View Full Version : Should the ACTIVE Button Menu Allow Access to All Active Content?
Milominderbinder2
10-19-07, 11:08 AM
Should the ACTIVE button menu allow access to all five active content areas:
+ News Mix
+ Sports Mix
+ What's Hot
+ DIRECTV on Demand
+ More Active Content
Currently the ACTIVE button only allows access to the last area.
From a tech support perspective, this would make active content easier to find.
From a marketing perspective, this would highlight a key selling point. The HR20/21 has five active content areas, not just one.
From a financial perspective, DIRECTV derives no added revenue from the current ACTIVE button menu. By including DoD, the ACTIVE button becomes a revenue center instead of a cost center.
- Craig
Moderators - Once DoD becomes national, please move this to the HR20/21 Q & A Forum. Thanks.
Stuart Sweet
10-19-07, 11:14 AM
Craig, I would be happy to add a poll to this if you would like.
I think, YES! The current Active channel app needs a little work. It could easily function as a gateway to other interactive content. I would also support a 16:9 version even if it were 480x480 resolution so as not to take up a lot of bandwidth. Or, they might be able to make one version do both through code.
Milominderbinder2
10-19-07, 11:16 AM
Sorry, it just took a while for the poll to get added. It is there now.
I for one really like the Active content but frankly forget it is there.
In particular, I like What's Hot. It is fun to see real-time Nielsen rating. Also, there have been several times where I've said, "That's on now?"
- Craig
Stuart Sweet
10-19-07, 11:22 AM
No problem, great minds think alike, clearly!
as for "that's on now" Yeah, with a DVR you kind of forget what's on when..
armophob
10-19-07, 11:25 AM
I have no vote because I don't use the active button. It does not have a PIP and takes too long too load. I would not use it too retrieve any functions if they are available somewhere else more convenient.
Thaedron
10-19-07, 11:34 AM
Yes, but have to agree with armophob that it would be nice if performance of the current active page could be sped up. And perhaps it would be if things were re-written to accomodate the extra content.
Milominderbinder2
10-19-07, 12:20 PM
I have no vote because I don't use the active button. It does not have a PIP and takes too long too load. I would not use it too retrieve any functions if they are available somewhere else more convenient.If they did this menu first, it would be very fast. It would only be once you choose Other Active COntent that you would wait a minute for it ot come up...
That would be an advanctage of this new approach.
- Craig
armophob
10-19-07, 12:24 PM
If they did this menu first, it would be very fast. It would only be once you choose Other Active COntent that you would wait a minute for it ot come up...
That would be an advanctage of this new approach.
- Craig
Then I vote yes, anything to give purpose to that button again.
Earl Bonovich
10-19-07, 12:27 PM
Should it also have pages for Red Zone Channel? (for those that subscribe)
The mulitple Tennis Channels (When available)
Game Zone... ect....
Basically turning "Active" into another full screen menu...
Instead of being what it is?
LameLefty
10-19-07, 12:32 PM
Should it also have pages for Red Zone Channel? (for those that subscribe)
The mulitple Tennis Channels (When available)
Game Zone... ect....
Basically turning "Active" into another full screen menu...
Instead of being what it is?
It wouldn't have to be a full-screen menu - you could have a submenu for something like "Premium Sports" or something that then lets you select other items below it depending on your subscriptions, much like selecting My Playlist in the mini-menu actually shows you a small version of your playlist below.
Needless to say, I voted yes because I don't use Active content primarily because it's not convenient at all.
Just a bone to pick. I really, really wish there was a way to full screen or at least enlarge the video playing in the top left corner of the Active home page. It's got some cool content some times, but is way too small to be useful.
Earl Bonovich
10-19-07, 12:33 PM
Basically what I am asking...
Should active to be changed to be a very "fancy" menu system to all the other aspets fo the service.
AirRocker
10-19-07, 12:37 PM
very cool idea... i like this... just wished it ran a little faster...
ChrisND
10-19-07, 12:39 PM
I said yes. Like others I don't really use Active as is because 1) It takes 30s+ to load and 2) there isn't much under the button I like. If things like DoD are placed here is needs to be much faster or I still would not use it.
armophob
10-19-07, 12:44 PM
Basically what I am asking...
Should active to be changed to be a very "fancy" menu system to all the other aspets fo the service.
That is the way I am seeing it. A menu for other services. There could be a help selection also that could have selections to describe each service.
islesfan
10-19-07, 01:30 PM
I thought they would eventually do this anyway. It makes too much sense.
Canis Lupus
10-19-07, 01:32 PM
I voted Yes. This would give me a reason to use it. I don't need my local weather or a horoscope or lottery numbers ;)
armophob
10-19-07, 01:40 PM
I think the majority have spoken about that channel.
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=99780&page
Milominderbinder2
10-19-07, 02:51 PM
Basically what I am asking...
