[mythtv-users] Picture quality/EPG readability

[Jim Kusznir]

Hello:

I've got my mythtv system set up and running quite nicely so far.  Right 
now, the biggest problem is with the readability of the various menus 
and EPG.  I built this system primarily for my parents, who can't read 
the fine print (the program discriptions in the various menus and nearly 
all text in the EPG).

So, my first solution was to increase the text size.  So far, I have not 
found any setting that actually makes any difference.  I've tweaked both 
the "text size" and the font size settings in settings/appearance, but I 
haven't found anything changed from this.  I haven't found any other 
places for appearance settings.

My parents pointed out to me that the EPG built into the sattelite 
recievers used about the same size text (I measured it onscreen, and it 
was a little bit bigger, but the picture was definately much crisper), 
but was far more readable.  The problem seems to be "blurry" text with 
the myth output where its much crisper with the sattelite recievers. 

Initially I was using the onboard i810 vga graphics output with a $70 
VGA to composite adaptor.  Based on input I recieved from other mythers 
on the IRC channel, I purchased a PCI nVidia GeForce MX440-SE (with TV 
out).  Unfortunately, the card only had S-video, and my TV (27-in) only 
has composite, so I had to get one of thoes $25 S-Video <-> composite 
adaptors from Radio Shack.  The TV quality was the same or slightly 
poorer with the TVout/adaptor than it was with the VGA scan 
converter/composite out.  Unfortunately, I don't own any display devices 
with S-Video input.

So, my questions:

Is there something I don't know about for increasing the quality / 
crispness of the video signal (other than buying a new TV, preferably 
without buying another video card or other active components over $50 -- 
I've already gone overbudget with the Myth system, and its starting to 
look like a money pit to thoes its supposed to be primarily for).  I 
have heard output filters mentioned here; would they be approprate?

Failing that, (or maby in addition to that), is there some way to 
increase the size of the small text (the EPG and the program description 
found in most of the program library pages)?

Thanks in advance!

--Jim