I've always wondered if Apple was using technology like this for the movie covers in the Apple TV store, since they have a parallax effect. For those who don't know what I am talking about, the remote control has a touchpad on it, so as you wiggle your finger around (while a title is selected) the cover will move on a 3D axis w/ your finger until you use enough force to move to the next title. Figured there would be a relatively straightforward way to separate the layers w/ software.
But only certain titles have the effect ... so I would imagine the studios provide a layered asset that can get composed together.
Have you seen the new Apple TV Remote? I haven't done a lot with it, but it's got a touch pad on it for gestures. Maybe these remote / trackpad devices would do the trick.
Apple TV tactile remote that ships with it, vs the simulated one you can use on an iPhone.
One requires no looking, one totally requires it.
I hope for tactile screens in the future, something I tried designing into a hardware prototype over 10 years ago for an Android phablet prototype to be used in scenarios to enable not looking at the touchscreen. I’m honestly still amazed tactile affordances in some way haven’t made it to the mass market yet.
I don't understand how Apple TV remote ever came into being, let alone how it still exists. Even when you somehow break the symmetry, in my case by sticking an ugly address label on the bottom part, skating around the screen with the touch pad is a game of skill that you are forced to play when all you want to do is just select a damn thing on the screen. Not to mention having to undo whatever I've done by touching the touch pad every time I grab the thing.
The application which makes most sense to me would be gesture controls for some kind of Apple TV device. Choosing menus in the living room, swiping between channels etc might do away with a conventional remote, perhaps.
I wonder if the upcoming Apple TV remote is pressure sensitive, or if it just does touches. If it was pressure sensitive, that may drive a lot of games to adopt it in some fashion.
I put some gaffer tape on the bottom of my Apple TV remote to make it obvious which end is up. I'm personally not a fan of the touchpad. In principle, it's a decent solution to the problem, but Apple's implementation is somehow not sensitive enough and too sensitive at the same time.
The touch sensitive remote in the latest Apple TV is fantastic. Sliding exactly where you want to be in an episode is great and navigating the menus with it is good.
Yup - a remote with actual directional buttons was my biggest desire, so I’m really happy. I hate the touch scrolling of the previous Apple TV remote with a passion. It was so imprecise.
Huh. I personally LOVE using my iPhone as a remote for our Apple TV. Also the way it’s implemented there’s no need to look at your phone at all - the phone is just a giant touchpad that gives you full control of the TV interface..
AppleTV remotes have a problem where they're too sensitive. You almost can't click without entering a "move left/right" touch command. In many ways, Apple has found a way to get the worst of both worlds by trying to incorporate both worlds into one touchpad (yes, even in the newest remotes).
Apple is not going to make a dedicated remote control.
Touchscreens alone simply don't work on a remote. People aren't very good at looking at a TV, then focusing on a screen close to them. That is somewhat the brilliance of their existing remote. You can learn where the buttons are within a minute of using it. They can add features and not have to worry about putting a button on the remote, virtual or physical.
There are plenty of applications to turn your iphone into a remote control if one really wants a touchscreen remote. It can be quite handy to see your favorite TV station icons. But when the phone rings how do you press mute?
But only certain titles have the effect ... so I would imagine the studios provide a layered asset that can get composed together.
reply