Should active to be changed to be a very "fancy" menu system to all the other aspects of the service.Earl,
That would be so cool!
The ACTIVE button could be a "hot button" right into the high end packages, DoD, etc.
Make it easy for the best customers to get right to the most expensive programming.
Yes, if they could add that too, that would be great. If a first step could be just the basic 5 line menu that would be a great start.
- Craig
Earl Bonovich
10-19-07, 04:22 PM
Moved to General... as "Active" is available on all the current receivers...
krock918316
10-19-07, 04:43 PM
Basically what I am asking...
Should active to be changed to be a very "fancy" menu system to all the other aspets fo the service.
I think this is exactly how the active button should work.
Kevin Dupuy
10-19-07, 04:49 PM
I agree. And I don't say that often:D
tonyd79
10-19-07, 06:10 PM
I have completely forgotten the active button exists. Took it off my univeral remote for other functions.
Michael D'Angelo
10-19-07, 06:13 PM
Honestly I don't care what the active button does unless the speed is increased.
It is so slow that I can't use it and I have not used it in months.
Basically what I am asking...
Should active to be changed to be a very "fancy" menu system to all the other aspets fo the service.Yes! Call it "Active Central" if you will, but it would be great to have all active content listed in one place!
Honestly I don't care what the active button does unless the speed is increased.
It is so slow that I can't use it and I have not used it in months.I absolutely agree the speed needs to be improved. I showed Active to my mother, who is not tech savy, on her R15 and showed her how she could use it to get to the Loterry results. She said it would be faster to log into the computer to check the results on the internet.
djwww98
10-19-07, 06:36 PM
There needs to be a way to disable it. The only time it gets used in my house is when it gets pushed accidently and then it's so slow and clumsy to get back to what you were watching, deleting any trick play content your tuner had been tuned to. At this point it has pissed me off so much I don't care what they put on it, I will never use it. (Intentionally anyway).
Racer88
10-19-07, 07:18 PM
I have completely forgotten the active button exists. Took it off my univeral remote for other functions.
Same here. Any time or resources spent fooling with this junk, given the plentiful amount of other things that need to be addressed, is a complete waste of time and resources.:nono2:
HDTVFreak07
10-19-07, 09:08 PM
Gotta keep the weather on the active button. I don't care how long it takes to load but sometimes I just push the active button to check out the weather rather than running to my computer or laptop to check.
say-what
10-19-07, 09:12 PM
As it is now, the Active channel is a fairly useless feature to me. Aside from occasionally checking a lottery drawing when I've tossed the paper prematurely, it's pretty useless. It would be nice if it could somehow provide access to the other active content that's spread out all over the place. Plus, it's performance speed needs to be improved.
ThomasM
10-19-07, 09:54 PM
The "active" function works similar to the HD channels you get. If you don't get a particular channel as part of your basic package ("TNT" or "HBO" for example) then you don't get the HD equivalents.
If you don't get "news mix" as part of your basic package, you don't get the active function associated with that channel.
Personally, I think the present "active" function is a real loser compared to WINK. Does anyone remember WINK? Yep, that was DirecTV's first foray into interactive and you got a LOT more cool info. (2002-2004)
You could set up your own portfolio on Bloomberg and get your stock values.
You could get much better weather info by tuning to THE WEATHER CHANNEL-almost as good as the localized stuff cable viewers get from this channel.
On selected channels (TNT, TBS, A & E) you could get a preview of upcoming shows with descriptions (much better than the ones in the guide) along with special offers and upcoming "marathon" info.
Sometimes, during a commercial, you'd get a popup asking if you wanted a brochure!!
On the music channels (Music Choice at the time) you got a full screen display on 12 of the channels with the title, artist, a PICTURE of the album cover, nifty tid-bits about the artist and the offer to PURCHASE the album with just a click of your remote!! I bought lots more albums than PPV movies!
The present "in house" active function is a cute novely but certainly not something that subscribers would miss if it disappeared (like it does every Sunday when they run out of bandwidth for their football subscription package).
I still miss WINK. I even went out and bought a new receiver to get it back then.
HDTVFreak07
10-20-07, 07:24 AM
The "active" function works similar to the HD channels you get. If you don't get a particular channel as part of your basic package ("TNT" or "HBO" for example) then you don't get the HD equivalents.
If you don't get "news mix" as part of your basic package, you don't get the active function associated with that channel.
Personally, I think the present "active" function is a real loser compared to WINK. Does anyone remember WINK? Yep, that was DirecTV's first foray into interactive and you got a LOT more cool info. (2002-2004)
You could set up your own portfolio on Bloomberg and get your stock values.
You could get much better weather info by tuning to THE WEATHER CHANNEL-almost as good as the localized stuff cable viewers get from this channel.
