Making the episode image larger?

Hi Gadfly,

We agreed to make that the maximum width for a preview image on a main page. The width you're describing is the same for shows, episodes, networks and people pages. This size is based on research done during the initial development of TVmaze.

The "minimal" approach is related to our efforts to speed up pageloads and avoid a cluttered page. Our focus is the information itself. The thumbs are there as an extra marker.

When we came together to develop tvmaze we looked at other tvguide/calendar sites and saw mostly overbloated pages of 5 to 25mb size. That's not what we're going for.

What you're saying about the episode image being the only spot of color isn't really the case since an episode page can consist of other graphical elements such as a trailer and the guest cast images.

The original image is usually quite bigger than the thumb itself.
Example ep page and original image in gallery:
http://www.tvmaze.com/episodes/211834/rick-and-mor...

http://www.tvmaze.com/images/56505/the-wedding-squ...

We plan on making thumb images clickable(refer to the original or enlarge) at some point. But in the current layout we have no intention of making the thumbs themselves wider than they currently are.

cheers,

Jan

Fair enough. Although my suggestion wasn't to to display the image at the submitted size, only to increase the cropped/resized image by another... half inch or so?

Also, show images are poster proportioned, which means that while they're the same width, they'll never be the same height as an episode image if the width is equal. And the episode image is by necessity is banner proportioned since that's how TV screens display.

So perhaps the height should be the same for episode images, network images, and people images? Rather than the width.

But if the point is to avoid overbloating, why is the trailer image so large? For instance, here:

http://www.tvmaze.com/episodes/266937/heroes-rebor...

The trailer image is about 6 times wider than the image preview image, and if anything slows down my page loads, it's that.

Gadfly wrote:
Fair enough. Although my suggestion wasn't to to display the image at the submitted size, only to increase the cropped/resized image by another... half inch or so?
Also, show images are poster proportioned, which means that while they're the same width, they'll never be the same height as an episode image if the width is equal. And the episode image is by necessity is banner proportioned since that's how TV screens display.
So perhaps the height should be the same for episode images, network images, and people images? Rather than the width.
But if the point is to avoid overbloating, why is the trailer image so large? For instance, here:
http://www.tvmaze.com/episodes/266937/heroes-rebor...
The trailer image is about 6 times wider than the image preview image, and if anything slows down my page loads, it's that.

About the trailer, don't you like to see what's going on in a trailer ?
if the trailer would be significantly smaller, you would have to open another tab to watch the trailer there and make it bigger :)

I think you cannot compare the episode image to an actor image, as the ep image is tv sized and the actor image is poster sized.

cheers
Juan

I don't watch the trailers, so I'd have to see that no, I don't like to see what's going on in the trailer. :)

I'd agree that you can't compare the episode images to the actor image. That's why sizing them both the same way, by width, causes the episode image to be too difficult to see. I have no complaint with the width when it comes to poster-shaped images. But as you note, the ep image is TV sized and you can't submit a poster-sized image, right?

FYI, I don't care if the trailer is there. If other people use it, fair enough. I'm not asking to remove it just because I don't use it! I just find it odd that it's there at the size it is, if the objective is, "The "minimal" approach is related to our efforts to speed up pageloads and avoid a cluttered page. Our focus is the information itself."

Gadfly wrote:
I don't watch the trailers, so I'd have to see that no, I don't like to see what's going on in the trailer. :)
I'd agree that you can't compare the episode images to the actor image. That's why sizing them both the same way, by width, causes the episode image to be too difficult to see. I have no complaint with the width when it comes to poster-shaped images. But as you note, the ep image is TV sized and you can't submit a poster-sized image, right?
FYI, I don't care if the trailer is there. If other people use it, fair enough. I'm not asking to remove it just because I don't use it! I just find it odd that it's there at the size it is, if the objective is, "The "minimal" approach is related to our efforts to speed up pageloads and avoid a cluttered page. Our focus is the information itself."

