Alpha - DeepBlue: Based off of the DirecTV Blue Interface

Alpha DeepBlue: Based off of the DirecTV Blue Interface - Printable Version

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DeepBlue: Based off of the DirecTV Blue Interface - darthgamer64 - 2022-06-01

Let me just take a moment to say:

I'm shocked there was never a broken down tutorial out there on Kodi Skinning, so I made a very rough one on YouTube.
I'm also shocked nobody's thought of this yet, so here we go
I still need help. I feel like I could be doing better with Kodi, plus I'm not a designer.

I have been OBSESSED With DirecTV ever since they released their Ocean Blue interface in the mid/late 2000s with their HD DVRs. I tried to beg my parents to get us DirecTV back in the day with no luck. Once I started making adult money, it was too late (AT&T bought them & revamped everything).

So then BAM! I finally finished my Master's so I found time to make my own Kodi Skin. Surprisingly off to a good/easy start. I'd say I'm comfortable enough with my vision to the point that I can release source code, images, videos, and progress Smile

. Something about this User Interface that I can't just leave behind or forget. Of all the Cable Box User Interface, this has to be the ABSOLUTE KING! I was never fond of TiVo UI. Comcast X1 comes close, but this UI is straight up GOD TIER! I mean just LOOK AT IT GUYS! Everytime I look at this, I feel like I'm at a beach house!

Walkthrough video: https://youtu.be/8Nko1Uv-Hio
Screen capture of the real thing: https://youtu.be/cEasOlyBUCs
Source Code: https://github.com/UVGrade/skin.DeepBlue
Please send merge requests to "Alpha" branch if any

The main menu Smile

I think this is pretty straightforward enough. All the options are on the left-hand side. I duplicated this skin from Estuary so alot of similarities from there.
I think I'll keep things the same here. but I do want to make changes to the "Search" view and the "Settings" view on the right side. The "Exit" button for power off & all are at the bottom of the list.

Give me your honest thoughts & suggestions on the UI. I think the blue background is good. But the Heading bar at the top looks plain jain. I definitely wanna try and work on this so DEFINITELY Open to suggestions. I'm desperate to modernizing this, making it polished & purdy but while keeping its ecentric vibrant theme its got goin on, Probably have to experiment with background texture. I think I might even make the top Headng bar more transparent, idky yet.

Ok, DEFINITELY Need ideas here. The plain jain DirecTV listview is... well plain. Should I just put the content image + description + icon on the lefthand side and arrange the list all the way to the top? what would y'all do??

Definitely need advice here too!
Can't have a whole cable box experience without a channel guide. I even got the playback window on the top-right JUST like a Cable Box lol. I'm using Pluto.TV plugin, free legal live TV. I'd like to down the road tho integrate Kodi with a paid streaming service like SlingTV or YouTube TV with the guide & all.

But yea I need help here too. the EPG grid is hard as hell to tweak. I tried to play around with the color scheme but I don't think it looks good. Plus I cant for the life of me figure out how to change the color of the damn buttons.

Live TV banner

Planned todo:

[Alpha]

Further perfect the background colors & textures
Make a preview window for Search & Settings in the Main Page
Further perfect the list view
Further perfect the channel guide
expand the theme to the channel/playback banner

[Beta]

Further perfect the skin for different resolutions & aspect ratios
Add different options such as background textures & colors (midnight/sunset)
expand the theme to the dialog boxes
fixing the bug that dims the background when video is playing

Anyone got time to help out, I'll buy ya a coffee lol. I'm PUMPED for this, Making Kodi Great Again! I have the silver DirecTV receiver I wanna gut out, put a PC in it, & make it my new living room media box.

RE: DeepBlue: Based off of the DirecTV Blue Interface - Goldenfreddy0703 - 2022-06-02

Hey, this skin looks really cool but i never seen this type of interface for directv before. I have seen the new interfaces but i have never seen this interface.
Looks really cool and can't wait to try it soon.

RE: DeepBlue: Based off of the DirecTV Blue Interface - darthgamer64 - 2022-06-02

It started with the hr20 in 2007 up until the Genie hr34 in 2012 when they revamped it with the dark interface

RE: DeepBlue: Based off of the DirecTV Blue Interface - Ch3dd4rGoblin - 2022-06-02

(2022-06-02, 01:55)darthgamer64 Wrote: It started with the hr20 in 2007 up until the Genie hr34 in 2012 when they revamped it with the dark interface

I remember this interface. It brings me back to teenage years when I was watching Even Stevens on the Disney channel and modding xboxes to run XBMC.
Back then, the Animal Planet had educational animal content and you can discover new things on Discovery. What a golden time.

Good luck with this interface and keep up the good work!

RE: DeepBlue: Based off of the DirecTV Blue Interface - ontap - 2022-06-26

Hi , I don't get Direct TV here in UK , but I have the a pvr skin on Leia that I could set up on matrix , it looks a lot like the pic you posted earlier ? , had to find a free m3u to input into simple PVR ( haven't got a source atm ), have no EPG , but my tv guide does show epg when its loaded with an xml file.

RE: DeepBlue: Based off of the DirecTV Blue Interface - TheDeatCrusher - 2022-12-13

Hey i wanna ask if you ever did this?