Panasonic TV aspect ratio problem

albertdalbertd Posts: 14,341
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My Panasonic TV (Model TX-L32BL6B) seems incapable of correctly setting the aspect ratio to 4:3 when using an external video source, eg. a VCR, either using SCART or HDMI in Auto mode.

With HDMI, it seems to ignore the switching altogether and simply stays on 16:9 stretching the 4:3 source picture out of shape.

With SCART, the switching does take place, but instead of changing to 4:3 it selects a very odd compromise it calls "Just" and still stretches the picture out of shape.

When using the TV's internal tuner the switching is correct.

I have searched the menus in vain for anything which can overcome this. I know that I can set the 4:3 aspect ratio manually, but surely the Auto mode should make that unnecessary.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Comments

  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,328
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    albertd wrote: »
    I have searched the menus in vain for anything which can overcome this. I know that I can set the 4:3 aspect ratio manually, but surely the Auto mode should make that unnecessary.

    In my experience Auto mode is completely useless - it gets it wrong almost all the time - select the mode you want manually.

    As for HDMI, very often HDMI is set to 16:9, and can't be changed - essentially why would you want to?, anything with HDMI 'should' be 16:9 :D
  • albertdalbertd Posts: 14,341
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    In my experience Auto mode is completely useless - it gets it wrong almost all the time - select the mode you want manually.

    As for HDMI, very often HDMI is set to 16:9, and can't be changed - essentially why would you want to?, anything with HDMI 'should' be 16:9 :D
    Thanks Nigel. Yes, I know that I can use manual setting, but it is a bit of a pain.

    As for the HDMI, I am using a DVB-T PVR and DVB-T DVD Recorder via HDMI (no spare SCARTs on my TV) and therefore plenty of stuff is on 4:3, for example quite a bit of ITV 3 and 4.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,328
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    albertd wrote: »
    Thanks Nigel. Yes, I know that I can use manual setting, but it is a bit of a pain.

    No real option, Auto is useless - it's a bit like a broken clock, if you set it to one manual mode at least it's correct some of the time - but auto seems to be wrong almost all the time.

    As for the HDMI, I am using a DVB-T PVR and DVB-T DVD Recorder via HDMI (no spare SCARTs on my TV) and therefore plenty of stuff is on 4:3, for example quite a bit of ITV 3 and 4.

    See if you can get the sources to do the converting?, as I said it's common that TV's expect only 16:9 via HDMI.

    Certainly on a Sky box if you set the Sky box to Auto, then it seems to work better.
  • figrin_danfigrin_dan Posts: 1,437
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    I leave my Panny on 16:9. It's quite easy to change to 14:9 if the broadcasters feel like stretching it.
  • albertdalbertd Posts: 14,341
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    See if you can get the sources to do the converting?, as I said it's common that TV's expect only 16:9 via HDMI.
    Thanks again Nigel.

    As far as I can tell, looking at the menu and manual (Humax 9300T), I cannot do that with the PVR, but I seem to have managed it with the Panny DVD Recorder which at the moment is the more important one for me to get right.
  • me_plus_oneme_plus_one Posts: 701
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    I always turn overscan off, if there is an option for that.
  • albertdalbertd Posts: 14,341
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    I always turn overscan off, if there is an option for that.
    Yes, did that ages ago, but that is a different matter.
  • Dr.OliverTwichDr.OliverTwich Posts: 1,579
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    Does the "WIDE" button on the 9300T remote handset do anything useful in this situation? (think it's under the cover)
  • albertdalbertd Posts: 14,341
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    Does the "WIDE" button on the 9300T remote handset do anything useful in this situation? (think it's under the cover)
    I don't know, I will have to have a play with it when I have a moment and see what it does. Thanks for that thought.
  • albertdalbertd Posts: 14,341
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    albertd wrote: »
    I will have to have a play with it when I have a moment and see what it does
    I have had a play with it and when displaying a picture on a 16:9 TV, it does nothing. It only seems to come into play when the box is set up to display on a 4:3 TV and then it controls how it handles 16:9 pictures, duplicating the action of one of the menus.
  • chrisychrisy Posts: 9,418
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    My Panasonic seems to get it right more often if you set it to 4:3. It seems to ignore that if there's a WSS, so if there is and it needs to be forced to 4:3 for some reason it needs to be reselected.
    Setting to Auto is next to useless - 16:9 most of the time, sometimes it zooms in randomly, and never picks 4:3 even if it's a 4:3 channels with no WSS.
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    Not sure if the 9300 is the same as the Fox-T2 I've got but I had trouble getting that to display 4:3 programmes properly on my LG telly. In the end I solved it by setting the Screen Ratio setting to 16:9 and the Display Format to Pillarbox.