I see your point, but a trailer only makes sense if it reaches a special size, the people who are using the trailers want to see something :)

About the width of the episode images you have to convince jan, I think it is fine as it is now.

cheers
Juan

I've presented my concern, I have nothing more to add on the episode image. As a marker, extra or otherwise, to me it's useless because it's too small to be viewable.

I would note one other thing about the trailer. While I don't object to it per se, it does make it more difficult to get to the edit buttons at the bottom of the page that let us add the information Jan mentions earlier. The trailer is closer to the top of the page than both the Cast (and View Full Cast link), and the edit button for adding summaries...

And ironically, enough, videos. :)

David has suggested the End button to get to the bottom while he considers a possible future rearrangement of the edit functions, but the End button is usually located somewhat awkwardly on most keyboards.

Gadfly wrote:
I've presented my concern, I have nothing more to add on the episode image. As a marker, extra or otherwise, to me it's useless because it's too small to be viewable.
I would note one other thing about the trailer. While I don't object to it per se, it does make it more difficult to get to the edit buttons at the bottom of the page that let us add the information Jan mentions earlier. The trailer is closer to the top of the page than both the Cast (and View Full Cast link), and the edit button for adding summaries...
And ironically, enough, videos. :)
David has suggested the End button to get to the bottom while he considers a possible future rearrangement of the edit functions, but the End button is usually located somewhat awkwardly on most keyboards.

Yes, those buttons would be nice to have more on top, I hope jan and david will agree to this too.

But for now it is not so hard to hit the "END" button, who is almost at the center of my keyboard :)

cheers
juan

JuanArango wrote:
Yes, those buttons would be nice to have more on top, I hope jan and david will agree to this too.
But for now it is not so hard to hit the "END" button, who is almost at the center of my keyboard :)
cheers
juan

I have a truncated keyboard on my laptop (no numeric pad), but my End button is way down in the lower right hand corner, further down and right than the shift key. (whoops, almost left out the F)

The regular keyboard I use has it on the strip of keys to the right, along with Del and similar functions.

There have also been times when End doesn't work, on either keyboard. Not enough for me to pin down a pattern.

So i guess my comment that the trailer was too big has been rejected as well. I understand why you'd want to be big, but a thumb trailer could work as well and you just need to expand it. Plus, youtube lets you watch a trailer full screen if you want.

The common size for a video to be shared on youtube which probably has done extensive research on it is 560/315, for most sites... For youtube to have huge trailers, it makes sense, it's their site. But for sites that embed their trailers, they realize it is too big. I even go a little lower, it doesn't stop people from going full screen if they want to or go to the youtube site for a better experience...

I also agree with Gadfly, because all the edit buttons are usually at the the bottom of each page, this makes it harder to get to it. I personnaly don't watch them. I see no reason for it to be this big to begin with. I know it's on the to do list to add them all at the top but in the mean time, it makes everything harder.

It hasn't been rejected Tonks. We just don't see the urge in it yet and gave priority to other projects that should be done in TVmaze. I'm sure David or Jan might look in it in later stages ;) for now you could use the 'END' button to skip it and move downwards.

The conversation has deviated from its original point 5 or so comments ago. if what you wish to say isnt about image sizes then please refrain from commenting or open a new thread. Gadfly can you mail me a screenshot of your view? Is it 100pct or zoomed out? What browser are you using? Also, do you wear glasses? If so, what kind? Cheers, Jan

How would I email it to you?

It's at the default screen size for Firefox and/or Chrome. Ctrl-0 on the keyboard. I wear glasses, I'm not sure what kind you mean when you ask "what kind"? The images aren't blurry, however: they're too small.

Gadfly wrote:
How would I email it to you?
It's at the default screen size for Firefly and/or Chrome. Ctrl-0 on the keyboard. I wear glasses, I'm not sure what kind you mean when you ask "what kind"? The images aren't blurry, however: they're too small.

I think this is really a matter of personal preference, for me the episode screencaps are exactly as they should be :)

cheers
Juan