Chapter 4. Yahoo! Connected TV User Interface

A TV App is an application (an "app") created by an app developer that runs on the Yahoo! Connected TV Platform (the "Platform"). Apps are launched on the TV from a containing application called the TV Dock (the "dock").

The following example shows the basic components of the dock. Four tiles are shown across the bottom of the screen, called bookmarks. Selecting a bookmark launches the associated app. In the dock, the first bookmark has focus, as shown below in blue. Focus is fixed in the leftmost tile position and a horizontal carousel of bookmarks slides under this focal area.

The Yahoo! Connected TV user interface is composed of the following components:

  • TV Dock — The dock is displayed when the Yahoo! TV Key is pressed on the remote control.
  • Welcome Banner — The welcome banner in the upper right corner shows the user profile name and shortcut keys to toggle viewport mode and edit apps.
  • Bookmark — Bookmarks can display dynamic content in the dock and provide a shortcut to launch an app.
  • Sidebar — The sidebar provides navigation within a single app.
  • Fullscreen Graphics — Fullscreen graphical mode is in effect when the graphical display of the app takes up the whole screen.
  • Fullscreen Video — Fullscreen video mode is in effect when no app user interface components are displayed on the screen while video plays.
  • Screensaver — The screensaver prevents the screen from going black.

Understanding the TV Dock

The TV Dock is displayed when you press the Yahoo! TV Key on the remote control. From the dock, you can navigate through a horizontal carousel of bookmarks. You can launch an app from its bookmark. A single app may have multiple bookmarks, which launch to different sidebars, or pages, within the app. Two privileged apps appear in the dock: the Yahoo! Connected TV Store app (TV Store) and the Profile app. If it remains unused, the dock will slide off the screen after a short time period.

This section of the document describes: the TV Dock User Interface States, the Yahoo! Connected TV Store, and the Profile App.

Developers should review the section on Keyboard to Remote Control Mapping to see the computer keyboard to remote control key mapping table for the Simulator.

TV Dock User Interface States

The following dock user interface states are described below:

Fullscreen Pass-thru Video

The image below represents what the user sees when watching broadcast television. This state also supports video that is not from a TV App (for example, DVR, on-demand, DVD, or set-top device). Pressing the Yahoo! TV Key while pass-thru video is playing will bring up the dock.

Dock Overlaid Pass-thru Video

The dock is displayed over pass-thru video. Pressing the BLUE key will toggle to viewport mode for pass-thru video. Pressing the RED key will close the dock and display fullscreen pass-thru video.

Dock Viewport Pass-thru Video

Pressing the BLUE key while the dock is displayed has toggled the UI to viewport mode for pass-thru video. Pressing the BLUE key again will display the dock overlaid pass-thru video.

Dock Overlaid Streaming Video

Streaming video is displayed when the user initiates a video using the Yahoo! Connected TV interface. The video is provided through a web server which is accessed by the app. The controlling app is still running on the Platform while the video is streaming.

Pressing the Yahoo! TV Key while a streaming video is playing can be configured to bring up the dock over streaming video. Pressing the BLUE key will toggle to viewport mode for streaming video. Pressing the RED key once will close the dock and return to fullscreen UI streaming video. Pressing the RED key twice will close the dock and close the running app and display fullscreen pass-thru video.

Dock Viewport Streaming Video

Pressing the BLUE key while the dock is displayed has toggled to viewport mode for streaming video. Pressing the BLUE key again will display the dock overlaid streaming video.

Yahoo! Connected TV Store

The Yahoo! Connected TV Store (TV Store) provides online services where app developers publish apps for download. To find and install new apps, launch the TV Store from the dock. The TV Store has access to a privileged set of application programming interfaces (APIs) accessible only to Yahoo!-signed apps. These privileged APIs are used to download and install software on your device. Third party app developers do not have access to these privileged APIs. The TV Store can potentially be extended by a device partner to connect to one or more TV Store back-end servers.

The TV Store app on the connected TV device provides the only way to install new apps from these back-end servers, which contain a catalog of 3rd party apps managed by Yahoo!.

