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Pan/Scan Letterbox |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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Pan/Scan Letterbox
I notice that on Freeview I get a rectangular picture on BBC1 with my traditional square TVs but I don't get it with HC no matter which option I choose.
Any ideas which settings will get me that? Ta |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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I know you've all moved on to HD and 42" plasmas
but any idea why letterbox and P&S don't make any difference on my TV through HC?Ta! |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Kent
Posts: 691
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I get the same. Occassionally it will switch automatically , but most of the time I have to put onto letterbox myself, even then I get a stretched screen, despite being on WideScreen option.
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 308
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Mine works as it should on HC, switching from 4:3 to letterbox as appropriate. I *think* the settings are on page 999 but are phrased in an obscure way.
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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Yeah, 999 it is.
Thing is I can see the rectangular picture work on Freeview and the same program on HC is square no matter what setting I use. |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
Posts: 1,252
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mus1
Yeah, 999 it is.
Thing is I can see the rectangular picture work on Freeview and the same program on HC is square no matter what setting I use. Edit: oh, you said bbc1, that one does broadcast in 16:9 on HC. |
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 308
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IIRC there might be two settings, one which overides the other. When I get the chance I will have a look and see if I can remember.
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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Still can't get this to work. I have two Freeview boxes hooked up to the same TV and both display letterbox perfectly well. HC doesn't, no matter what I choose on page 999..
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 308
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I have a 4:3 TV and I believe I have to have it set to 16:9 in settings. My TV then automatically accepts a 16:9 signal when on a widescreen broadcast giving me black bars top and bottom and goes 4:3 when a program is broadcast on a 4:3 channel. When I change to a 4:3 channel my TV shows an info box to show that it has received a different signal, i.e. the HC box is signal switching correctly. However if I watch a 4:3 broadcast on a 16:9 channel (like BBC1) I get black bars top and bottom AND also at each side.
Have you tried using the same SCART cable you are using on a Freeview box for HC - perhaps it doesn't have the pin for signal switching wired up? |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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Ah, now that might be a good point. I'll check that when I have time.
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 308
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It also occurs to me that I had to change the setting on my TV once I had selected 16:9 on the HC box to get it to work properly. I just cycled the input type until it worked.
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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Nope, same Scart lead direct to the TV - HC letterbox does not work at all whereas Freeview works fine. There are no TV settings to alter.
The Freeview remote switches aspect ratio too whereas the HC remote doesn't. BTW choosing Widescreen 16:9 just squashes up the screen on HC. If it's working for you guys what could it be? STB? Appreciate your replies so far chaps. Last edited by Mus1 : 20-02-2007 at 23:32. |
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 308
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It sounds like your TV is not accepting the signal from the HC box correctly, hence the 16:9 looks squashed, i.e. the HC box is obviously changing the way it is outputting the signal.
What aspect ratio is your TV? When you have set 16:9 on the HC box have you tried cycling the AV inputs until you get back to the one HC is input on? I have had to do this before to get my TV to 'read' the signal correctly. Alternatively I have the option on the TV of 16:9, 4:3 or 'Zoom' which is one of the buttons on the remote and similarly I have to make sure this is set correctly. Other than that I really am at a loss. |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bromley (in Kent or London or both)
Posts: 596
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You may have to adjust the aspect ratio settings on your TV too.
16:9 is the best way to view anything on a TV the reason being is that humans see things in 16:9 (with two eyes), it allows more to be shown on the sides of the picture. Very little programmes in the UK are still made in 4:3. Now in America they are starting to make TV programmes and music videos in 16:9, some programmes such as the simpsons are still in 4:3 now but they will probably change soon |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mseven*
You may have to adjust the aspect ratio settings on your TV too.
At the moment I'm failing to see why a £20 Asda Freeview box works perfectly with my TV but Homechoice doesn't. |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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Checked again today. same programs on BBC1, 2 and ITV came out as letterbox on Freeview whereas HC was Pan/Scan.
Channel 4 was letterbox on both. Confused as to why HC would work OK on C4 but not the others? |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 550
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Works perfectly or works differently.
As far as memory serves HC crop 16:9 footage if you have a 4:3 set selected and display 16:9 footage anamorphically if you select that you have a widescreen set. The box does not impose black bars on anyone. If your TV set does not support widescreen content then you have to watch the cropped feed. Some TVs can create the black bars top and bottom (letterbox) and some digiboxes create the black bars left and right (pillar box). When you get this wrong you end up with a picture that only fills 50% of the screen as you have both selected (postage stamp) HomeChoice's settings help to prevent this but do not provide you with what you want; but it's not totally their fault - your TV is equally to blame. |
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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OK, thanks.
I guess I was surprised that I have 3 Freeview boxes and they all letterbox in exactly the same way but not HC. What format would C4 be broadcasting when that works on HC whereas BBC1-2 and ITV1 don't? |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 550
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I think that there are seperate feeds for 4:3 and 16:9 - Channel four may choose to broadcast the letterbox bars.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: London
Posts: 56
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IIRC, last time I checked, Homechoice's honouring of various aspect ratio settings was strange. This was done with BBC News 24. I didn't check 4:3, but letterbox mode gave a 14:9 letterboxed picture, while the proper widescreen setting gives you the full 16:9. Your guess is as good as mine as to why.
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bromley (in Kent or London or both)
Posts: 596
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JDP500
IIRC, last time I checked, Homechoice's honouring of various aspect ratio settings was strange. This was done with BBC News 24. I didn't check 4:3, but letterbox mode gave a 14:9 letterboxed picture, while the proper widescreen setting gives you the full 16:9. Your guess is as good as mine as to why.
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 550
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Only if you set your box to 4:3 - if your box is set to widescreen they relay the digital 16:9 anamorphic signal.
It's a unique way of doing it! |
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 167
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It's pretty annoying.
The BBC1 links going into say a football match are in letterbox and then bang, as soon as the programme itself starts it goes Pan and Scan. Buggers. |
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but any idea why letterbox and P&S don't make any difference on my TV through HC?