Picture chopped off at sides

allanpw · 31-01-2006, 20:59

On some digital channels (Five, BBC4 are the ones I've noticed) a letterbox picture is stretched upward so that it reaches the top/bottom of the screen and the sides are trimmed to fit a 4:3 regular picture - whatever the setting on the TV. Analogue on Five is fine. Calling 151 got the suggestion that i alter the widescreen setting on the STB, but no use - 151 then baffled.

Any cures, workarounds, or other information, anyone?

SLM · 31-01-2006, 22:15

Welcome to the site.
Is your tv set to the correct setting eg smart or auto failing that make sure the visual settings are set to the correct size for your tv it is no use if your tv is a 4:3 tv and the settings are 16:9 and vice versa also.

marky · 31-01-2006, 22:38

If you have a normal tv as i do (no wide screen etc) i think you have to live with it

allanpw · 01-02-2006, 11:28

Auto doesn't help on the channels where this is a problem. Where it isn't (More4, E4+1, UKTV Gold as at a quick scan at 1100) then either auto works or you get the proper black bands top and bottom and you can fix the aspect ratio manually by adjusting the zoom on the TV, like with the analogue signal. With Five (the easiest to check as there is an analogue signal to compare with) and BBC4 the left and right edges of the picture just aren't there in the signal from the STB. As I said, I've tried picture width settings in the STB after taliking to 151 and got nowhere.

MikeyB · 01-02-2006, 13:09

Hi,

I think from your desciption it's what happens when a channel is showing a 4:3 picture but is still broadcasting in widescreen.

You will see this a lot on BBC news, where the actual news program is in 16:9 but when they cut to a OB news item that was recorded in 4:3 it will have black bars at the sides of the picture (I think this is 14:9)
Never noticed it on Five, but then never watch anything on Five!
If the whole program itself is in 4:3 then it is usually broadcast in 4:3 and your TV should switch automatically (if you have it set)

UKTV Gold is always broadcast in 4:3, so when they show a programme that was recorded in 16:9 you will get the black bars at the top & bottom.

If thats not the case, it could be a problem with your STB or TV.
How have you got the STB connected to your TV?

King Of Fools · 01-02-2006, 13:29

allanpw, do you have a widescreen TV or a normal 4:3 TV?

allanpw · 01-02-2006, 16:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeyB

Hi,

I think from your desciption it's what happens when a channel is showing a 4:3 picture but is still broadcasting in widescreen.

You will see this a lot on BBC news, where the actual news program is in 16:9 but when they cut to a OB news item that was recorded in 4:3 it will have black bars at the sides of the picture (I think this is 14:9)
Never noticed it on Five, but then never watch anything on Five!
If the whole program itself is in 4:3 then it is usually broadcast in 4:3 and your TV should switch automatically (if you have it set)

UKTV Gold is always broadcast in 4:3, so when they show a programme that was recorded in 16:9 you will get the black bars at the top & bottom.

If thats not the case, it could be a problem with your STB or TV.
How have you got the STB connected to your TV?

Thanks Mike. It's a widescreen TV attached by SCART to the NTL box. Many programs get automatic adjustment, but one or two don't - you'd expect all or none would have problems! Undoubtedly, it's programs in widescreen that get cut, but no setting on the TV affects the results - just as if I set the TV to 4:3 with a channel that behaves, then the digital signal gets squeezed in the correct aspect ratio so that it acquires black bands top and bottom. Since altering the TV settings has no effect, I suspect the STB. I suppose that I had better try swapping in another TV, but it wouldn't be widescreen.

Allan

King Of Fools · 01-02-2006, 16:39

Sounds like you need to change the TV setting on the STB to widescreen mode and it is currently set to one of the 4:3 modes.

ikthius · 01-02-2006, 17:06

sometimes the STB just looses its focus on the screen size.

I just use the settings button > visual settings > size to whatever, but change it thten change it back, then press TV

then it reverts back to its normal state.

My TV is set up properly, but just once in a blue moon the STB plays up.

ik

allanpw · 01-02-2006, 17:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Of Fools

Sounds like you need to change the TV setting on the STB to widescreen mode and it is currently set to one of the 4:3 modes.

Thanks. I tried this after talking to 151 and the thing I tried didn't help, but are there several such settings in the STB?

---------- Post added at 17:55 ---------- Previous post was at 17:13 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by ikthius

sometimes the STB just looses its focus on the screen size.

I just use the settings button > visual settings > size to whatever, but change it thten change it back, then press TV

then it reverts back to its normal state.

My TV is set up properly, but just once in a blue moon the STB plays up.

ik

Brilliant. That worked! Thanks all!

hongkonguk · 22-02-2006, 10:51

I have a similar problem to this on my Samsung box. The apect ratio changes frequently (to the point it is becoming annoying) I have the ws tv set to 'auto' and have modified the visual settings on the stb to all of the screen ratio settings all to no avail.

I have tried replacing the scarts leads for better quality ones and moved the leads to different sockets on the tv.

Anything else I can try?

Oh,I don't know if this is relevant but it seems to worse on some channels more than others (Bravo being the worst)

spiderplant · 22-02-2006, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by hongkonguk

I have the ws tv set to 'auto'

I think that could be your problem. It should be set to 16:9 or widescreen (depending on what your TV calls it). The STB should also be set to 16:9.

The picture format will still change occasionally, but it's meant to do it.

SLM · 22-02-2006, 22:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by hongkonguk

I have a similar problem to this on my Samsung box. The apect ratio changes frequently (to the point it is becoming annoying) I have the ws tv set to 'auto' and have modified the visual settings on the stb to all of the screen ratio settings all to no avail.

I have tried replacing the scarts leads for better quality ones and moved the leads to different sockets on the tv.

Anything else I can try?

Oh,I don't know if this is relevant but it seems to worse on some channels more than others (Bravo being the worst)

At what time is it doing this, is it at any time during a programme or when a programme goes to adverts?

hongkonguk · 23-02-2006, 09:23

It has been doing it at random points,either during the programme or (more frequently) during the adverts.

I have switched the tv setting to 16:9 instead of auto so I will report back if it improves or not.

Thanks for the replies.

SLM · 23-02-2006, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by hongkonguk

It has been doing it at random points,either during the programme or (more frequently) during the adverts.

I have switched the tv setting to 16:9 instead of auto so I will report back if it improves or not.

Thanks for the replies.

If its more often in adverts it is how the advert is broadcast. Not to sure about the middle of a programme though.