    Both these in the Video settings menu. Setting Display Format to Auto just meant everything was displayed 16:9 irrespective of the original format. With 4:3 in "stretchy vision" as a result. Selecting Pillarbox seems to make it display the correct ratio.

    I have a feeling that in Pillarbox mode the Humax is inserting a 4:3 image into a 16:9 frame to chuck at the telly as I'm fairly sure the TV says it's receiving a 16:9 picture all the time.

    Anyway might be worth investigating if the 9300 can do something similar.
  • bobcarbobcar Posts: 19,424
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    As for HDMI, very often HDMI is set to 16:9, and can't be changed - essentially why would you want to?, anything with HDMI 'should' be 16:9 :D

    No you can have 4:3 on HDMI for SD indeed I use that all the time with my Sky box when watching old material. The spec doesn't allow it for HD which is a mistake imho.

    My Panny TV has no problems auto switching between 4:3 and 16:9 over HDMI, I just set the aspect ratio to 4:3 and the TV switches as it should.
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    I dont have the same TV I have a Toshiba, but that has two settings for aspect ratio on each mode.

    The first sets what the main aspect ratio is as a manually selected option or auto.
    The second controls what auto does when no wss signal (or voltage signal with scart or equivalent in HDMI), is being received.

    I set the first to auto and the second to 4:3 and it seems to work on all SD content fine, unless a 16:9 source is sent with no signal (which is rare), like some VHS recordings I have as full hight anamorphic 16:9!

    I do think that setting up the set top box to do the switching and so adding pillers to the side of a 4:3 image is the best, then letting the TV stay on 16:9 and preferably letting the TV stay in HD mode, with the box doing the upsacling, unless you TV has a better upscaler than your set top box!
  • albertdalbertd Posts: 14,341
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    chrisjr wrote: »
    Not sure if the 9300 is the same as the Fox-T2 I've got but I had trouble getting that to display 4:3 programmes properly on my LG telly. In the end I solved it by setting the Screen Ratio setting to 16:9 and the Display Format to Pillarbox.
    Hi Chris

    I just investigated that idea. Unfortunately, when the Screen Ratio is set to 16:9, the Display Format is greyed out and set to Auto. Thanks for the thought, but it seems to be a no-go.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,328
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    bobcar wrote: »
    No you can have 4:3 on HDMI for SD indeed I use that all the time with my Sky box when watching old material.

    I know you 'can', but many TV sets don't allow it - with no screen size options when on HDMI.
  • bobcarbobcar Posts: 19,424
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    I know you 'can', but many TV sets don't allow it - with no screen size options when on HDMI.

    True but that is a design fault in the TV, I wouldn't buy a TV that had such a fault. I would cope with having to switch format manually but not with being unable to alter it at all.

    It's interesting that the OP has a Panasonic and is having trouble whereas my Panny is very flexible in this regard.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,328
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    bobcar wrote: »
    True but that is a design fault in the TV.

    It's a design 'choice' - not a design 'fault' :D - there shouldn't ever be any need for widescreen switching via HDMI, in the case where it 'might' be required it's really a function of the source not the display.
  • DWA9ISDWA9IS Posts: 10,557
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    It's a design 'choice' - not a design 'fault' :D - there shouldn't ever be any need for widescreen switching via HDMI, in the case where it 'might' be required it's really a function of the source not the display.

    as there is so much SD content around it is a needed function for SD over HDMI, but really all STBs that use HDMI should format SD correctly (sky boxes being a sore point as they don't do pillerboxing!)
  • 2Bdecided2Bdecided Posts: 4,416
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    If the signal going over HDMI is SD resolution, the TV will have told the source whether it can handle 4x3 or 16x9 or both, and the source will tell the TV what it is sending.

    If the signal going over HDMI is HD resolution, that signal is 16x9. Anything else contravenes the HDMI spec. Sources must pillarbox 4x3 content in this case.


    Many sources will upscale SD to HD before sending it over HDMI. Many can downscale HD to SD before sending it over HDMI if you tell them to (or if a very old/strange TV asks them to).

    Some TVs lets you manually change the aspect ratio of an HD HDMI source. This is wrong.
    Some sources send 4x3 content stretched to fill a 16x9 HD frame over HDMI. This is wrong.
    The HDMI specification has the concept of not changing the signal format unless you have to, which implies sending SD as SD over HDMI. Most things ignore this because it means sending the user interface in SD too, which looks horrible on an HDTV.


    IME Panasonic TVs always have one setting that is correct without subsequent user intervention, unless the source is sending something wrong. The trick is figuring out which setting it is, and making it stick with every input.

    Cheers,
    David.
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