returning to video is an issue

returning to video is an issue - Printable Version

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returning to video is an issue - Turbine - 2018-12-27

So, excuse me first of all. This is my first post and I'm already complaining.
So some life insurance:
Thanks to the devs and community for this awesome software that I can download and install on my raspberry pi for free, programmed by loads of people over countless hours which I am very grateful for.
So with that out of the way...

1.- Equipment:

1x Raspberry pi 3b+
1x Remote with arrow keys, ok button, context menu, home, and back button. Cheapest thing on Amazon. Andoer FM4 is the model.
(https://www.amazon.com/Andoer-Wireless-Controller-TV-Dongle-Projector/dp/B015SO37SY)

2.- Backstory:

I recently copied a bunch of VHS tapes onto digital, these are for English classes that my mom teaches and I'm trying to get her a nice setup:

Flatscreen TV with a raspi 3b+ + kodi + remote with the least amount of buttons possible

This is to bring her into the 21st century (and stop her using cassette tapes and VHS which she still uses to this very day)

3.- Oh the frustration! (The Issue)

Every time I press the "back" button to get into a menu it becomes impossible to return to the menu by using the remote.
Also it is very easy to fall into the million menus that Kodi offers, which I can navigate no problem but my mom cannot.
(My mom's tech level is so low that I had to explain today how she should charge a smartphone external battery - mom, you would charge the battery just like the phone, look the hole is the same shape)

I have asked several of my friends to get an unbiased opinion and they all said I should "repeatedly press the back button until it takes me back to the video playing". So that seems to be the intuitive expected behavior.
I could get a remote with more keys but that kind of defeats the idea of having a remote with the lowest number of keys possible for my mom who struggles to connect a phone to a charger.

4.- The ask:

So this probably belongs in the Skins section. But I have tried something like 10 different skins and all have the same problem:

a) Once you get into the menus it is impossible to return to the video playing without navigating to the movie again. (using the remote that is, on the keyboard I use the Tab key)
Can there be / is there an option in the configuration to enable something that would make the "back" key eventually take you back to the video which is playing?

b) Is there any skin optimized for less tech-savvy people (aka: mom, dad, grandpa, grandma and other non-tech people)
I've played around with at least 10 skins trying to hide sections, use kiosk mode, map only certain folders via SMB but it is usually less than ideal.
Can you point me in any direction that does not involve learning to program and making a skin myself?
Something like a "spartan" skin, which just redirects links on the main page to a flat file list... I just feel that Kodi has waaay to many options (and mind you, I work in tech support and know my way around a GUI)

anyhow, thanks all for your patience if you have read so far, and let me know if I can provide testing or any other feedback that might make this clearer and actionable.

Some of the things I was reading while I searched the forum (yes, I search before I post)

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=276024&highlight=old+people+mode+skin

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=331634

RE: returning to video is an issue - Klojum - 2018-12-27

(2018-12-27, 07:06)Turbine Wrote: Every time I press the "back" button to get into a menu it becomes impossible to return to the menu by using the remote.

This may be not so much a skin-related problem, but a keymap problem.

Pressing the 'Back' button on a remote or keyboard during a video by default will get you into the listing you started your video from, and the video keeps running. Depending on whatever that listing is, "enough" presses of the Back button should get you out of the listings and ultimately back to the Home screen. From the Home screen, pressing Back once more should get you into full screen of the running video.

The above default action is not ideal, I myself remapped the Back button into a Stop button on my remote to prevent this behavior. It made more sense to me that way in view of the few keys available on the remote, and it also prevents to having to 'cycle' through screens to get back to the running video.

(2018-12-27, 07:06)Turbine Wrote: b) Is there any skin optimized for less tech-savvy people (aka: mom, dad, grandpa, grandma and other non-tech people)

Nope... If I had any 'skinning' skills, there probably would be one by now, but so far still no one in or outside the team has felt the need for creating such a low-level solution. Elderly people, young kids, or people with special needs could benefit from a 'simple skin'. In some ways, the Etouchy or the 'CarPC' skin might have aspects that could help, but the amount of Kodi menu options can still be overwhelming.

(2018-12-27, 07:06)Turbine Wrote: Can you point me in any direction that does not involve learning to program and making a skin myself?

Trust me, there is a (very) steep learning curve involved. Try to start reading the various articles here: https://kodi.wiki/view/Skinning , not every one of them is as extensive or fully updated on the latest Kodi version (mostly because of the lack of man power).

RE: returning to video is an issue - Turbine - 2018-12-27

Thanks for your time Klojum. I'll see how I can get out of this one, but for the moment it is not looking good.

The behaviour of the "back" button you mention is exactly the expectation I would have for it, but sadly that is not how it is behaving in this particular case.
I will try with other remotes until I find what I need...

As for the Kodi interface... It just has too many things! :-) Which is good and bad at the same time.

RE: returning to video is an issue - Klojum - 2018-12-27

(2018-12-27, 14:48)Turbine Wrote: The behaviour of the "back" button you mention is exactly the expectation I would have for it, but sadly that is not how it is behaving in this particular case.

You can try creating a text file called ''keymap.xml" in the .kodi/userdata/keymaps folder, and put this content into it.

xml:


<keymap>

	<FullScreenVideo>

		<remote><back>PlayerControl(Stop)</back></remote>

	</FullScreenVideo>

</keymap>

Restart Kodi, and see if the Back-button responds accordingly.