New Guide UI now rolling out (plus HDR support!)

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Just got this in my inbox.

A new software version will be released to HR44 and above DIRECTV Genie models (including Genie 2) starting late-October 2017. The download will take approximately 14 weeks to complete a national rollout, and features a complete overhaul of the user interface (UI) that will impact how technicians deliver customer education as well as how DIRECTV system menus are navigated. If a customer has an eligible Genie, but does not receive this software update at the time of installation, technicians should inform the customer that the UI will change in the near future and that they can visit directv.com/menufaq for more details.

Modern UI Refresh (HR44 and Above Models, Except H44 without HDD; All Clients)
The system UI for Genies and clients has been redesigned to provide a cleaner, more intuitive experience for AT&T DIRECTV customers. The modern UI more closely aligns with the design of the DIRECTV mobile app, and delivers a number of key benefits including improved content browsing and better differentiation between system settings and content. Note: the HR34 model will not receive the modern UI update, but clients connected to an HR34 will still display some updated UI elements, so technicians should be aware of the mixed experience when dealing with an HR34/client combo.

Menu Screen Changes
When a user presses the Menu button the DIRECTV remote, the below screen will now be displayed on eligible Genies and clients. The menu screen remains split between options on the left and the corresponding selections on the right, but the right panel no longer needs to refresh as the user scrolls through the options on the left. Instead, all options will be available and the user can scroll through both the left and right panels using the Up/Down navigation buttons on the DIRECTV remote.

Menu.jpg


The options on the left panel of the menu screen have also been updated, with some being renamed while others have been moved to different categories or removed entirely. Keep in mind that all of the functionality that was available in the old UI is still present in modern UI – technicians simply need to become familiar with where that functionality resides.

The below image provides a comparison between the old UI and modern UI menu screen options.

OldvsNewMenuOptions.jpg


The below information details where functionality resides in the new menu screen and how the options correspond to the old UI:

  • What’s On Now: This is the renamed “What’s On This Afternoon” section that is available via the My DIRECTV option of the old UI. The Genie Recommends feature that was also available via My DIRECTV has been moved to the “TV Shows” homepage, with the ability to turn on the functionality moved to the Settings row of the menu screen.
  • Search and Discover: These are now two separate options in the modern UI, one that enables the user to search specific content and the other to browse available content. This functionality is housed under the single Search & Browse option in the old UI.
  • Recordings: This option keeps the same name and functionality.
  • Apps: This is the renamed “Extras” option.
  • Settings: This is the renamed “Settings & Help” option.
  • The Connection option in the old menu UI has been removed as the “Connected” icon is now present at the top of every menu screen (see the top left area of the updated menu screen image above).
  • On Demand: This is a new menu option that collects DIRECTV’s on-demand content offerings and makes them available in one convenient location. Users can either select the “DIRECTV ON DEMAND” option to browse all on-demand content, or can browse on-demand content based on channel networks.
OnDemandMenuOption.jpg


Settings
Most system settings options such as “Info & Test”, “Parental Controls”, and “Internet Setup” remain unchanged. Technicians simply need to be aware that they no longer need to select Settings to access those options – instead, they are all available directly via the right panel of the menu screen.

There are two new options in the Settings section that technicians should be aware of:

  • Add/Edit My Teams: This option is found under the Sports homepage of the old UI. Users can select and manger their favorite sports teams via this option.
  • Genie Opt-In: As mentioned above, this feature is available via the My DIRECTV menu screen option on the old UI. Turning this feature on means that the DIRECTV system will automatically find and record content based on the user’s viewing history, without affecting Playlist space or other scheduled recordings.
Playlist
The DIRECTV “Playlist” screen has also been overhauled to align with the rest of the new system menu UI. Existing options such as “All Recordings” and “Manage Recordings” will display along the left panel alongside new options such as “Movies”, “Sports” and “Kids” that enable the user to navigate playlist content based on genre. For customer education purposes, technicians should take particular note of the “Manage Recordings” option as that is where the recording preferences can be adjusted.

Another new option on the Playlist screen is “Continue Watching”, which lists all partially-watched recordings in one place so users can easily resume watching where they left off. A progress bar also displays for partially-watched recordings so users have an easy visual gauge to determine how much remains of a recording. Similarly, users can now easily determine how much space is left for recordings on the Genie by viewing the “Free Disk Space” bar at the bottom left of the “Playlist” screen.

PlaylistHighlights.jpg


Guide
The DIRECTV on-screen guide will receive a number of visual improvements as part of the modern UI update. Channel logos will display next to the name of each channel in the guide so users can more easily identify them. It will also be easier to understand how much time has already elapsed in a program as each title will have a greyed-out background that changes depending on the current time.

Additionally, for customer education purposes, technicians should be aware that the Rewind icon has been removed from the guide, but that functionality is still available.

Guide.jpg


HDR and WCG for 4K UHD Live (4K Clients connected to HR54 and Above Genie Models Only)
The AT&T DIRECTV service already enables customers with the appropriate equipment to view 4K UHD content to users in Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) technology. Now, customers with eligible TV models will be able to view 4K UHD Live with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Color Gamut (WCG).

To determine whether a 4K TV model supports HDR, select the Display option via the Settings section of the DIRECTV system menu screen. From there, go to the TV Color section and then select Test TV. The DIRECTV system will then test the TV and show whether it supports HDR content. This screen will also display during the initial installation process after the “Satellite Dish Setup” screen.

If a TV is HDR-eligible, an “HDR” badge will display next to programs available in HDR on the DIRECTV guide.
 
