Question about different formats - and stretch modes

[pos_user]

Hey guys,

After reading the faqs, religiously :) I have one last question to sum it all up, and add the last piece of the puzzle.

I have a 47" HDTV Widescreen Panny -

Cablevision IO -

The guy that installed my hdtv box told me to set up the box as if the TV was 4:3 and enable passthrough so other formats would automatically detect and the tv would change to the format. So I dont have to change any formats when going from SD to HD.

But my last question is - Why is it that some channels have stretch modes available, and others do not. I understand that the Channel is piped to my tv via a certain format and some formats could not be stretched and things like that. But i thought that the IO box was able to stretch any image, regardless of how the image will look after doing so. Keep in mind i'm not talking about the TV stretch, that is set to "JUST" as default. I only play with stretch modes with the Digital STB. I just was wondering why that is ? being able to stretch some, and others not being able to do so.

Also, does anyone know how i should set up the Cablevision IO box - set the box for a 4:3 tv even though my tv is 16:9 HDTV? Or should i choose 16:9 for the setup of the IO Digi Box ?

Any help would be great, thanks a lot.

Pos :rockon:

[57U]

Which STB do you have (make/model). You may not be able to stretch certain formats via the STB.

[pos_user]

Io Digitial Cable

explorer4200HD by- Scientific Atlantic

[oman321]

Should be set up to 16:9 if thats what you have. On my Panny the Just setting takes a 4:3 picture and stretches to 16:9. It does a good job of keeping the center intact but the sides are elongated and very noticeable when the picture pans from side to side. You see peoples arms strecthing or one leg is extra thick if not in the center of the picture. Do you have a full mode which is what I use for basically everything and is the default (cant change) by the set when put on an HD channel.

[pos_user]

yeah, i do have full mode actually...I just always thought Just mode was the way to go. In the manual it said Just was for regular viewing...but I am open to anything right now. I'll try full mode and see what happens.

[57U]

Just is for "regular" SD (4:3) programming. Not for HD programming. See the FAQ on Widescreen Stretch Modes.

[Houdini]

I have a question about this also. I have a Panny 50LC14 and when watching DVD's through component input and full mode I still get letterbox bars top and bottom. The dvd is widescreen version and I would think normal mode would fill the screen but it doesnt. It shows a small letterbox in the center of the screen. Strange.

[oman321]

Normal, is for a 4:3 picture. Left and right side bars. If you dispaly a widescreen DVD (2:40 aspect) and you have it set to normal, you will also see bars top and bottom. If you set to full you will see bars top and bottom only. For 2:35 or 2:40 aspect DVD's I display in zoom to get rid of bars. You still maintain the sides of the picture with no cutoff I could tell.

[57U]

I have a question about this also. I have a Panny 50LC14 and when watching DVD's through component input and full mode I still get letterbox bars top and bottom. Strange.
See the FAQ on Black Bars. You're probably watching a 2.35:1 aspect ratio movie, or a non-anamorphic DVD.