Switch To HDMI Problems

[EvansLight]

Hello Well, where to start. Last week i finally upgraded from a crap 27" old CRT, to a beautiful Samsung PN50A550 HDTV. It is beautiful, and over the last week I have been slowly collecting all the parts i need, ordered from various sites, and bought at random stores. Well today I finally got in the last 2 hdmi cables we had coming. These where for my 360 and my STB from TWC (which is a Motorola HDTV DVR, don't know the model #, but its at least a year old).

Well i hooked up my STB, which until now was running through S-Video, and turned it on only to find some very weird things happening indeed. First off on STD channels, i get the black bars on the sides. On HD channels, i have to switch to Just Scan mode on my TV to get it to fit right, and on all channels the Guide fills a 4:3 sized area and doesn't shrink the channel to the top right corner anymore.

I don't know what to do, I've looked at all settings i know of, and have fiddled with it for hours. I don't know if i need a new STB, or if i just have something set wrong, or what. But if this is really how its going to be i will just stick with S-Video, the increase in quality ain't worth this.

Also if it helps (since i usually suck at explaining things) i have included two pictures, one of SD Channels (paused so i could actually get a good picture) and of HD channels, once again paused, with the guide opened. Also if its of any use i live in Dallas County.

Thanks ahead of time for any help anyone can provide. And if i need to get a new STB, thats fine. I already need to go get my sister a new one since she too just got an HDTV and her box doesn't even have HDMI outputs.

 

[Chucky Cheese]

The reason you now have bars is your old tv screen size was 4.3 and now your new HD set is 16.9, you can fill in the screen but just remember that when you do so, you distort the picuture image. Your taking a 4.3 picture and streching it out to 16.9. If it's HD the screen will fill in automaticlly if not it has the bars. Im not familiar with the Motorola boxes but in your settings somewhere you should be able to make the box strech the image.

 

[EvansLight]

The reason you now have bars is your old tv screen size was 4.3 and now your new HD set is 16.9, you can fill in the screen but just remember that when you do so, you distort the picuture image. Your taking a 4.3 picture and streching it out to 16.9. If it's HD the screen will fill in automaticlly if not it has the bars. Im not familiar with the Motorola boxes but in your settings somewhere you should be able to make the box strech the image.

Yea i know STD is transmitted in 480i which is of course 4:3. I was just sure there was a way to make the cable box strech the STD channels to fill 16:9. On some other forums i figured out how to change that. I now have the STD channels stretching to fill the screen, but for some reason the guide is still at a 4:3 ratio, and even On Demand is staying that small.

As ive said i will gladly go tomorrow and get a new box. Ive gotten used to being there with how many boxes my house has been through. I thought at first once i get the 4:3 images streching that i could live with the skinny guide, but it is getting a bit annoying to see it like that. Makes me cable look broken almost.

 

[Chucky Cheese]

Yea but for some reason the guide is still at a 4:3 ratio, and even On Demand is staying that small.

I don't think the guide can be streched. TimeWarner here in NY use the Scientific Atlanta Boxes, the guide can't strech. Here thier are two different On Demand channels. One standard On Demand and one HD On Demand. Check to see if you have a HD On Demand.

 

[EvansLight]

I get HD movies and showcase on demand. And that kinda sucks the guide cant be expanded, but ive gotten used to it. And oh man is it worth it.

 

[Chucky Cheese]

I get HD movies and showcase on demand. And that kinda sucks the guide cant be expanded, but ive gotten used to it. And oh man is it worth it.

:up

 

[DJ K]

I think this is your problem. keep your box on so you can see a cable picture. then turn off the power on the box. next press the menu button (making sure the power is still off on your box) you should see 480p, or 480i, or 1080i on your LCD. what should happen is you should see a gray screen pop up on your TV that shows your output settings. this is where you need to change your setting from 4:3 to 16:9 for your picture size. Also this is where you can change your output setting from 780 to 1080i. Once you have made your selection press power and the setting should have taken effect. NOW you might have to go back to this gray screen and make some more tweeks to your setup and likeing.

I hope this works out for you, if not e-mail me directly.

cheers,
DJ K