MXQ TV Box - 'Android TV Interface' option missing!

[Reality_Cheque]

Hi to everyone. First post, so please be gentle!

I like the 'standard' VLC interface, but can't get on with the TV version of the interface. (I'm using it on a fairly small TV)

My Samsung S7 phone does NOT use the TV interface. I can go into Preferences/Interface' and there is the option to select or deselect 'Android TV interface'. This is good!
(S7 Android version is 8.0.0. VLC version is 3.0.13)

My MXQ TV box DOES use the TV interface, but if I go into Settings/Interface, there are only three settings in there. 'Save Playback Speed', 'Set Locale', and 'Resume Playback after a call' are present, but there is no option to DE-select 'Android TV interface'. This is bad!
(MXQ TV Box Android version is 4.4.2. VLC version is also 3.0.13)

Please can anyone help with where I might find (or add) the 'Android TV interface' toggle to VLC on my MXQ TV box? I just want to switch it to the normal VLC interface rather then the TV version.

I'm not convinced that the Android version is the problem, and Android updates don't seem to be offered by my TV box manufacturer anyway. I suspect the VLC may have detected that it is running on a TV box and offered the TV interface as a default, but this isn't what I want. I've searched the forum, but not found a solution so far. Please accept my apologies if I have missed the answer to this, and I would be grateful for any help!

Cheers! - Mike

[Reality_Cheque]

I'm not familiar with group etiquette, so please excuse my asking... Is this the right place to ask for support, or have I posted in the wrong place?

- Mike

[Dekans]

If your device is a TV, this option is not shown because reguler vlc-android interface is not 100% suitable for remote control navigation.

[Reality_Cheque]

Hi Dekans, and thanks for the reply!

I can see why that might cause VLC to default to the TV-style interface, but surely it wouldn't completely disable the alternative? After all, I wouldn't want to enable the regular interface if I had no way of controlling it.

You're right that it's running on a TV, or rather a TV box. VLC is apparently smart enough to recognise this, yet not quite smart enough to detect the attached keyboard and mouse!

So I'm still looking at switching this to the regular interface. Any idea on how VLC 'detects' this, or how to force it to be aware that suitable input devices are present?

Cheers! - Mike

PS There is nothing wrong with smart software that thinks it knows better than you - until it gets it wrong and then prevents you correcting it!

[TheElf]

If your device is a TV, this option is not shown because reguler vlc-android interface is not 100% suitable for remote control navigation.

Hi, i do not open a new topic, because this is my problem

Im using android VLC in ChromeOS using ARC Welder, and it seems vlc detect as a TV,because i dont have any option to change to normal interface

The native chromeos VLC dont support subtitles, and my chromebook cant use android app directly, then arc welder is my only choise. VLC works fine in arc, but i just looking for the normal interface

Any solution? i dont like TV mode, the white background normal interface is great

Thanks

[Reality_Cheque]

I'm still in the queue for a solution to this, and it's been 2 months. Happy to wait for my turn. Just waiting for a fix, toggle setting, or workaround.

[unidan]

Hi

You're right that it's running on a TV, or rather a TV box. VLC is apparently smart enough to recognise this, yet not quite smart enough to detect the attached keyboard and mouse!

What would the application do if you disable TV interface, and then remove the attached keyboard and mouse?

[Reality_Cheque]

Hi Unidan,

Thanks for your comment!

It's not quite like that, plus the problem is the 'other way around'.

On my phone, I have to option of 'normal' interface or TV interface. I use the 'normal' interface and that's all fine!

On my TV box, it forces it to TV interface despite there being a keyboard and mouse attached, and there is no toggle in settings to switch TV interface off. The setting simply isn't there! Ideally, that setting is what I would like restored, so even if it defaults to TV interface I can switch it back to normal. It's good that the software detects the interface that is probably required and uses it. It's not good when it doesn't allow the user to over-ride.

