# 20.4.2 UI hard to read - need the old Font back!



## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

The new skinny font with letters jammed close together makes much of the UI unreadable to me from the couch across the room, I've never had a problem with it before but now I can barely read show info etc. 

I'm sure this all seemed great to the twenty-somethings with perfect eyesight that do the graphic design, but for those of us getting a little older there needs to be an option to select the old font and colors (blue on blue for NEW indicators?).


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## Xminus1 (Jul 9, 2014)

I agree with you totally. The new thin fonts hard to read and got to go. Bring back the old font!


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

Tony Chick said:


> The new skinny font with letters jammed close together makes much of the UI unreadable to me from the couch across the room, I've never had a problem with it before but now I can barely read show info etc.
> 
> I'm sure this all seemed great to the twenty-somethings with perfect eyesight that do the graphic design, but for those of us getting a little older there needs to be an option to select the old font and colors (blue on blue for NEW indicators?).


Give yourself some time to adjust. As a 60-something with poor eyesight, I don't have any problem with the new font. And the overall appearance is much crisper than before. Besides, unless you're willing to swap your Premiere for an older model, there's no going back. And I believe most people like the change.


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## Leon WIlkinson (Feb 13, 2000)

I would rather not have the background so dark, other then that I like it.


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## Leon WIlkinson (Feb 13, 2000)

The funny thing is my new Roamio which has the old software. Looks to have the same shade put doesn't bother like on the Premiere w/24.2


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## lancelot (Jul 8, 2006)

Looks great on my tvs. Looked very good when update installed . Nevertheless, I reran the THX Video on my Elite. Made the adjustments suggested. I had the black levels set a bit too high. Now everything looks perfect!


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## JWhites (May 15, 2013)

I think the whole issue with the font is the quality of the television, size of the screen, whether they are using HDMI or Component (there is a difference between the two since one is digital and the other analog), and how well the television picture settings are setup. Too much sharpness or not enough sharpness or too much brightness or not enough brightness or too much contrast or not enough contrast can make anything look bad.


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## muzzymate (Sep 2, 2004)

As someone with an eyesight condition, I think the new font is much more readable and pleased with the choice. 

I do agree that a blue icon on blue for the new indicator isn't the best choice.


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## PCurry57 (Feb 27, 2012)

I love the new fresh look of 20.4.2, I'm almost 57 nearsighted. I appreciate the darker background as it doesn't wash out the text, It's crisp clean and easier on the eyes, it should alleviate eye strain, thank you. I'm in love with my TiVo Premiere's all over again.


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## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

I have it on 2 Tivos now, both on excellent quality TVs, a LG 47" and a Vizio 32" and it just doesn't work for me, its the lack of spacing between the letters even more than the thinness of the font, it just all runs together from a distance. Everyones eyesight is different, and my user experience just went way downhill so the font really needs to be a choice.


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## JWhites (May 15, 2013)

I got the update earlier today and I feel like I've been waiting for this my whole life and now that it's here my life is complete. It's such a shame that some people are having trouble adjusting to the new UI. I personally find it a joy to use my TiVo, like experiencing a whole new level of awesome I never before thought was possible with a Premiere. I don't think I'll be able to go to bed tonight because of how over the moon I am with it.


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## JWhites (May 15, 2013)

When I was referring to the quality of tv, I was also referring to how the display was setup (based on certified professional calibration verses someone winging it by eye so it "looks about right") because there _is_ a difference and that makes a world of difference. Same with ambient lighting which in bright environments can make the image look too dark and hard to see and read. Also depends on the cabling used, composite or S-Video as everyone knows would make anything look worse and isn't HD verses HDMI which _is_ HD.


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## Thunderclap (Nov 28, 2005)

I noticed the font is tough to read and jagged if looking at the guide on an SD channel. Seems the resolution quality drops on the guide on SD, but otherwise it looks good and is easy to read, at least for me. 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## JWhites (May 15, 2013)

Thunderclap said:


> I noticed the font is tough to read and jagged if looking at the guide on an SD channel. Seems the resolution quality drops on the guide on SD, but otherwise it looks good and is easy to read, at least for me.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


Then why not just set the TiVo to a fixed HD resolution and have it upscale?


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## dcline414 (May 1, 2014)

JWhites said:


> Then why not just set the TiVo to a fixed HD resolution and have it upscale?


+1

Our Tivo is set to output only 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. HD content is passed through and SD content is upscaled. I can't think of any advantage to having 480p passed through and upscaled by the receiver or TV.


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## Thunderclap (Nov 28, 2005)

JWhites said:


> Then why not just set the TiVo to a fixed HD resolution and have it upscale?


Because I hadn't considered it.


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## weaver (Feb 27, 2004)

dcline414 said:


> +1
> 
> Our Tivo is set to output only 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. HD content is passed through and SD content is upscaled. I can't think of any advantage to having 480p passed through and upscaled by the receiver or TV.


There would be an advantage if the receiver or TV upscaled better. Mine don't, so I just have 1080i and 1080p out of the TiVo.


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## ajwees41 (May 7, 2006)

Leon WIlkinson said:


> The funny thing is my new Roamio which has the old software. Looks to have the same shade put doesn't bother like on the Premiere w/24.2


The premiere and Roamio's have the same software now.


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## marinrain (Oct 30, 2001)

HATE the orange...and very hard to see particularly in daylight...wish had color choice of font color and highlight color


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## jay_winter (Jan 13, 2004)

Like the new look, but I wish I could turn off the preview row up top, which I never use or pay attention to, to make more room for the My Shows list. With the new font, the list is shorter than ever and I'm constantly scrolling up and down to read it. Alternatively, let us pick a smaller font for the list.


