'Postage stamp' mode?

[BoD]

Hi!

I am working on an app that tries to target tablets and GoogleTV only
(not phones).
In the manifest we have:
<uses-sdk
android:minSdkVersion="12"
android:targetSdkVersion="12" />

and

<supports-screens
android:largeScreens="false"
android:normalScreens="false"
android:smallScreens="false"
android:xlargeScreens="true" />

Now when running the app on a (3.1) Logitech Revue, it runs in what I
believe to be the 'postage stamp' mode - the apps looks like it is in
portrait mode, with black bars to the left and to the right of the
window. Note that it actually use the landscape layouts though.

Is this expected?

Thanks for your help,

--
BoD

[Bhavya Vanaja]

Could you please send us  the APK?

-Bhavya V

[Christian Kurzke]

the very first problem i see from the snippet:

GoogleTV is a "large" screen, not a extra large. please fix and try again.

-

Christian G. Kurzke  |  Developer Advocate  |  Android / Google TV

[BoD]

Thanks a lot for your answer.

I may be wrong but I think if I enable largeScreens, then the app will be available to certain phones on the Market.  We need to limit our app to tablets (and Google TV) only.

In that case, what would be the proper way to do this?

By the way, is there any plan to make GoogleTV declare being xlarge in future versions?

Thanks for your help,

--
BoD

[Christian Kurzke]

see below
-

I may be wrong but I think if I enable largeScreens, then the app will be available to certain phones on the Market.  We need to limit our app to tablets (and Google TV) only.

depend on the feature com.google.android.tv

this will exclude tablets and other mobile devices.

Why would you want to artificially restrict your app from Phones?

Google TV screen sizes are much closer to phones than to tablets. 

In that case, what would be the proper way to do this?

By the way, is there any plan to make GoogleTV declare being xlarge in future versions?

not unless we get in the IMAX business (unlikely)

[BoD]

Now I am confused.
From http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens_support.html:
- Terms and concepts / Screen size: "Actual physical size, measured as the screen's diagonal."
And looking at this picture: http://developer.android.com/images/screens_support/screens-ranges.png I think, most TV sets being bigger than 7 inches, they should be in the xlarge category.

Also from this page: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-element.html
- android:largeScreens:   "Indicates whether the application supports larger screen form-factors. A large screen is defined as a screen that is significantly larger than a "normal" handset screen"
Using this definition, I agree that a TV set is significantly larger than a normal handset screen. But:
- android:xlargeScreens: "Indicates whether the application supports extra large screen form-factors. An xlarge screen is defined as a screen that is significantly larger than a "large" screen, such as a tablet (or something larger)"

I think most TV sets are larger than tablets, and tablets are xlarge - wouldn't that mean that GoogleTV should also be xlarge (or xxlarge!)?

[Les Vogel]

Please look at developers.google.com/tv

A TV is large, not xlarge as when you look at it from a distance - what we call the 10' UI - it's smaller than many tablets at 12"-24".

--

Les Vogel

Developer Programs Engineer - GoogleTV

lesv@Google.com

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Please send questions to the list and only use my email address for things that require privacy such as source code or APK's.   We also answer questions on StackOverflow.com  #Google-TV

[BoD]

This makes sense.  Thanks a lot for the clarification.
So if we want the app to be available on GoogleTV, the app should also be available on phones, right?

--
BoD

[Les Vogel]

Thats up to you.  Some developers want separate APK's, others don't.

[BoD]

Got it. Thanks a lot!

--
BoD

-- 
BoD