TV Store features include:

  • Browse 3rd party apps.
  • Install individual apps or app packs.
  • Browse and discover new apps.
TV Store Sidebar

The detailed view of the app in the TV Store displays the following information:

  • TV App Image
  • TV App Summary in 3 to 5 lines
  • Author
  • Release Date
  • Current Revision
  • Summary
  • Ratings
PIN-based Access to the Yahoo! Connected TV Store

The Owner PIN is used to set and override installation control for each user profile. With the Owner PIN you can create a user profile that requires PIN access to download apps from the TV Store or to browse the TV Store app. Create the Owner PIN in the Profile app System Settings menu.

Installing a TV App from the TV Store

You install a new app in your dock by first finding it in the TV Store. The installation is completely transparent, when the new app is ready to use it appears in the dock for your profile. Each profile may have a different set of apps displayed.

After you have found an app in the TV Store, navigate focus to the Install App button and press OK on the remote control. The app is installed in the dock for your profile. If this is the first time the app has been installed on your device, a download occurs which copies the software from the TV Store server. If another profile has already installed this app, it is just added to your dock without requiring a download first. Using the Owner PIN, you can hide apps that have been installed.

The following example shows the TV Store as the first bookmark in the dock.

By pressing OK on the remote control, the Yahoo! Connected TV Store sidebar is shown. The first view in the sidebar is a page view of featured apps—for example:

The TV Store allows you to view apps by category. Once an app in a category is selected, the app installation can take place. Adding an app produces a progress indicator during the installation. After the download, the install completes and the app can be opened.

The following example shows the Bookmark Sample app in the Latest category and the Install App button to add it to your profile.

The following example shows the Bookmark Sample bookmark in the dock after being added to your profile.

Profile App

The Profile app is the way to configure your app environment for your user profile. With the Profile app you can:

  • Restore factory settings.
  • Define system-wide preferences and settings.
  • Setup users and perform user profile management.
  • Setup an Owner PIN for security purposes.
  • Pair mobile devices with Yahoo! Connected TV using Device Communication.

The Profile app is a privileged app located in the dock. Press the Yahoo! TV Key key on the remote control to launch the dock, and then press the RIGHT or LEFT ARROW until you focus on the Profile app (shown as Signed in as Guest below). Press OK on the remote control to select the profile bookmark and to launch the Profile app. The Profile app opens up into its sidebar.

The following functionality is available from the Profile app's sidebar menu:

  • Sign in to Yahoo!
  • Switch Profile
  • Manage Profiles
  • System Settings
  • Help

Sign in to Yahoo!

The Sign in to Yahoo! menu allows you to access your Yahoo! user account.

Yahoo! User Account

Yahoo! users today can already use the same Yahoo! ID (YID) across all Yahoo! web properties. Yahoo! users will be able to continue using their same YID with TV Apps. The first time a Yahoo! app is installed in a user profile, a YID association is created. All other Yahoo! apps that are subsequently installed are automatically signed-in with the same YID, without having to go through a YID setup again. The TV Store can also use a YID association for signing into the TV Store service.

App User Account

Apps can maintain their own user accounts to connect to web services. You can associate your profile with an app user account. Apps with user accounts will automatically sign-in and sign-out of web services when you switch profiles. The association of a user account with a user profile is setup by the app after its installation.

Switch Profile

The Switch Profile menu allows you to switch to a different user profile. When switching a user profile, the Profile PIN is required for those profiles with a PIN defined. If no Profile PIN is defined, profile switching takes place immediately when the new profile is selected.

Manage Profiles

User profiles can be customized with a unique name and avatar which are displayed in the profile bookmark in the dock.

The Manage Profiles menu allows you to:

  • Access My Profile Settings
  • Create New Profile
  • Remove Profiles

A profile which has the Limit Profile indicator On will not allow new apps to be installed. Profiles can also be protected using a Profile PIN.

Create New Profile

User profiles are created for registered users of the device. You can have more than one profile and you can switch between your profiles. Each profile manages a list of apps and a list of bookmarks for that profile. Up to 10 user profiles are supported.

The following is an example of how to create a profile through the Manage Profiles menu:

Profile PIN

The Profile PIN is a four digit number that protects access to a user profile. Each user of the device can create a Profile PIN through the Manage Profiles menu. If the Profile PIN is set, you cannot switch to your profile without first entering the correct four digit number. If the Profile PIN is lost or forgotten, the Profile PIN has a security question associated with it. If you forget your Profile PIN and also forget the answer to the security question, then you must add another profile to sign-in. If the Owner PIN has been setup, the old profile can be removed with the Owner PIN.

