Most SD channels are being broadcast stretched.

[Stormy_2021]

Hey all...
For at least the past three weeks or so, a bunch of SD channels have been broadcast in the wrong aspect ratio (squished & stretched or just stretched).

Now, it seems that most SD channels are affected...

Using my VIP 222's picture ratio controls (stretch, partial zoom, zoom, gray bar) makes no difference. All but partial zoom have no effect and do not work (the gray bar option doesn't even apply gray bars to the sides).

I know it's not my TV's fault, as we're having the same problem with our other TV & VIP 222 and have changed nothing on either.
Both VIPs have been fully rebooted, and settings checked.
Using a HDMI connection, set to 16x9, 1080I...

Because the gray bar option won't work on the channels, it's the easiest way to show that a particular SD channel is affected...

Here's a crappy screenshot showing Encore Suspense, set to gray bar, with no gray bar showing and the picture "squished & stretched":

I can't be the only one seeing this...
Can anyone be contacted at Dish to resolve this...?

 

[n0qcu]

In that screen shot you have HD set to gray bar not the SD. You have SD set to NORMAL

 

[larrykenney]

Must be something happening just in your area. At least the stations here in the San Francisco Bay Area are still transmitting the proper aspect ratio. We had a couple that were sending the wrong aspect ratio, but local viewers convinced them to change.

 

[Stormy_2021]

In that screen shot you have HD set to gray bar not the SD. You have SD set to NORMAL

The SD setting (under the HD) only works if the connection from the SAT receiver to the TV is not HDMI or Component...
I'm using a HDMI connection, which is HD...

 

[Stormy_2021]

Must be something happening just in your area. At least the stations here in the San Francisco Bay Area are still transmitting the proper aspect ratio. We had a couple that were sending the wrong aspect ratio, but local viewers convinced them to change.

I live in Maine, so it could be an East Coast thing...

 

[Joe891]

I live in Maine, so it could be an East Coast thing...

I'm on the east coast in Maryland on the eastern arc and am not experiencing this

 

[Stormy_2021]

I'm on the east coast in Maryland on the eastern arc and am not experiencing this

Well, this is just weird... I wonder if my ViP 222s need a firmware update..?

Could someone please post a screenshot of channel 106 (tvland) with the HD picture setting set to "gray bar"...?

I swear, I'm not crazy... I hope...

 

[Joe891]

Well, this is just weird... I wonder if my ViP 222s need a firmware update..?

Could someone please post a screenshot of channel 106 (tvland) with the HD picture setting set to "gray bar"...?

I swear, I'm not crazy... I hope...

This is the hopper

 

[Stormy_2021]

Thanks for the pics .

I don't see the gray bars I the first pic... which is tvland... and the picture looks stretched...

Of course I see them in the second... are both pics tvland?

All the picture options are working on HD channels, just not SD...

Here's what tvland looks like here...
Notice that it's stretched and has no gray bars, even though it should.

 

[Joe891]

Thanks for the pics .

I don't see the gray bars I the first pic... which is tvland... and the picture looks stretched...

Of course I see them in the second... are both pics tvland?

All the picture options are working on HD channels, just not SD...

Here's what tvland looks like here...
Notice that it's stretched and has no gray bars, even though it should.

View attachment 126079

Both are tv land just the first is in stretch

 

[Joe891]

Both are tv land just the first is in stretch

I have my sd channels set to stretch and he set to normal

 

[Stormy_2021]

Both are tv land just the first is in stretch

Ok, thanks...

I wish I knew what was going on...
Like I said, this started about 3 weeks ago on a few SD channels, and yesterday on all SD channels...

It's killin' me because we watch a lot of the SD Encore channels...

 

[Stormy_2021]

I have my sd channels set to stretch and hd set to normal

I watch my HD channels set to normal also...

I usually watch my SD channels zoomed, unless the program was originally broadcast as 4x3.

I watch 4x3 programs with the gray bars as it keeps the aspect ratio correct and helps prevent plasma burn-in on my TV...

 

[jerryez]

I believe most tv watchers prefer the stretched programs. That way it fills the screen of their wide tv screens. Remember, Sat Guys are not most watchers, but every time I go to visit someone(uninformed), they want me to adjust their tvs to fit the screen on all pictures, so they can get their moneys worth on their big screen tvs.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I think a lot of these channels are going to an HD feed only and getting rid of SD feeds.

Remember when it used to be the other way around where the HD feeds looked messed up when we viewed them on a 4x3 set.

On cable and directv I have noticed all the SD stuff is stretched to fit a 16x9 screen.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I believe most tv watchers prefer the stretched programs. That way it fills the screen of their wide tv screens. Remember, Sat Guys are not most watchers, but every time I go to visit someone(uninformed), they want me to adjust their tvs to fit the screen on all pictures, so they can get their moneys worth on their big screen tvs.

That was the big thing they stopped many customers from getting a 16x9 tv in the early days.

I remember I actually had a customer take a new 16x9 set back to the store due to the cropping issue on SD content.

 

[DWS44]

I believe most tv watchers prefer the stretched programs. That way it fills the screen of their wide tv screens. Remember, Sat Guys are not most watchers, but every time I go to visit someone(uninformed), they want me to adjust their tvs to fit the screen on all pictures, so they can get their moneys worth on their big screen tvs.

I don't know if it's "most", but there are certainly plenty that think that way, and it drives me nuts. Whatever their justification is for watching stretch-o-vision, I just don't get the appeal of making everyone look extra fat.

 

[Tampa8]

Has something changed with dual mode or shared view settings on the two receivers? Also that pic of TVland does not look normally stretched to me in addition to not having the grey bars. It looks like what I have seen in the past (rarely) where I had to do a hard reset on my VIp 612's by pulling the plug to get it back to displaying correctly.
Checking both ARC's just to be sure I am getting the grey bars, or stretch etc on any SD channel I tried including TVLand and ESUSP etc... Since it is happening with both TV's as you say that seems to rule out a setting on the TV's themselves. But If you have not already unplug both TV's for a few seconds as something else to try.

 

[Stormy_2021]

Has something changed with dual mode or shared view settings on the two receivers? ...
Since it is happening with both TV's as you say that seems to rule out a setting on the TV's themselves. But If you have not already unplug both TV's for a few seconds as something else to try.

Nope, those settings have not changed... and I've unplugged both receivers and TVs for 5 minutes before replugging them in... no change...

The way the zoom options are malfunctioning, it almost seems like the SD channels are being broadcast as HD, even though their still SD...
Similar to the way a DVD has a data flag to tell the player it's being played on to display it either in a 16x9 or 4x3 ratio...

Maybe my 222's can't decipher a new "flag" that's being sent in the signal... or the wrong "flag" is being sent, and newer model receivers skip or correct it...

Either that or, after 18 years, Dish wants me to switch to Spectrum...

 

[Pepper]

Was watching Love Boat this weekend on local MEtv subchannel OTA. They are broadcasting SD, with pillars which by itself is fine, but what they were broadcasting had already been stretched to fit a nonexistent 16x9 frame. That would be stretched again, if the end user wanted their screen filled. Literally it looks like a cruise of obese people.