Problems with full screen on HD channels..Please Help! :-)

 

New member
Username: Eab6287

Pittsburgh, PA

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-07
I have a Sharp Aquos 4:3 LCD HDTV and I'm using Comcast service with their Motorola HDTV digital cable box. The box is connected with a component video cable to the TV. Widescreen HDTV content works perfectly (the 16:9 HD content is displayed with black bars on the top and bottom of the screen since my TV is HD but not 16:9).
However, when watching HDTV channels that are broadcasting in 4:3 (ex. during commercials, when HD shows are filmed 4:3, or when the content on the HD channels is not actually HD), I get FOUR black bars (the normal widescreen top and bottom bars plus bars on the left and right side of the screen). The picture with this content is a 4:3 ratio, but it isn't filling my screen for some reason.

The TV does not allow adjustment of the aspect ratio mode (letterbox, stretch, zoom, etc) when viewing HD content.

I've tried using the Motorola's setup menu to switch back and forth between 16:9 and 4:3 output, 1080i, 720p, etc and nothing seems to make any difference. There's also an option that says something about 480 override, does anyone know what purpose this serves?

Also, as a side question...is it better to set the cable box to 1080i and let the TV scale down to 720p or set the box to 720p to feed the TV its native resolution?

Any ideas? Help would be greatly appreciated.
 

New member
Username: Eab6287

Pittsburgh, PA

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jan-07
One further question that I have.....

I also have a Tivo set up with this TV, the Humax Tivo w\ DVD Recorder.

Since I got it, the Tivo menus have always been a bit fuzzy. The tivo is connected with component video and set up for progressive output. The menus aren't horrible and are usable, but there's a lot of general bluriness. Is this just a facet of the tivo's limited capability to generate its on screen display with a clean signal? Have other people been having this problem?

Thanks again.
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