# More readable guide update?



## mheisen (Jul 2, 2006)

Is there any word on timing for the release of the proposed guide update? Having some font control, or even letters on a black background could be very helpful


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I haven't heard anything but speculation.

That said...

I know I've asked Dish multiple times in the past if they could implement different themes. IF they can't outright give us color/font control because it might be a nightmare to support that many combinations... at least take some cues from customer suggestions and create a few different themes to choose from.


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## FarmerBob (Nov 28, 2002)

With what's available for Closed Captioning, you'd think they could come up with something. Matter of fact, I was quite surprised that there are so many settings for CC and nothing for the Guide. It's staring to get painful to try to read. Grandma has to stand on front of her 35" to see it. It's kinda like a child enthralled with their favorite cartoon. But having to do this is not enthralling Grandma.

I've been taking care of a friends house who has DirecTV and the guide is billion fold better in many ways. Readability, Response and most of all Accuracy. Their setup of were things are leaves a lot to be desired.


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## patmurphey (Dec 21, 2006)

Right, Bob, Direct has an SD style guide and Dish has an HD guide. I have had no problems with guide readability, response or accuracy with the Hopper guide.


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## mheisen (Jul 2, 2006)

Pat,
I applaud your good eyesight and wish that I shared it. I run a 55" 1080P setup, and from 12' away have issues making it out on occasion. I thought someone had seen a demo of a new format at a show a few months ago, and was just looking for further information on a possible release or implementation. Thanks....


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

I do not have a problem with the Hopper guide on a HD set ... but the Hopper and Joey guides on a SD set could be improved. Apparently DISH assumes everyone has 100% HD sets - and since one cannot mix Hoppers with older receivers one has to put up with tiny blurry print on a SD screen.

I would not mind a "SD" option for a guide. Consider it the "large print" version I had on the 622.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

patmurphey said:


> Right, Bob, Direct has an SD style guide and Dish has an HD guide. I have had no problems with guide readability, response or accuracy with the Hopper guide.


Um DIRECTV does have a Hi Definition guide just as the hopper does. They have never taken advantage of the sharper image to add more to the screen but some would say it's better that way. (Not me I want options)

And surly hopper will do a SD guide too when it's outputting to a SD tv right?


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## patmurphey (Dec 21, 2006)

A 1 1/2 hour guide is pathetic on an HD screen. Hopper/Joey system is designed for HD TVs.


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## DN2014 (Mar 29, 2014)

I stayed in a motel for 2 nights with DirectTV the guide, it is 1000 times better than dish with gray on white or white on gray!!!!


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## patmurphey (Dec 21, 2006)

To each his own... The Dish Hopper guide is easy to read like print on paper, 3 hours, 7 rows, fast, with 3 hour and 24 hour paging...


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## mheisen (Jul 2, 2006)

My question remains about a format that is easier to read based on eyesight issues. Many people do *NOT* read print on paper well either. Trival dismissal statements do not change that. Choices, like large print books, are there for those that need them. Hoping that Dish comes up with some choices as they do with some of their other boxes like the 722 series.


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## Blowgun (May 23, 2008)

inkahauts said:


> And surly hopper will do a SD guide too when it's outputting to a SD tv right?


Nope. One of our Hoppers has both the HD and SD outputs in use. Usually either the HD or the SD TV is on, never both. When the SD output is in use, the sides of the 16:9 image is cut off on the 4:3 screen. Also, sometimes the Hopper won't allow a HBO recording to be viewed on the SDTV due to the unavailable HDMI HDCP handshake. One time all it took to get around that was use the other remote, which doesn't make much sense since the HDTV was off.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Blowgun said:


> Nope. One of our Hoppers has both the HD and SD outputs in use. Usually either the HD or the SD TV is on, never both. When the SD output is in use, the sides of the 16:9 image is cut off on the 4:3 screen. Also, sometimes the Hopper won't allow a HBO recording to be viewed on the SDTV due to the unavailable HDMI HDCP handshake. One time all it took to get around that was use the other remote, which doesn't make much sense since the HDTV was off.


Can you get a guide when you are watching the sd output? If so it has an sd guide too. If it has no guide at all on sd outputs, then its not scale able... That is what I was referring to. Directv can not do both at the same time, only one or the other... But it does do both.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

patmurphey said:


> A 1 1/2 hour guide is pathetic on an HD screen. Hopper/Joey system is designed for HD TVs.





mheisen said:


> My question remains about a format that is easier to read based on eyesight issues. Many people do *NOT* read print on paper well either. Trival dismissal statements do not change that. Choices, like large print books, are there for those that need them. Hoping that Dish comes up with some choices as they do with some of their other boxes like the 722 series.


