Can we talk about Player interfaces / skins

[scarletlion]

Apologies if this has been done before but why are player interfaces so boring?

I have only had Sony devices, so I'm not sure if this applies to all but my Sony UBP 700player is dreadfully boring. The homescreen just has grey icons, grey writing, a netflix logo and a bbc sport logo and a few others maybe.

press info while a movie is playing, what do you get - grey/white writing on a dark background. No colours, no movie thumbnail, no plot, no cast info, no nothing. boring.

If the likes of Kodi / Plex and other media apps can be so beautiful, why can't a billion dollar corporation like Sony at the top end of the game?

I mean that is just eugh:



Is there a reason?

[Hitman Horton]

Originally Posted by scarletlion

Apologies if this has been done before but why are player interfaces so boring?

I have only had Sony devices, so I'm not sure if this applies to all but my Sony UBP 700player is dreadfully boring. The homescreen just has grey icons, grey writing, a netflix logo and a bbc sport logo and a few others maybe.

press info while a movie is playing, what do you get - grey/white writing on a dark background. No colours, no movie thumbnail, no plot, no cast info, no nothing. boring.

If the likes of Kodi / Plex and other media apps can be so beautiful, why can't a billion dollar corporation like Sony at the top end of the game?

I mean that is just eugh:



Is there a reason?

I've only had Sony players too and I love them. I put the movie in and it plays. That's what I'm looking for. If I had to guess, the reason they're "boring" is because most people don't care about these things.

[scarletlion]

Originally Posted by Hitman Horton

I've only had Sony players too and I love them. I put the movie in and it plays. That's what I'm looking for. If I had to guess, the reason they're "boring" is because most people don't care about these things.

Fair enough. Personally I'd like a bit more.

[mikevieira]

Would be kinda cool to import some kind of background via usb, to the blu ray main screen.

[scarletlion]

Originally Posted by mikevieira

Would be kinda cool to import some kind of background via usb, to the blu ray main screen.

It would. It's just so boring. This is where other interfaces have stolen a march. I get that most people just want it to work but there's no metadata at all really. No images or thumbnails with actor / director info

[chip75]

Originally Posted by mikevieira

Would be kinda cool to import some kind of background via usb, to the blu ray main screen.

I have this with my Panasonic.

As to the other things they usually end up causing trouble when the disc needs an active internet connection for ticker-tapes or cast and crew information and it's not kept up-to-date or there's an issue.

Personally I don't like Amazon's service that much, when I pause or press the remote I just want transport controls and info, I don't need to see pictures of the cast and crew.