IMG 1.9.1..channel guide is WAY too dark!
candcgregory
Enthusiast - Level 3

My STB reset about 15 minutes ago, and I figured that this was the new IMG updating. Sure enough, shows 1.9.1 now.

But there's a problem. The channel guide is way too dark now. The color scheme is HORRIBLE. I've looked through all the settings, and there's no option I can find to lighten the background. As it stands now, I have a dark gray-blue background. Much of the text in a movie/tv show description is a dark gray, and it's very difficult to read. When looking at the guide, the channel I am on is listed, on the left as before (example, a big dark gray box with "899 HBO HD"). Well, the boxes above and below are small with the same dark gray, and if I didn't know what they were from the sequencing, I couldn't read them. The EPIX logo is dark gray and orange, and the dark gray portion disappears into the gray background. Doesn't anybody test these color schemes out before releasing them? I can't be the only one that thinks the guide looks awful now. 

BTW, a few good changes. The LED Brightness option is really nice, and I also appreciate being able to remove all the recent deleted programs at once, instead of having to delete them one by one. 

Please look into this. The last channel guide was clear. This new one is a train wreck. 

35 Replies
bobbo527
Specialist - Level 3
I'm fine with the darker color, I prefer is over the light blue. It would be nice though if they allowed us to pick our own color schemes, Comcast used let us. it's a nice feature Verizon should be looking into. They need to realize that they'll never be able to satisfy everyone as long as they lock us into one scheme. You will always get someone who will whine it's too dark, it's too light, etc.
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WRKPA
Enthusiast - Level 3

Hey VZ how about asking people, or better yet, runing a test and asking for feedback before you make some of these changes, or are the people who are making these changes trying to see how many people complain?

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cxg331
Contributor - Level 1

I stated this in the TV Programming subforum:

1) There are two descriptions for the new guide: a) looking at the TV through a thick pair of sunglasses or b) someone turning the contrast on your TV down to 10, on a scale of 100.

2) I know that the 1.9 guide received a lot of complaints.  I wonder how many of those complaints were from folks with poorly calibrated TVs - meaning, brightness turned up to 100, backlights turned up to max.  Basically, completely unrealistic brightness on a TV that isn't meant to be there.  I have calibrated my TV, not professionally, but with discs created by the folks on the AVS forums, and I never had an issue with the 1.9 guide.  Writing was nicely contrasted with the background colors, green highlights for sports and red highlights for movies were immediately noticeable.

3) How hard is it to offer users the choice between color scheme #1 and color scheme #2.  With the processors in our DVRs, this seems like a simple and quick software fix.

blueribb
Contributor - Level 1

Got the update on both of my TV's and I think it looks great - much better than 1.9. I guess the make and model of the TV plays a big part on how it looks. I have a 46" Sony XBR LCD and a 32" Samsung LCD - both about 3 yrs old and both display the guide perfectly and the contrast is just right.

Big thumbs up from me.

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cxg331
Contributor - Level 1

@blueribb wrote:

Got the update on both of my TV's and I think it looks great - much better than 1.9. I guess the make and model of the TV plays a big part on how it looks. I have a 46" Sony XBR LCD and a 32" Samsung LCD - both about 3 yrs old and both display the guide perfectly and the contrast is just right.

Big thumbs up from me.



TV make and model have nothing to do with it.  Your picture settings (i.e. whether your TV is calibrated close to industry standards) does. 

Do me a favor:

Check your TVs and tell me what the contrast, brightness, and backlight settings are.  I'm guessing that you have all 3 cranked waaay up.

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EliteGuy
Enthusiast - Level 1

I have a Sharp Elite PRO-70X5 that has been professionally ISF calibrated. Prior to the 1.9.1 STB update, the channel guide looked perfect when the TV was in the ISF Day/Night modes. Now the channel guide looks way too dark.

Like a few other people in this thread have mentioned, the channel guide probably looks okay to those that have their TV's set in Dynamic or other out-of-the-box modes with the brightness and contrast settings turned up. However, on a professionally calibrated TV where the picture is perfect, the channel guide looks too dark.

I switched from Time Warner Cable to FIOS three months ago and never thought the FIOS channel guide could look worse than TWC's, but it presently does.

Verizon, I hope you are listening...

EvanVanVan
Enthusiast - Level 3

@Bobbo527: No offense, but seriously you have an Anarchy avatar. You probably love dark goth/punk stuff and the color black. Is your computer dark themed too? Most peoples aren't.

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EvanVanVan
Enthusiast - Level 3

And to the people who say they like the new colors...

This is what you're seeing that you think looks so good now?

image

image

What are you guys smoking?  The old theme looked modern and fresh, this one is dark and dingy...

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mayoi1960
Newbie

Agreed, the new guide is hideous.

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sidewrds
Enthusiast - Level 1

This new guide is terrible. After the year of waiting for the new guide with a decently modern and fresh look we finally get it. Now I turn on my TV and get this dark drab guide. I had seen a lot of complaints about the light blue guide being hard to read but could never duplicate that on any of my sets.  I am getting closer and closer everyday to canceling Fios. Maybe if they lose enough customers then they will listen.

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Robynf1
Newbie

It's terrible. Along with the guide being too dark, the HD channels are no longer HD. The resolution is ruined...CHANGE IT BACK!

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tns
Master - Level 2

@Robynf wrote:

It's terrible. Along with the guide being too dark, the HD channels are no longer HD. The resolution is ruined...CHANGE IT BACK!


On hte resolution, sounds like your settings are screwed up.  Some others had the same.  Go back in to settings and make sure your screen types menu types are correct.

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abhi_col
Contributor - Level 3

Any one remember when IMG 1.9 came out, people were complaing about guide to be WAY TOO LIGHT? Now its too dark for others..

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tns
Master - Level 2

Clearly they will never please everyone, not even if they offer multiple choices.

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BrianC
Contributor - Level 3

I like one of the new available settings allowing us to set the description bar at the bottom to automatically close faster.  Instead of the standard 8 seconds, we can set it to 2 seconds or even 0 seconds.  No more having to hit exit to get rid of it every time I change the channel.  That is very much appreciated!  They also fixed the issue on the SD boxes where the current channel wouldn't pop up when hitting guide (it would start two channels from the current channel when using favorites).  It seems to run a little faster on the SD box too, but I haven't played around with it much to confirm.  Admittedly, this higher contrast is easier to read on the SD box on my small bedroom TV, but had gotten used to the 1.9 guide version on the HD box.

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