And this is why Directv didn't go to a guide with smaller print and more info. I want it bad, but they are paying attention to the people who wouldn't be able to use it. They need options for either. Having just one option or the other is not acceptable IMHO.


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## Blowgun (May 23, 2008)

inkahauts said:


> Can you get a guide when you are watching the SD output?


Yes, but like I mentioned, the sides of the 16:9 image is cut off on the 4:3 screen.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

inkahauts said:


> Can you get a guide when you are watching the sd output? If so it has an sd guide too.


The guide is the same on the HD and SD outputs. The Hopper and Joeys do not have separate UIs. The SD outputs are simply a downconvert of the HD outputs.


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## 2010renegade (Jun 25, 2015)

New guide coming, check this out.http://www.ispot.tv/ad/70Eu/dish-network-the-switch


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## mheisen (Jul 2, 2006)

2010renegade said:


> New guide coming, check this out.http://www.ispot.tv/ad/70Eu/dish-network-the-switch


Can't tell if that is a hopper set up. I hope so.


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## Blowgun (May 23, 2008)

The new EPG sucks dead bunnies through a straw.


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## mheisen (Jul 2, 2006)

Blowgun said:


> The new EPG sucks dead bunnies through a straw.


So where can I see this EPG? You obviously have.


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## Blowgun (May 23, 2008)

While the Carbon UI colors are nice, there is a lot of wasted space and opportunities. For one thing the guide was reduced from 3 hours to 2.5 hours, which makes no sense in a 24 hour world. Any title listed in the guide that is too long fades out instead of wrapping like it does now. You are forced to rely on the poorly placed side information panel. This is because DISH made everything smaller to accommodate a nine channel listing instead of the current seven. Which means, the EPG text is much smaller and for some people will be harder to read.

It is very doubtful DISH will provide any means to restore functionality, as the Carbon UI "streamlines the navigation of your TV content into a more enjoyable experience". Always be concerned when a company uses "streamline" in their promotional literature as something positive. Instead of wasting resources "upgrading" the UI, DISH should be focused on fixing the underlining Hopper bugs.


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## mheisen (Jul 2, 2006)

Thanks for your reply. If the guide gets smaller, it may force me to either go back to my other boxes, or change services. I find it hard to believe that with so many calls for larger font, that they are not only not listening, but going the other way. I guess you loose market share one customer at a time.


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## mheisen (Jul 2, 2006)

I did find a demo on you tube of the new carbon ui It looks like they have addressed both the contrast and font size issue. There will be problems no doubt, but it does look like readability issues have been addressed. We will have to see if it is necessary to upgrade to the new hardware (hopper and remote) to take advantage of the improvements. Here is the link to the demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7HdPI9KtSU


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## Blowgun (May 23, 2008)

Thanks for the video. I found Paul to be misinformed and outright wrong in some instances. While the amount of channels displayed at once apparently can be adjusted, the readability does not improve since medium length titles are still cut off. Making the text smaller does not restore the better 3 hour window that we have now. The new voice command touch pad remote blows. Maybe DISH would start storing private conversations with it -- as Samsung was doing with their voice command televisions. The video has not changed my mind, if anything has confirmed, the Carbon UI is a waste of resources.


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## mheisen (Jul 2, 2006)

I have no interest in touch or voice either. The demo is really rough, and the presenter is amazingly inept with it considering the venue. I'm hoping that they fix the fade issue to make the titles legible on a scroll, or whatever. He did reference that it was not the final product and the guide that rolls out would be improved. I'm usually not the optomistic type (glass half empty), but they have had so many complaints, I wouldn't think they would be silly enough to not address these. I've been fooled before though. :shrug:


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## dough_boy747 (Jun 18, 2004)

For all of us that hasn't been bless with good eye sight it looks like we will be going to directv for the future povider for our servives, either do with out any at all lol. :blackeye:


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## patmurphey (Dec 21, 2006)

The guide is designed for an HD TV at normal viewing distances and works very well. With vision difficulty, I understand advocating for an option, but we don't need it ruined for the rest of us. Hopper/Joey is not designed for SD TVs. A bigger TV (or HD if you're using an SD TV) would also give you an easier time with the guide and allow you to enjoy the resolution of HD in the picture, too. A large print guide isn't the only solution.


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## dough_boy747 (Jun 18, 2004)

You are right but it doent help us at all for knowing that but i do unnderstand what you mean about this problem.


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