Archive:10-foot user interface: Difference between revisions

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* [[MythTV]] (Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X)
* [[MythTV]] (Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X)
* [[Plexapp|Plex]] (Mac OS X)
* [[Plexapp|Plex]] (Mac OS X)
* [[QVIVO]] (Mac OS X, Windows)
* [[SageTV]] (Windows, Linux and Mac)
* [[SageTV]] (Windows, Linux and Mac)
* [[Windows Media Center]] (Windows)
* [[Windows Media Center]] (Windows)

Revision as of 11:30, 15 November 2011

Template:Multiple issues

XBMC Media Center (PM3.HD skin) home screen user interface, showing an example of a 10-foot user interface design

In computing a 10-foot user interface (also sometimes referred to as "10-foot UI", "10-foot interface", or "10-foot experience") is a software GUI (graphical user interface) designed for display on a large television (or similar sized screen) with interaction using a regular television-style remote control.[1]

"10 foot" refers to the fact that the GUI's elements—i.e. menus, buttons, text fonts, and so on—are theoretically large enough to read easily at a distance of Template:Convert from the display (which in this context is normally a large-screen television). To avoid distractions and to be more clear, 10 foot UIs also tend to be very simple and usually only have the minimum core buttons.

Typical examples of popular 10-foot user interfaces are HTPC (Home theater PC) media center software applications such as Google TV, MediaPortal, XBMC, Plex, Boxee, Windows Media Center and Front Row / Apple TV interfaces, but most other Smart TV and set-top boxes devices and software with interactive television interfaces also belong in this category.[2] In 2010, Hillcrest Labs released the Kylo browser, which is a web browser optimized for television use, which features a 10-foot user interface.[3]

Overview

"Ten foot" is used to differentiate the GUI style from those used on desktop computer screens, which typically assume the user's eyes are less than two feet (60 cm) from the display. The 10-foot GUI is almost always designed to be operated by a hand-held remote control. The 10-foot user interface has extra large buttons with menu fonts that are easily read and navigated.

This difference in distance has a huge impact on the interface design compared to typical desktop computer interaction when the user is sitting at a desk with a computer monitor, and using a mouse and keyboard (or perhaps a joystick device for computer games) which is sometimes referred to as a "2-foot user interface". Ten-foot interfaces may resemble other post-WIMP systems graphically, due to a similar paucity of pixels, but do not assume the use of a touch screen.

Common design guidelines

Here are a few design guidelines which should be considered when designing a 10-foot user interface compared to a 2-foot user interface.

  • Installation - The 10-foot experience places the display across the room from the user, and therefore anything that requires the user to physically interact with the interface and forces the user to get up and cross the room should be avoided.
  • User input - Support for a standard remote, which is the generally preferred input device for a 10-foot GUI, alternatively if the GUI is for a video game console then make certain the user can control the menus via the primary game input device.
  • Display - Regardless of what the video output device is, at a range of 10 feet it is very important that all fonts and UI graphics are sized large enough for comfortable readability, (also note that anti-aliased fonts will generally offer better readability).
  • Size of UI elements - Avoid single-pixel thick horizontal lines or static UI elements with single-pixel detail as older televisions and low-resolution displays may simply not display such fine detail, and content will flicker if running on an interlaced display mode since a single row of pixels will be visible only half the time.

Software and devices

Template:Example farm Examples of a few common and popular 10-foot user interfaces are:

Devices

Standalone software

Media center operating systems

See also

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:GUI widgets Template:Window managers Template:Home theater PC (application software)

  1. http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/11/03/eight-reasons-to-get-a-google-tv-and-four-reasons-not-too/ Eight Reasons To Get a Google TV and Four Reasons Not To
  2. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/guides/2010/12/htpc-guide-1 Ars Technica HTPC Guide: December 2010
  3. Fast Company October 4, 2010. Austin Carr. Kylo offer Alternative to Google TV.