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Addressing the BlackBerry PlayBook screen time-out issue

By Bla1ze on 8 Jun 2011 07:08 pm
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As you all know, the BlackBerry PlayBook was issued an update not that long ago. It brought about some nice changes and included an updated version of Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook but it left out of simple thing -- that for some folks is a rather large issue. No, not native email and BBM but rather the screen time-out issue when viewing things in the browser. You see, if you are doing something within the BackBerry browser such as watching a video for example -- the maximum time allotted before the screen will time out and go black is 5-minutes.

This timing out of the screen causes whatever it is you are doing in the browser to come to a dead stop. Watching a video? It'll stop playing. Listening to music? It'll stop playing. Even if you are say reading one of Kevin's long winded reviews, if you don't touch the screen in 5-minutes it'll go black and you'll need to force a "waking" up of your PlayBook. The rather odd thing is that it doesn't time out on all things. Some videos keep it awake while others it will time out on. Some audio it will shut down, while other audio will keep on running through the browser.

There are workarounds for this issue in the meantime, such as downloading certain apps from BlackBerry App World  (more info on this in the forum links below) that keep the screen active, but really we shouldn't have to make use of a workaround for this particular problem. Ideally, it would be built into the OS that when the browser is open and active it wouldn't disable and go into standby mode. But as it stands now, this isn't the case. So, sound off in the comments if you're concerned about this and want it fixed -- hopefully RIM will take notice and correct it in a later update.

Discuss more in the CrackBerry Forums - here and here

Topics: BlackBerry Playbook News & Rumors

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Bla1ze Bla1ze 3025 (articles) 6912 (forum posts)
23 comments

Maestrodog

Of course, this is a huge priority. Mobile devices are about convenience and usability. I'd trade ten flash--oooooh wahhhh, flash--oooooo wahhhh---for a device that could stream the game without me needing to be babysitter.

I expect a lot of this basic performance to be fixed sooner than later and I will not be commending the device to a soul until that happens.

Bold Nome

XM streaming has this problem. No XM APP FOR PLAYBOOK!
Streaming from my pogo plug works.

darkoantonio

one of the many things RIM can improve on

pozi240

What was the point of the minute and a half of ghey Kenny G music anyway? We get it, the screen times out, you could have picked a much better way to explain it..... LOL

Bla1ze

It wasn't Kenny G.. step up your jazz game homie.

technomensch

@Bla1ze:

There is currently a thread on RIM's support site about this issue.

Can you please direct those upset about this issue there instead of the Crackberry forums? That way, RIM can actually see our frustration:

http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/ BlackBerry-PlayBook/ Stand-by-after-5-minutes /m-p/1021617/ highlight/false#M109

RIM's official response:
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Re: Stand by after 5 minutes
Options
04-21-2011 09:19 AM

Hello <>,

Currently, the PlayBook enters stand by to conserve battery power, unless a video is being viewed or an application is running.

You can check in App World to see if there are any applications which would be of interest.

Cheers!
----------
This is among the many items I'm tracking as part of the Blackberry Playbook Application Initiative:

http://bbpai.stayinginsync.info (New home)

Marc K.
@stayinginsync
http://stayinginsync.info

anty3139

My gf thought i was watching sleezy 80's pr0n with the soundtrack in this video. Not to mention on my playbook laying in bed. lol

Five50What

She musta caught you watchin before or you watchin that 80's stuff on the regular for her to be thinkin you watchin that, just by the sound of the music...lol

DaNomadicOne

A timely and worthy insert to an issue that will interfere with even the Native apps many are asking for in future updates...

Darlaten

This is the single most poorly thought out, idiotic, assenine "feature" ever incorporated into a Blackberry device.

Who ever thought that having a device that can only be on every 5 minutes needs to be FIRED. I can not for the life of me imagine that any of the beta testers (were there any?) actually thought that this was a good thing.

A "professional" tablet that cant stream (e.g., radio stations) from the internet for more than 5 minutes. A "professional" tablet whose own native apps fail to ignore the 5 minute feature, i.e., try downloading more than 5 minutes of material using the official podcast app. It doesnt do it. It suspends the download meaning you have to keep stroking the playbook for it to perform.
A "professional" tablet whose 5 minute feature actually prevents apps from working properly such as some of the Timer Apps, Egg Timers Apps, and Clock Apps (granted this can be coded into the programming language by the developers to ignore the suspend API of the device).

This feature should never have been there in the first place - period. And the fact that we have had two OS updates without it being addressed is simply astonishing. So as Bla1ze and technomensch have suggested, bombard RIM with complaints about this to let them know that this feature needs to be addressed.

kevinnugent

I can't believe this thing got beta tested at all. There's so much wrong or missing with it.

Anyway, off to the Blackberry Discussion forums to vent. From what I've seen there, though, the "experts" seem to not understand what the problem actually is. Which is scarey in itself.

my_handle

One of the couple things I don't like. But for me its minor considering I rarely put my playbook down for more than 5 mins if I'm streaming or downloading. Biggest time annoyance is when watching something thru orb and I forget its orb not a video

Maestrodog

Face it, we've got many months, maybe more, before this thing starts to hit its marks, and a year or more for even a skeleton crew's worth of professional grade applications.

We are the early adopter, beta fools.

Always let the gadgeteer geeky boys be the guinea pigs.

Really is The First Commandment Of Technology.

Wonder what these are bringing on ebay right now? By the time this thing is good enough for me, the second gen will be launching to kick its butt in weight, price and specs galore.

jezreel

I can't believe they overlooked this !

rickgainsmith

I can't believe I sat through that video!

Darlaten

I would encourage everyone to post a comment at the official RIM developer blog as technomensch suggested (see a few posts above). I have posted a long comment about my thoughts on the matter - tried to be polite about it. But I am suprised at how little there are about posts concerning this. As technomensch has indicated, it is very important for RIM to hear our concerns regarding this issue and I am not that confident that they always read Crackberry, all the posts here or on the forum pages. Perhaps they spend more time on the other site.

Altarocks

It's a good idea, but in my experience you just don't get much help visiting RIM's support site. I've had far greater results here on CB when it comes to technical support. For that reason I don't spend any time there. I do like the idea of voicing opinions on RIM's site though.

mcky

Great point out Bla1ze. I have been wondering and pondering the same concern the other day. Not only that I am fed up with the time out issue, Why am I limited with only 5min even when the device is plugged into a power source. There should be more/longer option available.
I am hanging by a thread with RIM and all its limitations.

Fonz0

Duh. This is such a basic need that it is amazing it was overlooked. I really think someone from RIM should go to the posts stuck at the beginning of the forum and look at all the suggestions/needs that have been pointed out. Some are silly and over the top, but most of us have really given a lot of thought to what the PB experience should be.

The Consigliere

We as the owners should definitely have control over the "time out" feature, just like on a laptop. My laptop lets me adjust the sleep, shut off, ect. in the power saver options. I can't believe the Playbook doesn't allow for this. Having the power to not time out when plugged in would be great & adjust the time for how WE want it, not 5 minutes! What's 5 minutes, heck there are some reviews on here that are 7 for goodness sakes.

piper975

I have not found that problem when viewing tv shows from http://www.cbc.ca/video/ when I have my playbook connected to my Samsung 1080p tv.

flyernut

Can anyone tell me why no apps (that I've seen) switch over to use the bridge browser if no wireless is detected? This would be a plus for this pretty cool app.

harpcomposer

This puzzles me, because I have watched videos several times on my Playbook....usually about 25 minutes, and my screen has never blacked out that I recall.....