Looking for a theme for the visually impaired

Lord Raiden · 2007-12-20, 09:22

Hi everyone. I hope this is the right forum for this. What I'm after is a basic theme for Media Portal that works well with the visually impaired. My mom is up in her early 60's and due to diabetes in the family, she has issues seeing small fonts on the TV, and Media Portal has plenty of those. They don't bother me, but they bother her because they're too small. I've gone through my entire media portal setup and made everything as use friendly to her as I can, even boosting fonts in places to larger, more readable sizes. The problem with that is, while my Media Portal based HTPC is better, she has a far easier time reading the fonts and navigating on our Neuros OSD due to the way files and other stuff is displayed on the screen.

Here's an example of what the menus and files look like when displayed in the Neuros OSD. I'd like something similar to that for my Media Portal theme. IE, no special side items, no extra graphics. Just raw spartan menu selections. Eye candy really isn't a big deal here. I'm after ease of viewing for a visually impaired individual and ease of navigation. Any help or pointers on where to find a theme that'll do this for me or ways to make my own is welcome. I know my mom will appreciate any help you can give me.

Lord Raiden · 2007-12-25, 00:27

*bump* Still looking to see if something like this is available, or if not, possible ways to hack my existing Blue Two theme to be easier to see.

I'm also looking for ways to remove the stuff on the right that says "Layout, Sort by, Play DVD, Eject", etc. If I can get rid of that, and remove the file size text and maybe replace it with a little file icon to indicate that I'm looking at a file, not a folder, that would work too. The Neuros example I gave above worked well for us and I'd like to recreate that experience as much as possible here. Thanks.

Lord Raiden · 2008-01-03, 00:59

Well, as an update, I've managed to hack the theme so that the font size is bigger as well as the background fields (good lord it took me a while to find everything I needed to do that). Just one thing remains. I need to find a way to get rid of that pesky file size notation on the right side of the file name so that the filename goes all the way across. Anyone know where that is in the templates? TIA.

Spragleknas · 2008-01-03, 06:49

Hi and welcome!
You could UL your skin so far and hope that people modify it.... thats one of the great things about Open Source.

Would be nice if MP had a theme for the visually impaired

(But please don't bump this thread any more

)

ba_baracus · 2008-01-08, 00:05

have you tried the mp basic? http://www.team-mediaportal.com/file...a4(MP0.2.3.0)/

It is simple and may be what you are looking for. Good luck

2007-12-20, 09:22	#1 (permalink)
Lord Raiden Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	Looking for a theme for the visually impaired Hi everyone. I hope this is the right forum for this. What I'm after is a basic theme for Media Portal that works well with the visually impaired. My mom is up in her early 60's and due to diabetes in the family, she has issues seeing small fonts on the TV, and Media Portal has plenty of those. They don't bother me, but they bother her because they're too small. I've gone through my entire media portal setup and made everything as use friendly to her as I can, even boosting fonts in places to larger, more readable sizes. The problem with that is, while my Media Portal based HTPC is better, she has a far easier time reading the fonts and navigating on our Neuros OSD due to the way files and other stuff is displayed on the screen. Here's an example of what the menus and files look like when displayed in the Neuros OSD. I'd like something similar to that for my Media Portal theme. IE, no special side items, no extra graphics. Just raw spartan menu selections. Eye candy really isn't a big deal here. I'm after ease of viewing for a visually impaired individual and ease of navigation. Any help or pointers on where to find a theme that'll do this for me or ways to make my own is welcome. I know my mom will appreciate any help you can give me.

2008-01-03, 06:49	#4 (permalink)
Spragleknas Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Rogaland Age: 32 Posts: 3,526 Thanks: 153 Thanked 70 Times in 60 Posts Country: My System	Hi and welcome! You could UL your skin so far and hope that people modify it.... thats one of the great things about Open Source. Would be nice if MP had a theme for the visually impaired (But please don't bump this thread any more ) __________________ Please read -> HOW TO START A SUPPORT THREAD !!! Support MediaPortal! Donate by clicking HERE Dedicated HTPC board (Norway) -> MSPC.no

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2007-12-25, 00:27	#2 (permalink)
Lord Raiden Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	bump Still looking to see if something like this is available, or if not, possible ways to hack my existing Blue Two theme to be easier to see. I'm also looking for ways to remove the stuff on the right that says "Layout, Sort by, Play DVD, Eject", etc. If I can get rid of that, and remove the file size text and maybe replace it with a little file icon to indicate that I'm looking at a file, not a folder, that would work too. The Neuros example I gave above worked well for us and I'd like to recreate that experience as much as possible here. Thanks.

2008-01-03, 00:59	#3 (permalink)
Lord Raiden Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	Well, as an update, I've managed to hack the theme so that the font size is bigger as well as the background fields (good lord it took me a while to find everything I needed to do that). Just one thing remains. I need to find a way to get rid of that pesky file size notation on the right side of the file name so that the filename goes all the way across. Anyone know where that is in the templates? TIA.

2008-01-08, 00:05	#5 (permalink)
ba_baracus Portal Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 19 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	have you tried the mp basic? http://www.team-mediaportal.com/file...a4(MP0.2.3.0)/ It is simple and may be what you are looking for. Good luck