The following is an example of a Profile PIN being created:

Remove Profiles

Removing the profile removes all profile data. Removing a profile removes all apps installed for that profile that do not exist in other profiles.

System Settings

The System Settings menu allows you to see the following System Status settings:

  • System — Country Code, Location Code, Menu Language, System Time, Engine Time, GMT Offset, VChip Status, VChip Rating System, and Previous Power State.
  • Services — Network Interfaces, Incoming Bandwidth, and Device Communication Status.
  • Device — OEM, Description, ID, Version, Software Version, Model, Class, Brand, Info, Display Type, and Aspect Ratio.

The System Settings menu allows you to change the following settings:

  • Device Communication
    • Getting Started
    • Remove Paired Devices
    • Rename Paired Devices
    • Pair Device
  • Location
  • Zip Code
  • Timezone
  • Screen Saver
  • Create Owner PIN
  • Restore Factory Settings
Screen Saver

When activated, the screensaver automatically changes the state and appearance of the screen. First the graphic user interface dims, and then it hides. To prevent screen burn-in, the screensaver ensures that the device does not display graphics for too long over video. During normal app navigation, the user interface will fade-out and return to fullscreen video or TV after a user-configurable timeout. Use the Profile app to configure the screensaver timeout.

Create Owner PIN

The Owner PIN protects access to system and profile settings from non-privileged users of the device. The first user of the device has an opportunity to create the Owner PIN during the device setup. Any user can setup the Owner PIN if it was not created during the initial setup. A security question is also created during initial setup. If the Owner PIN is lost or forgotten you are prompted to answer the security question. If you cannot answer the security question, then you have the option to reset the device to its factory settings. Without the Owner PIN, you cannot access the protected functions for settings and profiles.

Restore Factory Settings

The following is an example of how to restore the factory settings through the System Settings menu:

Help

The Help menu allows you to access help on the following topics:

  • Color Buttons
  • Device Communication

Managing Multiple Bookmarks

Overtime you will add many bookmarks to your dock and you will need to manage their display. You can create, delete, order, and re-order your bookmarks at any time. You may create multiple bookmarks from the same app (for example, a bookmark per team for a Yahoo! Sports app). Sibling bookmarks are stacked like a deck of cards.

To start bookmark management launch the dock. In the Welcome Banner in the top right corner of the screen an avatar icon and welcome message are displayed along with help information. Pressing the BLUE key on the remote control will toggle the display to Viewport mode. Pressing the YELLOW key on the remote control will start bookmark management. The following image shows the Welcome Banner with the Viewport label (BLUE key) and the Edit Apps label (YELLOW key) that appears in the top right corner of the screen:

When you press the YELLOW key, the following bookmark management functions become available in the dock:

  • Move bookmark — Re-order the bookmark or bookmark stack in the dock.
  • Delete App — Permanently remove this bookmark from the dock.
  • Done Editing — Exit the Edit Apps menu.

When the dock is visible and you press the YELLOW key on the remote control, a bookmark management menu is displayed and the bookmark with focus can be edited. The focused bookmark moves to the second position in the dock and the bookmark management menu items are displayed.

Moving a Bookmark

A bookmark can be moved anywhere in the dock. Pressing the RIGHT or LEFT ARROW keys on the remote control enters the Move mode. Bookmarks cannot be moved to a non-sibling stack. For example, a Yahoo! Weather bookmark cannot be added to the Yahoo! Sports sibling stack.

When you press the YELLOW key on the remote control, the currently focused bookmark is locked in place in the second position in the dock and the LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW keys on the remote control scroll the dock behind the locked bookmark, changing its order in the horizontal list of bookmarks. Pressing the YELLOW key on the remote control drops the bookmark into its new position and returns the dock to its usual behavior. In the following example the TV Store bookmark is moved to the right of the Profile app:

When you have positioned the bookmark where you want it, press the YELLOW key on the remote control to drop the bookmark in place.

Deleting an App

Navigating to and selecting the Delete App menu item will Delete the app from the dock. A message is displayed to ensure that you want to permanently delete the app. Navigate to and select the Cancel, go back menu item to cancel the deletion.

Non-Removable TV Apps

Specialized apps cannot be deleted from the dock. These include:

  • The TV Store
  • The Profile app
  • Yahoo! specified apps
  • Device partner specified apps

The Delete App menu item is grayed out if the app is not removable.

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