Two Problems - HDMI cables and HD channels

[BinaryWorld]

Hi. I hope this is the right place to post these questions.

I have Comcast service with a 6412 DVR that I just picked up yesterday. I plugged in one end of the HDMI cable to the HDTV and the other end to the box. When I turn on the TV and box, I get no picture and no sound. Only static sound. I thought this was sort of a "plug and play" thing. The only way to get picture and sound now is to use the component cables.

Also, I had to call Comcast to authorize my HD channels. My TV settings are set to 16:9, but some of the HD channels only show a square of picture, with black bars across the sides and top and bottom. Shouldn't the entire screen be filled with picture?

Thanks in advance as Comcast was no help.

-BW

 

[berck]

I have a 3412. Its HDMI port works fine. I thought I read that their are some issues with the 6412 model.

Some content will look like you specified. All SD channels are zoomed from the 3412 box to fit my screen. The HD channels are a different story. If the content is HD, then the content fits the screen. If the content is SD over the HD channel, then I'll see atleast black bars on the sides (pilars) and if the SD content was 16x9, I'll also get black bars across the top and bottom.

You may want to check your settings of the 6412 box to make sure its displaying the content correctly for your TV. The link below is helpful

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR

 

[bcrissman]

Not all HD channels will broadcast in 16:9 all the time. Some content just isn't produced for that aspect ratio. Case in point, Falcons game yesterday was 16:9 on CBS but Amazing Race was 4:3 (black bars on side) it just depends on the programing.

 

[goober22]

If you have bars all the way around on an HD channel, it sounds like the box is in SD mode and not HD mode. Follow that link above and read on how to run the setup wizard. Set the box to whatever output you want (720 or 1080).

That may also be why nothing is ouputting on the HDMI currently. I use SA equipment so I can't help much further with the Moto.

PS: It's true that HD stations, usually ABC, CBS, etc., during the day, only have 4x3 content so they frame it with black bars on the sides to make it fill a 16x9 frame. You'll have to use one of the stretch/zoom features to fill the screen if that's the case.

But bars all around sounds like SD mode on HD content.