mpv-android
DPAD control scheme on Android TV is not intuitive
Important information
Android version:
mpv-android version: 2025-04-21 Build
Which version of mpv-android introduced the problem (if known): I assume it exists from the initial release
Description
It is impossible to reach the in-player settings popup when using the d-pad on the TV remote. Currently trying to go "up" just closes the OSD, I expect it to navigate to the settings icon where I can open it by pressing "OK" on the remote.
@sfan5 Dang, I didn't think of doing that, it feels un-natural. Could we also map the "up" button to the same navigation? It's much more intuitive IMO.
The idea with the dpad navigation is that left/right moves and up/down disables the navigation. Assuming up/down would also move, how would you expect to exit the navigation mode?
I always thought of it as moving inside a box with controls in it, whenever I try to navigate "out of the box" (pun unintended) the UI disappears.
So with that train of thought, the user can simply exit the OSD by navigating down or up twice (once to select the settings, another to navigate out of the box).
Additionally using the "back" button is also an almost universal way to dismiss the player UI.
So I'm thinking while your proposal is more intuitive since it matches how UI generally works, I'm afraid of changing something for the people who already know how to use the current input scheme.
Additionally using the "back" button is also an almost universal way to dismiss the player UI.
does YouTube do this too?
I'm afraid of changing something for the people who already know how to use the current input scheme.
The best we can do is to preserve the horizontal navigation while also allowing vertical navigation, this will help out people who have already built up the muscle memory.
Other than that I think it will be a pretty smooth transition for old users and the new interface will be more intuitive to new users as mpv gets more popular over time :)
does YouTube do this too?
Yup, it does, most streaming apps support the back action to hide UI when it's visible.
+1 The current DPAD controls are unintuitive we should probably replicate YouTube/Netflix
