Reviewing Your Media Center Application


The Media Center SDK contains detailed recommendations about designing and implementing an HTML application. In the final analysis, though, the most important question is, "Does my application effectively implement all of the features necessary to make it a successful Media Center application?" Use the questions in the following lists to determine whether your application includes all of the important integration features, and to ensure that it is ready to be launched in Media Center.

Installation and Registration

Can the installation process be completed solely with a remote control and not require the user to interact with desktop user interfaces? (This ability is highly recommended.) If not, do you call the MediaCenter.CreateDesktopShortcut method to allow the user to perform the installation with the mouse and keyboard even if they started the process from a Media Center Extender session?
If you rely on a stand-alone installation program, does that program use the RegisterMCEApp.exe utility to register your application with Media Center? (This provides a more seamless experience than other alternatives.)
Before delivering a registration XML file or Media Center Link (MCL) file, did you verify that your XML is valid; that is, did you test it with Internet Explorer or some other tool?
Is the installation process easy for users to follow?
During the registration process, is the information divided into manageable chunks so that the user is not overwhelmed?
For registration, does the user have the option of using either a normal computer keyboard or an on-screen ("soft") keyboard (for example, alphabetic or triple tap)?
If the user will need to log in to use your application, does your application provide a secure way to persist the user name or password (or both) on an opt-in basis? (Any kind of typing is burdensome with a remote control, and most users are comfortable with the level of physical security they have provided for their computers at home.)
When users must follow a specific format to enter text (for example, no spaces in a credit card number), is an example provided below the text box?
Is the user given feedback when installation is complete, and do they know what to do next?
Navigation

Does the application support both the mouse and keyboard?
Are important UI elements positioned so that they are not clipped by the Media Center bar that drops down when a mouse is used?
Is the focus/highlight for the application prominent enough so that users can easily see it on the screen?
Is the focus/highlight in the correct location when the user arrives at a page?
Are the focus/highlight color and design consistent throughout the application?
Can users navigate to the shared viewport, and then select it to go into full-screen mode?
While users are in full-screen mode, does the focus land on the shared viewport?
Does the application work correctly when Media Center is in full-screen mode. (For example, is video quality acceptable?)
Conversely, do video streams work over the connection speed you expect your users to have without long start-up delays or frequent rebuffering? (For example, do not use a default streaming rate of 700 Kbps unless you know all of your customers will have a very high speed connection. Ideally, detect the user's connection speed, or at least provide a way for the user to indicate an appropriate stream rate.)
For scrolling elements, is there a visual cue to indicate that there is more content "below the fold" (for example, arrows and "page 1 of 2")?
Before any Windows dialog box appears, does the application successfully exit DirectX exclusive mode?
As users navigate deeper into the application, are there obvious cues to tell them where they are?
Is the general navigation model free of standard Web conventions that do not work for Media Center users, such as standard text anchor links or select boxes?
Is the page titling and section titling throughout the application clear and present at all times?
Remote Control

Does the application always support the BACK button on the remote control? To ensure that it does, consider calling the window.location.replace method instead of using a browser redirect (for example, on a login page). This method is sometimes appropriate even on user-initiated page transitions. Pages that represent different views of the same information (for example, a list of songs sorted alphabetically, with a button to sort those songs by artist) should not accumulate on the history list, because that interferes with effective use of the BACK button.
Can the user dismiss all dialog boxes and close the application with a remote control?
For scrolling in long lists, are the page-up and page-down functionalities mapped to the Channel/Page up and down buttons on the remote control?
Do the transport controls (that is, Play, Stop, FFD, RWD) work for media that is played within the application?
Can the user press the START button at any time and be taken to the Media Center Start page?
Readability

Are the fonts large enough to read from a distance (that is, at least 18 point)?
Are all font faces and styles readable on both a monitor and a TV?
Is the application readable on a Media Center Extender device?
Are the colors appropriate for TV? (For example, avoid pure white and pure black.)
Are all icons large enough to read from a distance?
Is the application's logo readable on a TV? (For example, not fuzzy.)
Does the application design allow room at the lower left for the shared viewport?
Does the application scale gracefully to accommodate a wide screen display that has a 16:9 aspect ratio?
Does the application scale correctly when it is resized in a window?
Does the background color (MediaCenter.BGColor) behind the shared viewport and the Media Center mouse toolbars integrate smoothly with the background image?
Look and Feel

Overall, does the experience provided by the application stay true to the company's brand identity (that is, Web site, logo, color scheme, and network identity)?
Does the overall look and feel integrate well with the company's other PC experiences?
Feedback

Does the application provide the user with feedback when navigating or waiting for a response?
Are error messages and confirmation screens used appropriately and consistently?
Terminology

Is all terminology easy for users to understand?
Where applicable, is terminology in the application consistent with terminology used in the core Media Center experience?
Help and Assistance

When users need assistance, are graphics and diagrams used when appropriate? For example, if users need to configure hardware, are diagrams used to illustrate the proper configuration?
Are the instructions listed in the same order as the user should perform them? If followed exactly, do the instructions always lead to the desired result?
Are help and instructions written so that users can follow them without having to memorize or write down long series of steps?
Can users easily find contact information (for example, e-mail address, help desk number) to get more help if needed?
Overall

Overall, is this a compelling Media Center application? Is it easy for the user to interact with the application from a distance by using a remote control?
Does the application run without crashing?
Does all functionality work for the application?
Does the initial page give a clear understanding of what the application does before moving on to more specific content or tasks (for example, a list of content or a log-in screen)?
Has the application been viewed on both a TV and a PC monitor to check for clipping and over-scanning?
Has the application been viewed on a Media Center Extender device to check that all functionality works well and looks good?

LINK !