New V+HD customer - Some questions?

blueisthecolourblueisthecolour Posts: 20,123
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Hi,

I got my new V+HD box installed today and have a few questions.

1 - What's the deal with dodgey aspect ratios for some channels and tv on demand programmes? Quite often i'm gettign non widescreens ratios.

2 - Is it usual for the box to temporarily freeze up on a regular basis?

3 - Is there no way of control the volume outputted by the box? I've set it up to control my tv volume but as I output to a sound system that doesn't help but.

Cheers

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,266
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    1) If the programme is not broadcast in widescreen, the box doesn't stretch the picture. You can do it by using your tv remote but it will distort the picture slightly making everyone loom short and fat!

    2) they do sometimes freeze for a few seconds if you go through the menus too quickly but it shouldn't be for a massive amount of time. I premume your were given a scientific Atlanta box?

    3) you can alter the volume of the box but as a default they come with the sound at 10 which is max. You would need to either reset your remote which I think is 0683 but google it just to male sure and put your box into scart mode if it's in hdmi. Or you can do it in the engineers screen. Reset the box and hold channel up and down on the box until boot is displayed.
  • blueisthecolourblueisthecolour Posts: 20,123
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    Ryrazzer wrote: »
    1) If the programme is not broadcast in widescreen, the box doesn't stretch the picture. You can do it by using your tv remote but it will distort the picture slightly making everyone loom short and fat!

    2) they do sometimes freeze for a few seconds if you go through the menus too quickly but it shouldn't be for a massive amount of time. I premume your were given a scientific Atlanta box?

    3) you can alter the volume of the box but as a default they come with the sound at 10 which is max. You would need to either reset your remote which I think is 0683 but google it just to male sure and put your box into scart mode if it's in hdmi. Or you can do it in the engineers screen. Reset the box and hold channel up and down on the box until boot is displayed.

    Thanks for the response Ryrazzer.

    I must say that I think all of the above is very poor. Before the install I was using a 5 year old Humax PVR which shows everything in widescreen, only started to slow down very recently and you can change the volume as easily as a tv.

    Yes my box is a scientific Atlanta. Sounds like I drew the short straw then?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,266
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    Yeah I'm affraid so. The Samaung is much quicker and more reliable.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,237
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    Before the install I was using a 5 year old Humax PVR which shows everything in widescreen,
    But not all programmes are widescreen. If your Humax showed everything in widescreen then it would have done so by distorting the picture on non-widescreen programmes. This is a fault, and not desirable.

    Wide programmes should fill the screen. Square programmes should be shown in the centre of the screen only, not stretched.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 175
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    well on my sky+hd box if you use the scart cable instead of the hdmi you can view everything in widescreen. Its but the HDMI cable auto switches it I believe. Try that on your virgin box
  • Brava 210Brava 210 Posts: 447
    Forum Member
    Hi,

    I got my new V+HD box installed today and have a few questions.

    1 - What's the deal with dodgey aspect ratios for some channels and tv on demand programmes? Quite often i'm gettign non widescreens ratios.

    2 - Is it usual for the box to temporarily freeze up on a regular basis?

    3 - Is there no way of control the volume outputted by the box? I've set it up to control my tv volume but as I output to a sound system that doesn't help but.

    Cheers


    My V+ always fills the screen. via HDMI
  • BenMcr77BenMcr77 Posts: 6,573
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    If you have the V+ set to 'Wide' then it will show all non-HD channels in Widescreen, even if they are showing a 4:3 program.

    However if you are watching something like C4HD - which always broadcasts in Widescreen - and they show a 4:3 show (Friends for instance) then it will be shown as a 4:3 image as they insert the black bars down the left and right to make it a Widescreen image and to keep the program as originally shown.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillarbox
  • blueisthecolourblueisthecolour Posts: 20,123
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    BenMcr77 wrote: »
    If you have the V+ set to 'Wide' then it will show all non-HD channels in Widescreen, even if they are showing a 4:3 program.

    However if you are watching something like C4HD - which always broadcasts in Widescreen - and they show a 4:3 show (Friends for instance) then it will be shown as a 4:3 image as they insert the black bars down the left and right to make it a Widescreen image and to keep the program as originally shown.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillarbox

    Thanks for the tip. I knew there must be some way of changing the aspect ratio.

    I don't want to complain too much as i'm getting a good deal from VM however I am disappointed with the speed of the box - also it has already crashed on me this morning!

    I don't supppose it would do any good to complain to CS and ask for a Samsung one?
  • deeseedeesee Posts: 855
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    Ryrazzer wrote: »
    1) If the programme is not broadcast in widescreen, the box doesn't stretch the picture. You can do it by using your tv remote but it will distort the picture slightly making everyone loom short and fat!

    2) they do sometimes freeze for a few seconds if you go through the menus too quickly but it shouldn't be for a massive amount of time. I premume your were given a scientific Atlanta box?

    3) you can alter the volume of the box but as a default they come with the sound at 10 which is max. You would need to either reset your remote which I think is 0683 but google it just to male sure and put your box into scart mode if it's in hdmi. Or you can do it in the engineers screen. Reset the box and hold channel up and down on the box until boot is displayed.

    Be careful following Ryrazzers information, i followed it and lost all my recordings, he has a wicked sense of humour:(
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 260
    Forum Member
    Thanks for the tip. I knew there must be some way of changing the aspect ratio.

    I don't want to complain too much as i'm getting a good deal from VM however I am disappointed with the speed of the box - also it has already crashed on me this morning!

    I don't supppose it would do any good to complain to CS and ask for a Samsung one?

    Unfortunately asking for a Samsung box won't get you a Samsumg box as users are only provided with what engineers have available.

    That said whilst the Scientific Atlanta boxes are slower than the Samsung's they are usable, however coming from a Humax box this may seem like going back in time as Humax boxes are fast.

    What I can say it that you do get used to the V+ foibles over time. Whilst the box isn't speedy in operation I do find it to be perfectly usable with just the odd pause every now and then.

    If you are continuing to have issues with the box then it may be worth contacting them as it could be a box problem.
  • bart4858bart4858 Posts: 11,415
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    1 - What's the deal with dodgey aspect ratios for some channels and tv on demand programmes? Quite often i'm gettign non widescreens ratios.

    Viewed via an HDMI cable, the box doesn't mess about with the aspect ratio and neither does my TV, which I like. I hate stretched images. Others might disagree.
    2 - Is it usual for the box to temporarily freeze up on a regular basis?

    Yes, if this is the Scientific Atlanta box.

    It has a horribly, clunky user interface anyway, but the remote has a habit of:

    (A) ignoring a command from the remote (even though the little green light flashes on the box) and:

    (B) thinking about it for a few seconds (sometimes up to a minute or so) before doing anything. And sometimes the operation takes a few seconds to take effect anyway.

    The result is: if nothing happens and you think it's because of (A) rather than (B), you press the button again. But if it was (B) then these commands get stacked up and all eventually operate at once! It's horrible!

    If you're trying to control playback, which require deft real-time presses, it's hopeless.

    And quite often the whole thing locks up requiring you to press Reset, or unplug the power cord.

    If I had a viable alternative then I would have switched long ago. I have a HDD/DVD recorder from a few years back. No sophisticated recording (EPG/named programs, etc), but the remote is a dream to use compared with V+!
  • roddydogsroddydogs Posts: 10,298
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    Question 1 above
    yes it does if youve set it to wide setting,----another
    Point if youve got Plasma, you should never view with black bars as you risk screen burn, even the Panasonic Manual tells you this.
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