On selected channels (TNT, TBS, A & E) you could get a preview of upcoming shows with descriptions (much better than the ones in the guide) along with special offers and upcoming "marathon" info.
Sometimes, during a commercial, you'd get a popup asking if you wanted a brochure!!
On the music channels (Music Choice at the time) you got a full screen display on 12 of the channels with the title, artist, a PICTURE of the album cover, nifty tid-bits about the artist and the offer to PURCHASE the album with just a click of your remote!! I bought lots more albums than PPV movies!
The present "in house" active function is a cute novely but certainly not something that subscribers would miss if it disappeared (like it does every Sunday when they run out of bandwidth for their football subscription package).
I still miss WINK. I even went out and bought a new receiver to get it back then.
Oh yeah! I forgot about that! I had a Sony receiver (I think?) that had the wink. Maybe D* should bring that back! It had better functionality and I remember frequenting to using the "wink".
I want the menu that way when you hit the active button by accident you can get the menu and get out quick without having to wait.
Of course I'd vote for removing the button altogether as well...but I'm sure there are a few that like it...so just making it less painful would work for me.
Milominderbinder2
10-22-07, 08:40 AM
Ken,
That may be the single biggest reason for doing this. Right now if you accidentally hit ACTIVE, you lose about a minute of your life.
If a menu came up first it could come up instantly. Heck it could even have a warning in yellow that Active Content may take a few moments to come up.
- Craig
Ken,
That may be the single biggest reason for doing this. Right now if you accidentally hit ACTIVE, you lose about a minute of your life.
If a menu came up first it could come up instantly. Heck it could even have a warning in yellow that Active Content may take a few moments to come up.
- Craig
Craig,
I guess they could also do it like a restart. You hit active and then have to hit dash if you really mean to do it.
Seriously, I wonder if there is really anyone that regularly uses the Active screen (weather, lottery, etc).
I've used the baseball stuff, but that just overlays the screen so even when it's slow and out of date it's not completely annoying.
Milominderbinder2
10-22-07, 01:18 PM
To those voting "NO", could you let us know why?
- Craig
Milominderbinder2
10-22-07, 01:22 PM
Craig,
I guess they could also do it like a restart. Ken,
I don't think it needs to be that involved. Just bring up the Active Center menu.
That should be instantaneous.
It could have a disclaimer in yellow that selecting an option may take a while because it is Active content. So it would only be on the second click that it goes slow.
I have also had the though, why not at least paint the backgrounds in while they are waiting to get the data. At least that way the user knows it has not locked up.
- Craig
Milominderbinder2
10-22-07, 03:56 PM
One person who had voted NO, voted in error and sent a PM. A moderator corrected the totals.
So right now 95% would like the new Active Center menu.
That is the same percentage who wanted the GUIDE button to be for the GUIDE!
- Craig
bakers12
10-22-07, 04:21 PM
Please allow access to the Active channel by pressing channel 9999. This used to work, so I don't have an Active button on my universal remote control. Now, channel 9999 is invalid, so I have to find the D* remote.
feschiver
10-23-07, 06:52 AM
it takes so long now to show the active screen what will happen if you add the others?
kcmurphy88
10-23-07, 09:59 AM
I voted no becuase I don't use the active button and have not mapped the button to my universal remote. The last thing I want is ANOTHER extra button that D*'s programmers use all over the place, and ignore designing a functional menu.
Milominderbinder2
10-23-07, 12:15 PM
it takes so long now to show the active screen what will happen if you add the others?
My hope is that you would get a menu of choices, one of which you be the Active Content. It could have a warning in yellow that this may take 60 seconds or longer.
Earlier we talked about the fact that instead of just going dead, the backgrounds could come up with a message saying to please wait.
- Craig
Milominderbinder2
10-25-07, 02:36 PM
Bump.
Stuart Sweet
10-25-07, 05:08 PM
I still think this is a great idea... and if they start now it could be implemented in Q108.
This would be a great idea especially for the nay sayers who feel it's to limited right now with just the weather, horoscopes and desire more.
Jeremy W
11-25-07, 09:19 AM
This would be a great idea especially for the nay sayers who feel it's to limited right now with just the weather, horoscopes and desire more.
Is the blatant post whoring really necessary? Not only have you dug up an old topic, but it's a topic that DirecTV has already addressed. They have made some changes to Active that were suggested in here. It now has direct links to the Mix channels as well as What's Hot.
Is the blatant post whoring really necessary? Not only have you dug up an old topic, but it's a topic that DirecTV has already addressed. They have made some changes to Active that were suggested in here. It now has direct links to the Mix channels as well as What's Hot.
That is helpful Jeremy, was not aware of that. Thank you. I believe the point of a forum is to learn, you may know but not the rest so sorry if I angered you.
BTW the poll was still open so I chose to respond.
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