I'm at work and do not have a lot of time to search this forum for similar posts so I'll just post my issue. I recently purchased a 42" Samsung DLP. I got it hooked up to my regular DVR set-to-box and started enjoying the large screen. Edge to Edge full picture. I was used to a 36" prior to this TV. The wife and I decided to get HD so 2 days later we make the call to TW to get HD. They instructed us to take out STB to the local TW location and exchange it for the HD DVT box. It looks exactly the same and we could not wait to get home and set it up. Once I had STB hooked up and followed the easy to set up instructions I was ready to test it out. The first thing I noticed is my full edge to edge picture was gone. My normal channels(non-HD) did not show in full screen. The HD channels were GREAT, but I'm not to happy about the other cable channels not being full screen. I played with the config on both the TV itself and the STB for over an hour and could only achieve full screen on regular channels with the Stretch/Zoom capabilities and these are not that desirable. You lose quality or viewing area on all those options. Does anyone have any adive on how both the HD and the normal cable channels can be full 1080i or 720p resolution and fit edge to edge on my 42" in standard modes? Please help!
Probably a noob question...
- Thread starter chucklez112997
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 22
- Views 6K
You're just going to have to get used to it. None HD digital broadcasts are sent out in that form, and other that the crappy stretch and zoom features, there is nothing you can do. However the analog channels do fill the whole screen. If watching the digital shortened non HD programs bothers you that much, just switch to the analog counterpart for that particular program.
I'll give it a try... Thanks
Thanks for the post. You're saying run the original coax cable to the box as well as the HDMI cable and for non HD channels switch to the other interface(Analog)? Ok, I will try that. Thanks again.
A question does come to mind though. When I set a program to record on the DVR which version will get recorded by default? I assume I could look all this up. I bet there are setting to select the signal you want recorded right?
Thanks for the post. You're saying run the original coax cable to the box as well as the HDMI cable and for non HD channels switch to the other interface(Analog)? Ok, I will try that. Thanks again.
A question does come to mind though. When I set a program to record on the DVR which version will get recorded by default? I assume I could look all this up. I bet there are setting to select the signal you want recorded right?
Can't understand what you are saying here. I am not suggesting any change in cable connections at all. Seems to me that your problem lies mostly with the cable delivered local OTA channels. TW should be carrying the analog counterpart if they are giving you the digital. What I am saying is, just go to that channel (low numbers) to see the full screen feed if the side bars on the digital feed bothers you. As for the DVR question, I do not have the TW DVR, but have to assume that it would work like any other recorder. Just pick the channel, and it will record what is there. Full screen or 4:3 aspect with the sidebars. There should be no particular default. It will record what it sees.
My lower channels are the channels I'm talking about. They are not egde to egde. We're just getting used to it. I think it's sad that I replaced my standard digital STB with the HD STB and I get less picture except for the HD channels. There is 2-3 inches of unused space on both sides of my picture on the lower channels. It was not like that on my old STB I traded in for the lower channels.
Also, I've been a digital customer for a while and I've had full screen on both the new and the old TV from day one. Everything changed with the HD box.
Last edited:
Very strange. I get a full screen picture on all the lower channels with my HD box. When I initially had the 2nd HD box connected to the Sammy set, I now remember having the same problem. Can't remember just exactly what I did to correct it other than to switch from the large connector(DVI I think) to component cables. Can't remember if there was any change made to the box settings, but I will play with it when I get the chance.
Tried horsing around with settings on my box and Sammy set yesterday. Could not duplicate the problem you are having. Maybe it's time to tell TW to give you another box. What kind of cable connection are you using from the box to the tv? My set-up had problems with the large DVI connector. Works fine with the 3 cable component connection though.
