Most SD channels are being broadcast stretched.

[Tampa8]

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...

it would help if others with a 222 posted about how theirs are. Some people never notice or shrug off the aspect when it isn't right. My 612's are certainly old and are displaying correctly, but of course they aren't a 222. BTW some channels broadcasting in SD are indeed the HD feed downrezzed... But the aspect should still be able to be changed. Just two examples are FETV and DIY. And example of one that is not is TvLand.

 

[Bobby]

Literally it looks like a cruise of obese people.

Oh you mean at the end of the cruise!

 

[pattykay]

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...

I have noticed kind of the opposite problem on my ViP722k in Single Mode. Sometimes some of the HD channels either look squished to fit the 4x3 frame, or they are letter-boxed and stretched in the 16x9 frame, and none of the zoom options work correctly to fix it. I think this happens when one tuner is on a HD channel, and the other tuner is on a SD channel. (The same thing used to happen when I would temporarily put the ViP722k in Single Mode just to swap tuners, and then putting the ViP722k back in Dual Mode would fix the aspect ratio. Now, I only have it hooked up to one TV, so I am leaving it in Single Mode all of the time.) Whenever this happens, I have found that changing the setting in the menu from "16x9" to "4x3 #2" fixes the aspect ratio, at least while I am still watching the same channel. After changing channels, or after a receiver reboot, I sometimes have to change the setting back to "16x9" (which is what it should be) to make it look right. This is a weird glitch, but that is my work-around. I hope it helps you with your problem.

 

[Stormy_2021]

I hope it helps you with your problem.

Thanks crodrules
I wish it did

I did find 2 SD channels that still "act" normal... ElRey (253) and LAFF (237).

Here's a pic of ElRey with the gray bar option working and in the correct aspect ratio:

To contrast, here's a pic of Epix Drive-in (292), set to gray bar (not working & aspect ratio wrong) taken a few minutes later:

What I find weird is that that elrey and laff (which work correctly) are on the same satellite (61.5) and transponder (9)...
Epix Drive-in is on satellite 72 transponder 15...

Does anyone know if Dish has done any channel/transponder "switching" within the last 3 weeks..?

Could this have anything to do with my predicament..?

 

[Tampa8]

I have to conclude it's a 222 thing since both yours are not changing aspect correctly but I can change any SD channel correctly that I have tried and I see no one else showing pics that they can not. Perhaps there was an update that either caused a setting change you are not aware of or the update itself is the problem.

 

[pattykay]

What I find weird is that that elrey and laff (which work correctly) are on the same satellite (61.5) and transponder (9)...
Epix Drive-in is on satellite 72 transponder 15...

Does anyone know if Dish has done any channel/transponder "switching" within the last 3 weeks..?

Could this have anything to do with my predicament..?

Yes, a bunch of standard-def channels were recently moved from 61.5 to the 72 satellite, so it might not be a coincidence.

Whenever this happens, I have found that changing the setting in the menu from "16x9" to "4x3 #2" fixes the aspect ratio, at least while I am still watching the same channel.

I know I suggested "4x3 #2" which fixes the problem for me on HD channels, but since you are having problems with SD channels, did you try "4x3 #1"?

 

[pattykay]

What I find weird is that that elrey and laff (which work correctly) are on the same satellite (61.5) and transponder (9)...
Epix Drive-in is on satellite 72 transponder 15...

Does anyone know if Dish has done any channel/transponder "switching" within the last 3 weeks..?

Could this have anything to do with my predicament..?

Yes, a bunch of standard-def channels were recently moved from 61.5 to the 72 satellite, so it might not be a coincidence.

Are these the channels you are having problems with?

Channel Moves:
103 - PREVW [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 09 ConUS (Dish Preview Information Channel)(A)(FP)
123(86) - MALL [MPEG2 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 05 ConUS (MALL)(A)(FP)
163 - MTVCL [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 09 ConUS (MTVCL)(A)
165 - GAC [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (Great American Country)(A)
173 - DISW [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (The Disney Channel (West))(A)
220 - MALL [MPEG2 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 05 ConUS (MALL)(A)(FP)
240 - JUSTC [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 09 ConUS (JUSTC)(A)(H)
248 - RIDE [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 07 ConUS (RIDE)(A)(H)
271 - UNIME [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 07 ConUS (UNIME)(A)(H)
286 - NASA [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 09 ConUS (Nat.Aeronautics & Space Administration TV)(A)
292 - EPXDR [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (EPXDR)(A)
300 - HBO-E [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 09 ConUS (Home Box Office (East))(A)
329 - TMC-W [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 07 ConUS (The Movie Channel (West))(A)
330 - TMCXW [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 07 ConUS (The Movie Channel Xtra (West))(A)
341 - ENCRW [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (Encore (West))(A)
343 - EACTN [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (Encore Action!)(A)
344 - ESUSP [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 05 ConUS (ESUSP)(A)
345 - EBLCK [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (EBLCK)(A)
346 - ECLAS [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (ECLAS)(A)
347 - EFAM [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (EFAM)(A)
830 - UNIME [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 07 ConUS (UNIME)(A)(H)
838 - UNVSO [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 07 ConUS (UNVSO)(A)
4638 - DISW [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (The Disney Channel (West))(A)(H)
4676 - GAC [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 15 ConUS (Great American Country)(A)(H)
4687 - MTVCL [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 09 ConUS (MTVCL)(A)(H)
4802 - UNIME [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 07 ConUS (UNIME)(A)(H)
4822 - UNVSO [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 07 ConUS (UNVSO)(A)(H)
6167 - UNIME [MPEG4 SD] Echostar16 61.5W TP 11 Conus moved to Nimiq5 72.7W TP 07 ConUS (UNIME)(NA)(H)

 

[Stormy_2021]

Yes, a bunch of standard-def channels were recently moved from 61.5 to the 72 satellite, so it might not be a coincidence.
I know I suggested "4x3 #2" which fixes the problem for me on HD channels, but since you are having problems with SD channels, did you try "4x3 #1"?

Yup, I have tried that, no go...

And another yup, none of those switched channels you listed above are showing correctly on my 222... and they were moved on May 4th, the start of this thread...

Looks like that's what's causing the problem, crodrules...
Thanks for all the detective work ...

Wish I knew what to do next...

 

[Tampa8]

Wish I knew what to do next...

Get a refresh of your account. I meant to add that suggestion before.

 

[eddie willers]

Yup, I have tried that, no go...

And another yup, none of those switched channels you listed above are showing correctly on my 222... and they were moved on May 4th, the start of this thread...

Looks like that's what's causing the problem, crodrules...
Thanks for all the detective work ...

Wish I knew what to do next...

Have you checked to make sure your TV is in the proper aspect mode? I'll bet dollars to doughnuts it's not.

 

[Tampa8]

Have you checked to make sure your TV is in the proper aspect mode? I'll bet dollars to doughnuts it's not.

That would mean both his TV's had their formats changed, not impossible but not likely. I also believe he checked that.

 

[pattykay]

Wish I knew what to do next...

Contact a DIRT member and provide them a link to this thread. Maybe they can pass it along to Engineering and tell them to move the channels back where they were, and see if that solves the problem. I was having problems with the channel up/down functionality when Dish briefly had two different feeds of QVC on channel 71, so they removed the SD feed from that channel number, and I have not had that problem since then. If you don't let DIRT or someone higher up know about a problem, it will likely never get fixed.