Both phone and TV box versions of VLC are the same - 3.0.13

- Mike

[S_From_G]

Hi Reality_Cheque,

I fully agree with you and I find it a pity that there is no further response to your request for two months.
I also asked in an other thread for a possibility to disable the android tv interface cause playlists are only shown in the "standard" interface.

So we keep the topic alive until the option is available in android tv

[swaho]

Hello

I have the same problem, there is no 'Android TV Interface' option in interface settings.

It is so annoyng to use this TV interface, inestead of regular browse mode ..

Is there any solution find yet?






kind regards

[Reality_Cheque]

Not yet.

I've been monitoring this thread for a few months now, and no progress so far. It can't be that difficult to do, as it is currently switching something off that we know to be there.

Clearly there is a queue to have these issues fixed. Happy to wait my turn, and hopefully that should be coming up soon.

- Mike

[swaho]

interesting is that I have another old android TV BOX device "Minix" which I replaced with this new one .. and Minix has this option included and VLC version is the same on both machines.
The difference is only Android version ...

[unidan]

Hi

I also asked in an other thread for a possibility to disable the android tv interface cause playlists are only shown in the "standard" interface.

The correct fix would be to have the playlist shown on TV instead

There are ongoing efforts to have a big update on the TV UI and android UI, you can follow the development and beta here: https://spectrum.chat/vlc-android

[Reality_Cheque]

Hi Unidan,

I have to disagree. The correct fix is to allow the user to choose the interface that best suits.

There are so many variations of use - screen size, screen resolution, screen/viewer distance, plus the use to which the display is put (music or video), that the best chooser of which interface to use is the user. If the software wants to prefer one over the other as a default then fine, but accept that it won't always get it right and allow the user to override.

I've been waiting six months for this, and I know the interface style is already built into VLC. I just need the normal/TV interface toggle restored in settings so I can choose the interface.

- Mike

[unidan]

I have to disagree. The correct fix is to allow the user to choose the interface that best suits.

This has nothing to do with playlist not being shown on TV.

I've been waiting six months for this, and I know the interface style is already built into VLC. I just need the normal/TV interface toggle restored in settings so I can choose the interface.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be planned, by UX design.

[Reality_Cheque]

Hi Unidan,

For myself , the icons look really 'clunky' on the TV that I'm using and don't fit on the display properly. A list (as per the normal interface) is perfect, but I cannot enable it because the settings toggle is suppressed. VLC thinks it knows better than me, but it doesn't!

Re-enabling the toggle would be perfect. Remember, I'm not asking for any more interface coding - I'm just asking for the toggle to be restored so I can enable the code that we all know is already there!,

Failing that, I need a workaround. If this were on Windows I would expect a registry setting somewhere I could tweak. I'm not familiar with Android, but I presume the possibility of a similar hack/workaround, and that would be a solution. Alternatively, it has been suggested that it only offers the TV interface due to a lack of keyboard and mouse, but this isn't true as I have those attached. VLC is making the decision based on something else, and that is what I would like to know. If I knew specifically what VLC was looking for when it chooses to suppress the normal interface and only offer the TV interface, then I could address specifically what it is looking for so it makes the opposite interface choice.

As you can see, there are a number of ways around this. I only need one.

Cheers! - Mike

[swaho]

it is not the problem in VLC version .. I have 2 boxes, same VLC version, first box with android 7 has the option, second box with Android 9, has no option) ..
so I think the problem in not in coding, but there must be some internal switch in VLC program which hides this option in some cases ...

[Reality_Cheque]

Agreed it's not the VLC version. I have the same version (VLC 3.0.13) on an android phone and on an android tv box. On the phone, I can choose between normal or tv interface. On the TV box the switch in settings simply isn't there and it forces the TV interface option with no way to select the normal interface.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

The issue here, is that a lot of users are unable to use the normal interface on a TV box, and then never manage to get it back.

DPAD navigation is hard.

[unidan]

For a workaround, you can patch vlc-android and install it, but you will probably not have support for this, TV ui is detected here: https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc- ... .java#L182