IEC TR 62964 — Graphical Symbols for Multimedia Equipment (Current Practice)

As multimedia equipment proliferates across consumer, commercial, and professional domains, the graphical symbols used on these devices have become a critical component of the user interface. IEC TR 62964 provides a comprehensive survey of current practice for graphical symbols on multimedia equipment, documenting the symbols actually used by manufacturers for control functions and indication displays. This Technical Report is not a prescriptive standard but rather a snapshot of industry practice, intended to inform future standardisation efforts within the IEC 60417 framework.

1. Scope and Methodology

IEC TR 62964 surveys graphical symbols used on a wide range of multimedia equipment including televisions, audio systems, video players/recorders, set-top boxes, gaming consoles, media streaming devices, and professional audio-visual equipment. The report categorises symbols into two primary groups: control symbols (buttons, knobs, touch targets used for user operation) and indication symbols (displayed icons, status indicators, and on-screen symbols that convey equipment state). The survey methodology involved examining equipment from major manufacturers across multiple product categories and geographic markets.

2. Current Practice for Control Symbols

2.1 Power and Standby

The IEC 60417-5009 symbol (circle with a vertical line, representing the binary states 0 and 1) is universally adopted for power and standby functions. The report documents near-100 % compliance among surveyed manufacturers for this symbol, making it one of the most successful standardisation outcomes in the history of graphical symbols. However, the report notes variations in colour coding: blue indicates standby on most devices, but some use amber, and a minority use red, which can create confusion in multi-brand installations.

2.2 Playback Controls

While basic playback symbols (play triangle, pause bars, stop square) are widely recognised and used, the report identifies significant variation in secondary playback symbols. The “record” symbol (solid circle) and “eject” symbol (triangle with bar) show moderate consistency, but symbols for chapter skip, slow motion, frame advance, and programme guide exhibit multiple competing variants. For example, the survey found four different symbols for “fast-forward with chapter skip” across different manufacturers.

3. Current Practice for Indication Symbols

3.1 On-Screen Status Icons

Indication symbols displayed on screen during operation show the widest variation across manufacturers. While volume level indicators (bars or numeric) and mute indicators have achieved near-universal consensus, symbols for audio format (Dolby Atmos, DTS, PCM), video resolution (HD, 4K, HDR), and network status vary considerably. The report catalogs over 30 distinct symbols used for “surround sound” indication alone.

3.2 Connector Port Labelling

The labelling of physical connectors is another area with mixed standardisation. HDMI, USB, and Ethernet ports are well-labelled using industry-standard symbols. However, audio input/output ports (analogue RCA, optical S/PDIF, 3.5 mm jack) show considerable variation in labelling style, colour coding, and symbol design. The report documents cases where the same connector function is labelled with six different symbols across major brands.

4. Standardisation Gaps and Recommendations

The report identifies several areas where industry practice has diverged from or outpaced formal standardisation:

• Streaming and Content Navigation: Symbols for “home”, “search”, “settings”, “my content” are increasingly important yet entirely unstandardised. Each major platform (Android TV, webOS, Tizen, Roku) uses proprietary symbol sets.
• Voice Control: With the proliferation of voice assistants in multimedia devices, a standard symbol for “voice activation” or “voice command” is needed. Currently, microphone icons (differing in detail) are used by all manufacturers but without formal standardisation.
• Accessibility Features: Symbols for closed captions, audio description, and sign language interpretation are inconsistently applied. While CC (closed captions) has moderate recognition, AD (audio description) symbols vary from a speaker with a speech bubble to an ear icon.
• Cross-Platform Consistency: Users increasingly interact with multimedia services across multiple devices (TV, tablet, smartphone). Symbol inconsistency between platforms creates cognitive load that degrades user experience.

5. Engineering Design Insights

• Legibility Scaling: Symbols designed at 48 × 48 pixels for on-screen display lose detail when rendered at smaller sizes. The report recommends that symbols intended for both physical buttons and on-screen display should be optimised for rendering at 24 × 24 pixels minimum.
• Colour vs. Monochrome: While colour indication symbols are increasingly common on multimedia equipment, colour-blind users (8% of male population) cannot distinguish red/green status differences. The report recommends always pairing colour indication with a shape change or text label.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Symbols with cultural connotations (e.g., checkmarks, crosses, hand gestures, horn icons) should be evaluated for cross-cultural comprehension. A “thumbs up” symbol for positive feedback, for instance, has offensive connotations in some Middle Eastern cultures.
• 3D and AR Contexts: Emerging multimedia interfaces in augmented reality and virtual reality present new challenges for symbol design, as traditional 2D symbols rendered in a 3D environment can appear distorted or ambiguous.

6. Frequently Asked Questions