NEW IPHONE APP VERSION 2.1(12)

Started by snuke, December 21, 2010, 02:56:22 PM

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snuke

Just downloaded it thanks, fixed all of the issues I found on the last one, great work guys.

markb

Still quite a few bugs in this version though. Just use it and set one-off or series timers a few times and you will see them. Sometimes app just dies. Sometimes gives a error popup when trying to set a timer and to contact ICE support. Right now I press the guide data and it shows data for Wed (yesterday) from 10pm by default and then Thu (today) data but not the rest of the week. Scroll ends at midnight today. The "Today" button (to change date and time) is not sensitive for selection. However, the My Week button shows 1 week of data.

I am not sure why ICE have changed the app to appear as a PVR device to the ICE web site? That just seems to slow things down compared to the "direct" interface the previous app used. Is there any advantage to this change?

There are some basic UI errors also. Why are there 2 about buttons? Why the inconsistency compared to the web site? E.g. "My Shows" is really just another view like "TV Guide" or "My Week" and is presented as just another tab on the web site. On the new web app, why is it is hidden under "Settings".

This is all basic stuff I see in 15 mins so I am sure there will be more bugs. Needs more careful testing in-house before release.

Daniel Drysdale at IceTV

Quote from: markb on December 23, 2010, 09:58:16 AM
Still quite a few bugs in this version though. Just use it and set one-off or series timers a few times and you will see them. Sometimes app just dies. Sometimes gives a error popup when trying to set a timer and to contact ICE support.

Is there any pattern to this that you can see? We have had a few staff members using the app full time for the last few weeks and have not seen this kind of behavior.

Quote from: markb on December 23, 2010, 09:58:16 AM
Right now I press the guide data and it shows data for Wed (yesterday) from 10pm by default and then Thu (today) data but not the rest of the week. Scroll ends at midnight today. The "Today" button (to change date and time) is not sensitive for selection. However, the My Week button shows 1 week of data.

There is a known issue with guide corruption that we are working on for the next release that sounds a little like what you are describing, could you possibly send a screenshot to our support staff?

Quote from: markb on December 23, 2010, 09:58:16 AM
I am not sure why ICE have changed the app to appear as a PVR device to the ICE web site? That just seems to slow things down compared to the "direct" interface the previous app used. Is there any advantage to this change?

The V1 app was basically a browser with some native controls to manipulate the URL that you were viewing and while it was a workable solution it was quite clunky and difficult to maintain. The biggest issues we had with the "Direct" interface as you call it is that the list -> detail -> list transitions were slow, the UI presented on each page was not native and didn't work well from a UI perspective.

Communication from the browser window back to the app itself is problematic and limits the features we can add in the future, our mobile apps are becoming a major focus for the company and we have plans to improve and extend the apps significantly in 2011, the V2 app provides much more scope for the future.

Quote from: markb on December 23, 2010, 09:58:16 AM
There are some basic UI errors also. Why are there 2 about buttons? Why the inconsistency compared to the web site? E.g. "My Shows" is really just another view like "TV Guide" or "My Week" and is presented as just another tab on the web site. On the new web app, why is it is hidden under "Settings".

One man's "basic UI errors" are another man's "design choices". There is a phrase that I think is quite relevant here "You can't please all of the people all of the time".

When I first started planning out what would become the V2 app I read through every iTunes review for V1 and read through as many support cases concerning V1 as I could to compile a list of gripes. I then used this gripes list to develop the feature list for V2.

My hope is that once we get V2 stable and start really pushing it to see where we can go that it will become clear that V2 is a better platform for the future of our mobile apps.

As for the "My Shows" page, to say that this was a controversial debate at IceTV HQ would be an understatement. In the end the decision was made that "My Shows" is largely a maintenance function and did not deserve a spot in the home screen.

As far as the "2 about buttons", I assume you are referring to "About" and "Help", while it may appear that they are the same they do serve two different commercial purposes, about is aimed more at the "guide only" users who may not know anything about IceTV while help is intended more for full members.

