Are you testing the 317 for StarChoice? Can you tell us about the new guide?


EDIT: At the request of a member, I have split this into a new thread since I'm sure it will be of interest to all

I'm not sure if this is the new Guide or not, but there are images of a new guide in the Welcome Kit on Star Choice's site:

http://www.starchoice.com/english/customercare/download/welcome_kit_e.pdf

Are you testing the 317 for StarChoice? Can you tell us about the new guide?
NO, I'm not testing ANY *C units anymore, but I did design the new IPG that the above post has found in the welcome kit.

In a nutshell, here is a summary of the changes as I see it.

First, we listened to the concerns about readability and to that extent, we discovered that the white text on the 'weiner bars' was dificult to read due to the highlight near the top of the bar that bled through the text.

The MOST notable change is the guide itself.
Returning from legacy units are colour coded bars that match the genre of the show. A new sans serif font and a few pixels larger on a flatter background to improve readability.

In ALL screens except FULL SCREEN GUIDE and MUSIC Title, Track & Artist, the current channel video window is shown. Unlike in the current Options were NO video shows.

In previous screens, some menu bars were on the left hand side, like those in INFO while others were on the right side. NOW, all menu buttons are on the Left Hand Side below the video window.

There are now only about 4 different screens variations and many elements have been re-used.

This has a bonus effect of enhanced performance and less screen flicker as is also the case when the BROWSE, DVR & Caller ID bars appear since the video DOES NOT scale up to accomodate.

Any screens that have PROGRAM type data look VERY similar and screens that have CONFIGURATION type data also look similar.

Graphics will now be confined within the NTSC "SAFE AREA" and will not scroll off the left and right sides as before.

So this means that if you cannot see some screen graphics fully, then your TV is out of adjustment and NOT the box.

In a few cases, some option behavior has been made more intuitive and some redundancy has been removed.

The new guide will first be out on the 207/317, followed by the 505, 530 and uncertain w.r.t. the 500.

The colour scheme is solely with *C as are the basic set of graphics.
I just assembled them in the best possible way.

There was also a short time frame to complete as the arrived of the lo-cost units was driven by end of life of the 205/315 and the lead time to manufacturing.

I'll see if I can post a few screen captures I did on the 530.

In the full screen guide, the legacy colours have returned to denote the program genre while FOCUS remains in YELLOW as it is today.
New and larger channel logos and program icons are also introduced.
Notice the background, all OSD graphics now fit in the NTSC "Safe Area"
On Fixed Pixel devices, this looks fantastic.
On SD CRT's that may be out of adjustment, some may be cut off, be forewarned.
There was a plan to intrduce some screen calibration stills, but if they made it I'm not sure.

Similar to the full guide, Additional space for extended program data expected with a new guide delivery system that will go out many many days.

Take note of the upper half of the screen. It is used very frequently as the foundation for many of the other screens.

Live VIDEO now appears in almost every screen.
The context help bar at the bottom is now an achored feature off all screens.

One of the very few without video.
In the final release the Max Trax and Galaxie logo's appear as well.

Notice even though the screen is totally different from the others, the re-use of established screen elements?

In this example the DVR disk usage bar was not yet complete.
The DVR list introduced GENRE colours to match those in the guide.

Notice now that the old cumberson method of changeing the display have been made more intuitive with a simple SORT button.
The SORT parameter gets changed to YELLOW and an arrow marking as ASCENDING or DESCENDING also appears.

Behind DURATION are SCROLL BUTTONS to indicate additional data fields above/below the viewing window.

Just more of the same.

There are PLENTY more designs, but that's all of the LIVE screen shots I have.
The balance are Photoshop design layouts used in the actual construction.

All I can say is grab a 317 for the kids and then wait for it on your 530/505.

Thanks ARR, I like it!!!!!!!!! When do you think the 505/530`s will get it? So I am I to assume it cannot be downloaded to a 315? Sorry I re-read post #351.

Tip of my hat sir! I think the new design will make someone I know very happy!

...When do you think the 505/530`s will get it? So I am I to assume it cannot be downloaded to a 315?
505/530 hopefully by Christmas if their next release date holds.

The 315 uses essentially the same chips as all the other legacy units like 301 and 401/405, so it's NOT possible nor compatabile.

The 207/317 uses 'similar' chips and in the same family as those from the 5XX series and that's why the IPG is identical for all units.
In units were a feature is unavailable, that menu is either missing or greyed out.
An example would be the 207 has no modem, so no caller id menu items.
Likewise, a 505 has no hard drive, so no DVR menu's and a 317 is SD only, so shouldn't have HD menu items.

Thanks ARR- Kudos- I like it, looking forward to Christmas now!:D

Hmm so no receivers on the market with this IPG are availabe correct?

That's correct! The first ones to carry it will be when the DSR207 & DSR317 rollout in the next few months.
After that, then part of the next code download for DSR505 and DSR530, alledgedly around Christmas.

So, you're telling me that, for my recently bought 205 and 315 receivers for my other (non HD) TV's, they are stuck with the old and sluggish IPG? Why? Why can't this new guide be made compatible with these old receivers?!

Quite simple because the chip artictectures are completey different.

Not unlike why Windows XP graphics won't run an an Rockwell 6502 CPU that was used in Atari PC's years ago. Or on a Motorola 6809 from an Apple II.

So the comparison is now more like the 500 series use a Pentium 4 and the 207/317 use a Celeron. The same programs work because they share a similar family architecture, just different levels of performance and resources.

With the new boxes will costing <$100 pick up a 1 of each or buy a 505 or 530 and wait for the new guide later this year I hope.

The above examples of various CPU's are for illustrative purposes only.
The actual CPU's are NEC family.

Well, I mean, it makes sense...but it just seems unfair to all those owners of the 205/315 units...those which will remain for sale right up until the new boxes come out (meaning, if Joe bought it the day before, he's stuck with the old, slow box)...

Well that may be true, why do we buy a box?; to watch the guide or watch the TV programming it provides?
But I'm with you, I like the flashy new guide, but having designed it, I'm a little biased and don't even have one myself, nor do I plan on buying any non-hd *C units. So I'll be waiting for it's arrival on the 5XX units some time after the lo-cost units start shipping.