Thanks for posting this. Is this new interface part of that same look and feel that AT&T wants for DTV, DTV Now, DTV Companion App and UVerseTV? If so does this mean the channel lineups will still be merged between DTV and UVerseTV? However since this only works on the HR-44 and above would this only work on certain UVerseTV server models? Thanks.
 
Too bad the guide doesn't actually let you "Watch now" on future programs. That would be an advantage to this interface. They didn't mention that you can't record from a specific channel anymore (series recordings automatically go to "all channels" and you can't change it either). Nor did they mention that the menu is now lots of scrolling to the right and feels like a poorly designed Netflix! They also didn't mention that you go from 4 default sort options to 2 in your Playlist. But, yes, there are channel logos in the guide and a bunch of new categories in the playlist...The new interface isn't horrible, it just isn't as great as they make it out to be!
 
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Thanks for posting this. Is this new interface part of that same look and feel that AT&T wants for DTV, DTV Now, DTV Companion App and UVerseTV? If so does this mean the channel lineups will still be merged between DTV and UVerseTV? However since this only works on the HR-44 and above would this only work on certain UVerseTV server models? Thanks.
You really need to move on from this. This is the same update being discussed and tested for the last 8 weeks There is zero news of a uverse interface update
 
Too bad the guide doesn't actually let you "Watch now" on future programs. That would be an advantage to this interface. They didn't mention that you can't record from a specific channel anymore (series recordings automatically go to "all channels" and you can't change it either). Nor did they mention that the menu is now lots of scrolling to the right and feels like a poorly designed Netflix! They also didn't mention that you go from 4 default sort options to 2 in your Playlist. But, yes, there are channel logos in the guide and a bunch of new categories in the playlist...The new interface isn't horrible, it just isn't as great as they make it out to be!
It is also horribly slow on my HR54 and C41.
 
You really need to move on from this. This is the same update being discussed and tested for the last 8 weeks There is zero news of a uverse interface update
Sorry, the only thing I am interested in the same look and feel between DTV and UVerseTV is the merging of the channel lineups. That way we could get the UVerseTV channels that DTV doesn't have. In this article it mentions the new unified platform having 4k and HDR support.

DIRECTV NOW Cloud DVR Will Come Courtesy of New Unified AT&T Entertainment Platform - Telecompetitor
 
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Sorry, the only thing I am interested in the same look and feel between DTV and UVerseTV is the merging of the channel lineups. That way we could get the UVerseTV channels that DTV doesn't have. In this article it mentions the new unified platform having 4k and HDR support.

DIRECTV NOW Cloud DVR Will Come Courtesy of New Unified AT&T Entertainment Platform - Telecompetitor

There is not going to be a channel merge until all contracts have a chance to be redone. That could take years. And quite frankly this same look and feel between everything they have will probably take years also
 
There is not going to be a channel merge until all contracts have a chance to be redone. That could take years. And quite frankly this same look and feel between everything they have will probably take years also
Could redoing all those channel contracts in order to have the channel lineups merged may make AT&T think that might not be worth the time and effort to do that and it would be easier just to get rid of UverseTV? Same with taking the time and money having the same look and feel for their managed platforms just to keep a few UVerseTV customers who would not want to leave?
 
Could redoing all those channel contracts in order to have the lineups merged may make AT&T think that might not be worth the time and effort to do that and it would be easier just to get rid of UverseTV? Same with taking the time and money having the same look and feel for their managed platforms just to keep few UVerseTV customers who don't want to leave?

UverseTV will be gone within 2 years max. It is being phased out. They are merging direct with Uverse to have a single TV service. Not sure what the actual name will be, but last I heard, it was "ATT TV". Kind of lame, but yeah.
 
Too bad the guide doesn't actually let you "Watch now" on future programs. That would be an advantage to this interface. They didn't mention that you can't record from a specific channel anymore (series recordings automatically go to "all channels" and you can't change it either). Nor did they mention that the menu is now lots of scrolling to the right and feels like a poorly designed Netflix! They also didn't mention that you go from 4 default sort options to 2 in your Playlist. But, yes, there are channel logos in the guide and a bunch of new categories in the playlist...The new interface isn't horrible, it just isn't as great as they make it out to be!

Can you please elaborate on what you mean by "can't record by a specific channel" are you saying if I set Seinfeld to record on TBS lets say, it is going to record Seinfeld on EVERY channel that it is shown on.
 
Can you please elaborate on what you mean by "can't record by a specific channel" are you saying if I set Seinfeld to record on TBS lets say, it is going to record Seinfeld on EVERY channel that it is shown on.
I think this is an issue that they have to be working on to square away once and for all.
I think a lot of the little issues will be resolved before too long.
 
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UverseTV will be gone within 2 years max. It is being phased out. They are merging direct with Uverse to have a single TV service. Not sure what the actual name will be, but last I heard, it was "ATT TV". Kind of lame, but yeah.
I thought it was "ATT Entertainment"
or something like that ...
 
UverseTV will be gone within 2 years max. It is being phased out. They are merging direct with Uverse to have a single TV service. Not sure what the actual name will be, but last I heard, it was "ATT TV". Kind of lame, but yeah.
So does this mean UVerseTV is actually becoming DTV or AT&T TV over managed IPTV and not DTV NOW?

Or does it just mean the UVerseTV channels that DTV doesn't have will come over to DTV or AT&T TV and that is what will take time to do? Then that will be the merged channel lineup?
 
So does this mean UVerseTV is actually becoming DTV or AT&T TV over managed IPTV and not DTV NOW?

Or does it just mean the UVerseTV channels that DTV doesn't have will come over to DTV or AT&T TV and that is what will take time to do? Then that will be the merged channel lineup?
Why don’t you create a separate thread for this
 
This is related to the interface and how it works on Directv. There is no mention or any plans for this to be on any other ATT service
 
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