Feat.Req: Enable Action listener and Overlay without Focus

[matthias]

The remote Jointspace API is nice, but to add things like a custom EPG, or an overlay for eMail reminder or call monitor for incoming calls, etc. some basic functionality is missing.

The idea is to allow remote programs to listen to actions/key presses while e.g. the TV app is active and listen for a channel change or a special key press, to e.g. display some screen overlay (EPG), show a clock, etc.

But first, this requires to start a remote jointspace application that receives events/keys without taking away the focus of the current foreground (TV) application. This works for sending events (e.g. remote control), but receiving events is not possible right now.

Second, if an overlay is shown, the TV functions should still work, so even with an active overlay, switching the channels should be possible.
This requires a way to either show this overlay without event focus or to pass events to the now out-of-focus TV application.

If the remote API would allow this, many more functions could be added to the TV.

So in short, please allow:

1) Remotely listening to events/key presses to catch key presses&channel change events
2) Showing an overlay without stealing the focus of the current application or possibility to pass events to the underlying window.

Please consider this also for the old 2010 and 2011 TVs :-)

Thank you,
Matthias

[smart]

Hi matthias,

I fully support that request! This screen overlay for some notifications from external boxes is really great! To be notified by any events in your home on the TV is useful.
Example use-cases:

Mail
received phone calls
the heating shuts off for the night (press a key to extend 1h)
some calendar events for tomorrow (like birthdays, or starting time of the first meeting at work)
Washing machine finished, please empty it
baking oven timer runs out, have a look


If there would be some interface, many external devices could make use of that interface. Having more and more connected devices at home will create new use-cases and this will require such new interfaces.

[Philips - Thomas]

Hi

please have a look into:
http://www.yourappontv.com/

Regards
Thomas

[matthias]

please have a look into:
http://www.yourappontv.com/


Thanks for the link, but yourappontv explicitly refers to NetTV Opera pages, which have to be opened manually whenever I start the TV. Without the possibility to add my own widgets to the Home Menu, this is too tedious each time.
What I'm looking for is something that can start automatically as soon as the TV is powered up.
This I can do through Jointspace, but not with NetTV/yourappontv.

I know yourappontv and am already registered and tried a few things, but it seems access to channel list and setting&getting current active channel is not implemented according to OIPF specifications, so unfortunately, this doesn't help at the moment.
I have a pending support request on this, but only received a "will forward your request, he will contact you" until now.

This is why I'd like to use the _Remote_ Jointspace API to use overlays and TV control at the same time, as described above.

I also have a request on the Sourcefore Jointspace page on this, but no response so far.

If you have any information on new features for future Jointspace- & OIPF- features, please let us know!

Thanks,
Matthias

[matthias]

Some update:
I received a first reply from yourappontv support - it seems, access to channel list and channel control seems to be limited to broadcaster (Hbbtv?) for whatever reason.
So it looks like it is possible, but Philips restricts the permissions to use the appropriate function :-(

This is really sad! Having an unstable and feature-limited UI because of limited time and money spent for software development, but restricting existing features that could actually be used to improve this situation is completely annoying :-(((