Quote from: markb on December 23, 2010, 09:58:16 AM
This is all basic stuff I see in 15 mins so I am sure there will be more bugs. Needs more careful testing in-house before release.

I don't doubt there will be many more bugs still to find, if Microsoft and Apple with their resources can't release entirely bug-free .0 releases then what hope do the little guys have.

Software like any other product is the result of best efforts by the design team to produce a product that, while not entirely bug-free, is good enough for customers to use. Would I like to have more time for testing? Yes, but commercial realities dictate release schedules more often than issues lists.

At the end of the day we do try and deliver the highest quality products that we can, sometimes we meet our expectations, sometimes we do not.

I do appreciate constructive feedback such as yours and wish I was in a position to have more of a dialog with our customers but there is always a lot to do @ IceTV HQ.

I hope this post addresses your concerns and that you continue to enjoy the services we provide.
Cheers,

Dan
Software Manager @ IceTV

markb

Well thanks for the detailed reply!

Quote from: Daniel Drysdale at IceTV on December 23, 2010, 11:26:53 AM
Is there any pattern to this that you can see? We have had a few staff members using the app full time for the last few weeks and have not seen this kind of behavior.

No, no pattern. Only upgraded this morning however so all this was in about 15 mins of "review". I also did a "Reset Application" to make sure I did not have a corrupted iphone app database.

QuoteThere is a known issue with guide corruption that we are working on for the next release that sounds a little like what you are describing, could you possibly send a screenshot to our support staff?

Actually, just brought the app up, it crashed, then I brought it up again and the guide page is now ok. A screenshot is not too valuable however as all you would see is the guide stopping at the last 11:55pm entry for today. Has crashed a couple of times since this again btw. I think it crashes if you push buttons too quickly? I have a strong and reliable wireless connection btw, so it is not related to that (as you are probably thinking!?)

Quote
As for the "My Shows" page, to say that this was a controversial debate at IceTV HQ would be an understatement. In the end the decision was made that "My Shows" is largely a maintenance function and did not deserve a spot in the home screen.

Well I am happy this was at least debated internally and not just the result of some programmers whimsical button placement. I guess I am in the other camp that prefers the "My Shows" button on the main page. It is a view page like any other view after all. Also, it is a damn useful facility - don't hide it away! I also favour consistency with the main web site.

Quote
As far as the "2 about buttons", I assume you are referring to "About" and "Help", while it may appear that they are the same they do serve two different commercial purposes, about is aimed more at the "guide only" users who may not know anything about IceTV while help is intended more for full members.

No, I am talking about the 2 "About" buttons! One on the main page and one under settings. You may think this is trivial but this is inconsistent with every other app in the world. Customers like consistency as I have said before in previous app feedback (That's why we all buy iphones and ipads btw. Only Steve Jobs seems to really get this?).

Thanks again. I do think ICE do a pretty good job given the small resources you probably have. The web site is excellent, really quite well designed and implemented. If you could just convince those Topfield guys to fix their ICE interface bugs I would recommend the whole setup 10/10.

Lisey

i am also irritated by the new apps bugs.

The times on 'tv guide' on the app are all over the place and skip huge chunks of time (eg sunday, all channels, scroll back from 6pm and it goes back to 2.30pm)

therefore any servies recording set in those chunk of time, are also not appearing the 'my week' to be recorded

its all fine on the normal website though.

do i trust its going to record?

(i'm happy to send a screen shot if someone tells me how to do this.....)

grampus

Quote from: Lisey on December 24, 2010, 11:46:37 AM
i am also irritated by the new apps bugs.

The times on 'tv guide' on the app are all over the place and skip huge chunks of time (eg sunday, all channels, scroll back from 6pm and it goes back to 2.30pm)

therefore any servies recording set in those chunk of time, are also not appearing the 'my week' to be recorded

its all fine on the normal website though.

do i trust its going to record?

