Display Formats

[Sproctor61]

Hi guys, newbie here when it comes to HD, etc etc. Anyway, we just switched to Dish Network and have a 722 Reciever. Its hooked up to a 32" Samsung widescreen HD tv. I have it hooked up via AVI and also tried it using a HDMI cable.

Here is my question. When watching tv, sometimes the video takes up the whole screen. Then when a commercial comes, it shrinks the picture and there is black on the left and right side during that commercial, then on some commercials, there is black all the way around the video and the screen is small. Some channels show the movies those ways to, just depends what channel I am watching.

I assume its because the show/commercial is brodcasting in different formats all the time?

Is there a way to fix this so I can see the display full screen all the time?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[KAB]

Hi guys, newbie here when it comes to HD, etc etc. Anyway, we just switched to Dish Network and have a 722 Reciever. Its hooked up to a 32" Samsung widescreen HD tv. I have it hooked up via AVI and also tried it using a HDMI cable.

Here is my question. When watching tv, sometimes the video takes up the whole screen. Then when a commercial comes, it shrinks the picture and there is black on the left and right side during that commercial, then on some commercials, there is black all the way around the video and the screen is small. Some channels show the movies those ways to, just depends what channel I am watching.

I assume its because the show/commercial is brodcasting in different formats all the time?

Is there a way to fix this so I can see the display full screen all the time?

Thanks,
Steve

Not all content, especially commercials is 16X9 format, and not all content is true HDTV. You are suffering from a general lack of understanding about HD, like TONS of people do. So don't feel bad. Google for more info about HD screen formats.

 

[Mr.Pinkeye]

shortish answer

There is no 'setting' to fix this automatically because what you are seeing is what is being broadcast to you on those channels. The black bars on the sides are being broadcast to you (You will notice some channels like ESPN fill this up with their logo) When they then show a commercial that is widescreen, but with black bars on the top, bottom, and sides, that is what is being broadcast- that is they are filling your entire screen, its just black that they are sending you.

For a more comprehensive answer to all this stuff visit:
EKB: Aspect ratio comparison. Why the black bars?

 

[Sproctor61]

Ok guys thanks. I was just wondering because when that happens on the other 3 tv's they setup (non HD) I can press a button on the remote to make it fit to screen. It says something like SD: Normal, SD: Stretch and HD: Normal and HD: Stretch on the upper right part of the screen when you change channels. Those are available on all my tv's but the widescreen HD one. I guess thats just the way it is. Thanks for the info. Still learning.

Steve

 

[CowboyDren]

The MOST annoying thing is on History HD, where they broadcast a 16:9 source that is matted by letterboxing, and then STRETCH it to fill the screen horizontally. Net result is squat, fat programming AND letterboxes.

Too bad the 722 doesn't have a "Stupid Engineer" mode in the format options...