Struggling to read the guide on your Dish Network? The text and images may be small to the extent that it becomes challenging to navigate between channels and get information about programs. Fortunately, it is possible to expand the on-screen guide on Dish receivers to read it more easily. Here are step-by-step instructions.
Check Your Display Settings
Before changing the guide, make sure your television display settings are correctly set to view any Dish programming. Begin with turning on your Dish remote and ensure that the video output is set to 1080p or the highest supported by the television.
You will also need to ensure that the aspect ratio is properly adjusted. While most HDTVs are well suited to a 16:9 width resolution, older standard-definition CRT TVs utilize a 4:3 non-wide screen ratio. If you need assistance on how to change the video output and aspect ratio of your Dish receiver, refer to your user manual or call Dish.
Zoom or Picture Size is a feature used in adjusting the size of images on a TV.
If the zoom or picture size setting is not correctly set on your TV, your Dish guide that comes with the HD or 4K channel may appear small to you. Your Dish box also outputs the native resolution signal and your TV is responsible for upscaling that picture to the full screen.
They are zoom, sizing, and aspect ratio buttons that are usually provided on TV remotes that can be used to enlarge or reduce the size of the overall picture. Scrolling in will cause the Dish guide text and graphics to become much larger than the current size. Just bear in mind that having the zoom too high may cause some parts of the picture not to be visible.
Various Picture Modes for TV
Your TV would come with different pre-set picture modes through which pictures are displayed on your TV screen. To view Dish programming, do not use any movie or cinema settings as they increase the contrast; instead, select standard, normal, or vibrant settings. A vivid mode will enhance acuity and also augment and clarify Dish text. However, it is better not to overdo it as it makes the picture look like it has been touched up.
To turn closed captioning on or off, please press the button.
It may be possible to enlarge closed captions for a channel by turning it on for the Dish programming. Use the Dish guide, point at the channel of your choice, and then press the asterisk (*) button on the remote control to access the closed captioning option.
It depends on the type of font but on average one will find four or five different font styles and sizes. Huge options such as Font Size 3 can enhance the readability. However other viewers may feel that captions are only unnecessarily long and intrusive. Try to determine if turning on closed caption enlargement is beneficial or not.
Language Program Information Banner Settings
Whenever one of the channels displayed in the Dish guide is highlighted, a horizontal bar with the program information of the selected channel is displayed at the top. The text of this banner can be made larger to enhance recognition.
From the guide screen, use the left arrow on the remote to navigate to settings. Select Preferences and look for the Program Info Banner under it. Selecting Large will now increase the size of the info text to make it easier to read.
Change the Font Size of the Entire On-Screen Guide Text
If simply enlarging portions of text is still not enough, Dish has options to resize all text and images within the entire Dish program guide. This enlarges the whole interface for a better view but shrinks the numbers of the total channel and list appeared at a time.
To resize changes in the guide text, press the Menu button twice to bring up the menu. Scroll down to Interface Settings and Graphical User Interface. Choose Guide Text Size if you have vision issues and select Large or Extra Large if the problem persists. Everything in the guide and menus including all the listings, texts, icons, and images are now made bigger.
Try Dish’s Accessibility Remote
One of Dish’s remotes is the Accessibility remote control which has large, clear buttons for customers with low vision or those who have arthritis or other dexterity problems. This specialty remote is just for your Dish receiver and helps with button readability and overall ease of use when it comes to the guide.
For the Accessibility remote control model 21. 0 or 21. 1, please call the Dish Accessibility department at 800-333-3474. They will first confirm whether you are eligible then they will send you an accessibility remote preconfigured for your devices. Other access services may also be coordinated where necessary.
Summary
It is not very time-consuming nor difficult to change Dish Network’s on-screen television program guide to a more readable size. First, make sure that the settings such as display resolution, aspect ratio, and zoom increase the size of the overall picture if needed. Subsequently, use Dish guide features such as text size, program information bar, and closed captioning to selectively amplify the text factors you desire most. To achieve maximum text enlargement throughout, the complete guide interface should be resized. And try Dish’s Accessibility remote if general visibility help is needed. If these Dish guide settings are set correctly, then navigating through channels, reading descriptions of the programs, and even the details that are displayed on the screen will be much easier to accomplish.
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