(i'm happy to send a screen shot if someone tells me how to do this.....)
Using an IPAD, it is now exhibiting similar symptoms.
Looking at the TV Guide any day past today seems to have scattered the guide in a fashion that its out of order.
E.G. For Monday, it may start at 9:35 AM, then the next one is 5:00PM, scrolling through it will jump to 2:50PM, then 8:50AM, 1:40PM, 5.05PM

BeyonWiz, T3

RubberChicken

Quote from: Lisey on December 24, 2010, 11:46:37 AM
i am also irritated by the new apps bugs.

The times on 'tv guide' on the app are all over the place and skip huge chunks of time (eg sunday, all channels, scroll back from 6pm and it goes back to 2.30pm)

Me too, and other issues. I used to use the app almost exclusively to program, now it's useless.

dw

#7
Quote from: Lisey on December 24, 2010, 11:46:37 AM
The times on 'tv guide' on the app are all over the place and skip huge chunks of time
Me too. This makes the app almost useless for me at the moment as well. Looking at the TV guide this morning (after reopening the app because it crashed first time) it shows TV listings in this order:

6.55pm
6.00pm
1.00am
10.30am
6.00am
9.00pm
3.30pm
6.05am
7.20am
9.40am
12.40am
5.30am

... and so on. Barely usable to plan your viewing or recording.

UPDATE: it seems this problem can be resolved by resetting the application (see under 'Settings').

Quote from: Lisey on December 24, 2010, 11:46:37 AM
i'm happy to send a screen shot if someone tells me how to do this
On the iPhone or iPod Touch (not sure about iPad) you simultaneously press the power button at the top of the device and the home button below the screen. You should hear a camera click sound like when you take a photo. Then look for the image in your camera roll to email it.

I know a lot of hard work has gone into version 2 but the bugs are still so widespread and obvious it's clear it hasn't been properly tested. Is it only IceTV staff who test it? Maybe a beta program with some customers would help?


grampus

Quote from: dw on December 27, 2010, 08:45:10 AM


UPDATE: it seems this problem can be resolved by resetting the application (see under 'Settings').

Quote from: Lisey on December 24, 2010, 11:46:37 AM
i'm happy to send a screen shot if someone tells me how to do this
On the iPhone or iPod Touch (not sure about iPad) you simultaneously press the power button at the top of the device and the home button below the screen. You should hear a camera click sound like when you take a photo. Then look for the image in your camera roll to email it.


I have sent off a screenshot by email to Ice support of my IPAD.  That was going to be sent off to the developer.
I assume that this is all the same problem.
Even though the IPAD sort of works, and it has IPAD support mentioned in the Store, it doesn't show up as an App on my IPAD.
Sort of tells me something?
I think from memory, there is a + sign around the costing icon that says that an App will run on both IPAD and IPhone.  This isn't present, with this App, so there seems to be a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.
BeyonWiz, T3

markb

Quote from: grampus on December 27, 2010, 01:39:48 PM
UPDATE: it seems this problem can be resolved by resetting the application (see under 'Settings').

Not for me. All the data reloads etc but then the problems all quickly come back.

Also, apart from fixing the bugs, ICE really need to add a "Go to Now" button on the guide. And buttons for +/- 6 hours are needed for coarse time movement I suggest, or better still, adopt the Apple UI convention and add a scroll bar so that pressing on it gives a "direct" jump to that position.

Lisey

Omg the guide has changed format this morning, what the?

NeilA

I want to add that I'm also seeing a lot of guide corruption with the newest version of the app.
Resetting the app fixes it briefly, but it really is next to useless for me at the moment :(

futzle

"My Week" shows all of my shows for the upcoming week, except for any shows on SBS.  Web site is fine.  Resetting the app seems to have fixed it for now.

Shadow

This app is now totally useless due to the guide corruption.

Installed the new version the day before I went away for Xmas.

Found it impossible to use so a lot of recordings were missed due to this app.

markb

Quote from: Shadow on January 02, 2011, 10:47:56 AM
Found it impossible to use so a lot of recordings were missed due to this app.

FYI, until ICE fix this app you can use http://m.icetv.com.au in safari. Works pretty well on iphone.