Non-HD programs are braodcast in 4:3 format which means square format. So if you have a widescreen tv the onyl way to watch standard pictures on it with "full screen edge to edge" is to use either the box or tv to "zoom" or "strecth" the picture, because obviously it wasnt designed for your tv. HD Channels (if poure hd) is 16:9 so works perfect on your HD TV Widescreen. The only thing you can do is find the option that looks the best. If your using the SAHDDVR Then you should be able to set it up for 16:9 or 4:3 on zoom/stretch and differnt settings. I recomend setting your tv to its standard format and using the box only to change the aspect ratio (size/stretch/zoom) if you use both thats when you get into the poor picture quailty. That is the disadvantage to owning a widescreen tv, becasue TV isnt designed for it. only HD is designed for widescreen. (thats why when you watch a movie on tv it says "this show has been modified and formated to fit your screen" theatres are widescreen so they format it to make it standard)
Thanks for all the feedback!!
I've heard this more than once but what I can not understand is why with the old plain digital set-top-box and my new widescreen the regular channels were edge to edge? Is it because I am using the HDMI cable instead of the DVI cables supplied by TW? My screen is freezing at times as well. It looks like this box will be returned for a new one anyways.
Well the freezeing issue is a problem in-of itself, but the reason with your old box that you didnt have that problem is because your TV wasnt in HD mode.. Swith the tv to say ANT or input 1 your non-hd inputs and it will automaticly "stretch" the picture for you youve grown accustom to watching it like that so you really didnt notice it looked streteched, then when yo ustarted watching true HD widescreen and then non-hd widescreen you can tell the BIG differnce. ITs not the box is the input of the tv you are using.. It formats differnt on hdmi/componot/dvi modes (hd) then your regular s-video or rca or coax type inputs....
On my Sammy set I use the wide setting for everything. Picture is edge to edge and looking 100% normal. No stretched-out look. Why don't you try a component hook-up instead of the HDMI and see what happens.
That would explain it. I just think it's a little silly that HD customers have to deal with this change. It just seems odd to me that they would not try to keep non HD channels the same as they were. At this point it's more a curiosity to me I'm getting used to the viewing screen size. Thanks for the input.
When I bought he TV it came with a complete Home Audio installation & set up by Magnolia Home Theatre. I'll have them try different hook-ups since they will be trying to optimize my equipment anyways. Thanks for the input.
Well thats not something the cable company nor box makers can fix.. That has to do with your TV itself.. On the HD modes of the TV it expects an HD- 16:9 picture. and if it doesnt get it it will format it to the 4:3 (sqaure) size. Now the only way for this to be fixed completely is for EVERY station to broadcast (or at least a majority) in the 16:9 format, which I think you will be 2 or 3 more tv purchases down the road before that happens....
One thing you can do though is connect the box to your HDMI (or comp) like it is now, and also add a second connection to the TV useing the RCA or s-video or even coax inputs.. Then watch all standard TV in those formats (you want notice differnce in quality) Then you should have it working the same way it was before, just when you want to watch something that is actually in HD just switch modes on the tv to a different input.
I'm new to the forum and came here exploring this very same question. I just switched from DirecTV to TWC (by force, believe me). I had regular satellite at the old place and decided to upgrade to HD when I got the cable here.
The issue IS the box. I'll tell you why. Your old box was expecting a normal TV so it broadcast a normal 4:3 picture that your TV then stretched to fill the screen. The nice thing about this setup is that your TV probably has a "Full Screen" mode (or something similar) that stretches the sides more than the center so the picture in the middle of the screen looks near perfect and you barely even notice the stretching.
Now you have HD and your box is probably set to 16:9 picture output rather than 4:3. Unfortunately the box adds in the gray side bars for the 4:3 picture rather than just broadcasting it as is. When you try to use the "Full Screen" on your TV the side bars are included in the picture that the TV is trying to adjust...you can't get rid of them. Maybe the box manufacturers feel that the black screen on your TV is too bland and gray side bars will remind you why you pay for HD programming and force you to stop watching 4:3??
The box only has the stretch or zoom options to fix this issue. It doesn't have the "full screen" output which is 1,000X better than the stretch and/or zoom options. This is why your current picture, when stretched, looks horrible.
Believe me - I feel your pain. How does one contact star america with this feedback?
