asked for a plug-and-play box but for the Developers not to lose the useability out of sight like they did in the past year.
Just breaking the release versions in various ways without improving anything is not a good way of developing.
Let me just say this as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer who is used to tinkering with his devices.

Bye and have 'fun'.

no one called you a moron, but you have to understand that this is a hobbyist receiver and a lot of us developing for these receivers are amateurs who do so for free in our own time. if you have any coding experience and would like to help towards development then please contact sicilian or andy.

 

[punisher]

ive never had any useability issues since using vix over the past year. yeh the odd problems do arise but they are pretty much fixed as soon as we discover or someone else does. users advise will always been taken on board and we always do what we can to put out an image that suits and fits users needs too.

 

[Markymark]

It is usable and I was surprised how easy it was. Ok I have some computer experience however I was on a Fortec Star box before my VU box. It was a jump at first, however it's so easy to use now as it just requires a bit of playing and asking questions. It's deffo a hobby and I think it's miles better to have the ability it interact with the developers. I know I and a few others encouterd a problem getting the no-ip addresses to work on the box, loads of help and posts later, we got an answer, that I believe is also doing to be put into future builds for other to use.

Recording and watching tv is so much more reliable that my old closed source box!

 

[basilyoung]

Wow what a great start in the morning!

I am called a moron because I want improvements that have to do with <gasp> USING this device? Why would anyone want to use this thing?

Detailed descriptions that none of the Nerds can grasp?

I haven't asked for a plug-and-play box but for the Developers not to lose the useability out of sight like they did in the past year.
Just breaking the release versions in various ways without improving anything is not a good way of developing.
Let me just say this as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer who is used to tinkering with his devices.

Bye and have 'fun'.

I see you have 3 post, ( 2 in this thread ) and made a comment about a year ago, so presumably you "lurk" rather than post, which is OK, but your request are extensive, most of what you ask for, is already in place, so perhaps you need to do some reading in the stickies section,

as far as being called a moroon goes, perhaps a first start point, would be to re read this thread

 

[Rob van der Does]

I think 'usability' plays an important factor in the development of ViX. I find ViX-powered boxes very easy to handle, experience seldom problems and enjoy the steady flow of improvements that come in.
Nevertheless: if you have any specific suggestions, please feel free to post them. You may have ideas that never popped into our minds, and from which we could al benefit. We're ready to listen to you!

 

[Big Al]

Rob
A superb response to the original post, handled very well by a nice Guy and a bloody good Mod, :thumbsup:
Best regards
Al

 

[acco]

Keep up with the good work and improve it even further ;-) .

(Oh God I see the dreaded "Auto-Saved" in the corner of the edit box. Now I know why no reference in this forum is correct: 'Two messages above your post... Huh??' And the sequence in the threads is messed up because people do write at different speeds. You might want to tell the board admin to turn that feature off. Oh and tell them not to log out people while they are writing.)

I guessing after reading this post a few times Laudatio was probably a little frustrated by the time limit set by the forums cookie.
I've had this happen a few times because by the time I've read & replied to a post the 20 mins or what ever the cookie is set at expired.
The auto-save feature is good in the sense that if you do get logged out, once you login again & return to the said post you should see an option to restore saved data or something to them word but if I'm honest I bet most just don't know about this feature or say f**k it, the later is the option I've often taken, so I can see where the op is coming from with that.

I've added a couple of pics, 1 shows how your presented once logged out while trying to make a post & how the restore works once logged back in.
btw I think the auto restore only remembers were you was when it got to the expired cookie time out.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/705/thefollowing.png
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/535/restore.png

Links to pics above as embedded img tags dont show pics.

 

[pooface]

Not sure that is what he was going on about ... think he was frustrated by that also, but that isn't the major of the rant...

But, no matter what, if you click the "always keep me logged in" or whatever it says button when entering your username/password, then you'd never have a problem in regards of being logged out