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## jay_winter (Jan 13, 2004)

dcline414 said:


> +1
> 
> Our Tivo is set to output only 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. HD content is passed through and SD content is upscaled. I can't think of any advantage to having 480p passed through and upscaled by the receiver or TV.


Here's one: Like so many of us, I still have one of those 200-lb flat-screen glass CRT behemoths that shrinks the display to 16:9 for 1080i, but displays the full 4:3 screen for 480p. So, when viewing one of the SD channels, its nice to have it use the entire screen. But, in 4:3 480p, the old SD menu is easier to read.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

I'll never understand the folks that shell out premium dollars for an HD Tivo then saddle it to an old CRT.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

i agree. if the hdui is hard to see on an sdtv, maybe the problem isn't with tivo.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

serious question, original poster - how old are you?


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

muzzymate said:


> As someone with an eyesight condition, I think the new font is much more readable and pleased with the choice.
> 
> I do agree that a blue icon on blue for the new indicator isn't the best choice.


agreed to a point. I understand why yellow is easier to see for NEW stuff - but I think the blue looks so much nicer.....


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## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

b_scott said:


> serious question, original poster - how old are you?


I'm 62 with decent distance vision & don't need a prescription according to my optician but I use x1.25 readers for working on the computer and reading. I have no problem seeing the TV or most of the UI on this or my Roku, Apple TV etc., its just the thin tightly grouped white letters in the guide and info screens that give me a problem where before I had none. It won't kill me or stop me using it, its just less good than before.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

I see. That's unfortunate. Personally I don't see much of a difference, only stylistic. But I'm 32.


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## larrs (May 2, 2005)

Everyone in my house likes the new UI.


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## Jackamus (Sep 20, 2010)

larrs said:


> Everyone in my house likes the new UI.


Me too.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

One of my Tivos has the update now and I rather like it. I'm late 50s and legally blind with glasses. I think it looks pretty cool and don't find it problematic at all. 

I hope those who are having a hard time with are able to get used to it because I don't think there is any going back. I'd be up for choices, though. I'd love to be able to get rid of those stupid 4 little screens at the top (on the Tivo Central page) with suggestions. I'd also like to make folders without having them add their own (like that stupid HD folder). 

I also wish we could have On Demand, but I guess that's up to Charter.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

The font isn't so bad. I've adjusted after three days. However, the font, when used with the bright yellow highlight is much harder to see. If the yellow was turned down a bit it wouldn't be a factor.


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## TexasGrillChef (Sep 15, 2006)

Tony Chick said:


> The new skinny font with letters jammed close together makes much of the UI unreadable to me from the couch across the room, I've never had a problem with it before but now I can barely read show info etc.
> 
> I'm sure this all seemed great to the twenty-somethings with perfect eyesight that do the graphic design, but for those of us getting a little older there needs to be an option to select the old font and colors (blue on blue for NEW indicators?).


I would like to know a few things, all of which have en effect on viewing ability.

1. What size is your tv?
2. Are you using hdmi cables outputting at 1080i/p?
3. Is your tv HD?

All of this can have an effect. I have poor eyesight, I have a 80" HDTV, and my TiVo outputs is set to auto, and I have a high grade video scaler in my receiver does a great job of upconverting everything to 1080p. A better job then the TiVo does when watching video that isn't 1080p

I love the new fonts.

I do agree about colour, wish we had the capability to have "themes" for fonts backgrounds etc. just like you can with Roku, and some bluray players.

TGC


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## phone man (Nov 4, 2011)

Tony Chick said:


> I'm 62 with decent distance vision & don't need a prescription according to my optician but I use x1.25 readers for working on the computer and reading. I have no problem seeing the TV or most of the UI on this or my Roku, Apple TV etc., its just the thin tightly grouped white letters in the guide and info screens that give me a problem where before I had none. It won't kill me or stop me using it, its just less good than before.


I like the new font but my wife who uses readers for computer and reading commented she thought the old font was clearer. Maybe something to this?


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

phone man said:


> I like the new font but my wife who uses readers for computer and reading commented she thought the old font was clearer. Maybe something to this?


the new font is a little more difficult to read on smaller screens or from a distance, but it's not a deal breaker for me, and hasn't caused me to move closer to a screen to read.


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## katm (Apr 15, 2004)

NorthAlabama said:


> the new font is a little more difficult to read on smaller screens or from a distance, but it's not a deal breaker for me, and hasn't caused me to move closer to a screen to read.


I agree. I am watching SD on a small TV and it is more difficult to read. Though I don't know if it is the font itself or just the contrast between the darker blue background and a very bright text color. It is almost like the effect you get from watching an on-air personality wearing black and white stripes on TV. Not a deal breaker, but I miss the old, lighter blue color.

Since I don't use the HD menus (on a 4:3 tv) and all the benefits there, my only benefit is less readable type!


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## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

TexasGrillChef said:


> I would like to know a few things, all of which have en effect on viewing ability.
> 
> 1. What size is your tv?
> 2. Are you using hdmi cables outputting at 1080i/p?
> ...


Its definitely not my setup, its a 47" LG that is properly setup, the Tivo outputs 1080i and my Yamaha receiver kicks it up to 1080p, HDMI all the way. The picture is very good, and I only sit 5' away. As someone else mentioned, its almost an optical illusion and either different colors or a different font would fix it, as I said, I just want the choice. Everyone that likes the new font should be able to choose that also.


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