Letter Box Gray Bars on HDTV

[akrover]

Hello, I was at my friends house watching his Sony kp51hw40. He put on the hi-def channels on the component input and there were gray bars at the top and the bottom. Clearly not in hd. I have seen this problem on my 55 sony rplcd, but only if you error and are watcing the hi def channels on the regular coax input. I have not seen it on the component input. He had the SA3250HD box going straight in component.

I think it is probably something very simple I am having a brain fart on, but if he thought what he was watching was hidef, I'm excited to see his reaction when he actually gets it. Any help would be great. Thanks.

So, these gray bars show up, basically like it was a 2.35:1, on the component input instead of showing hdtv.

[Ratman]

If it was "broadcast hi-def" (cable, satellite or OTA), there shouldn't be bars of any color on the top/bottom.

Check the setup of the cable box.

[akrover]

no, I know that. This was TWC. If it was upconverted standard def during the day on networks it would have black bars on the side, but this was grey, at the top and bottom, on channels like INHD, INHD2, Universal HD. Looking at it, it was clear it wasn't coming in in HD. So, it is a setting, but I don't know which one.

for some reason I want to say the tv might only do 1080i and not 720p, but I'm not sure what difference that would make as those channels are 720p and he never would have changed the set to switch to anything besides 1080i.

[kevinw]

Some stations will broadcast gray bars instead of black on 4:3 programming. I prefer black myself, but gray is supposed to be better for resisting phosphor burn.

[Ratman]

720p/1080i... doesn't matter. HD programming should not have bars on the top/bottom.

I believe only FOX, ABC and ESPN-HD are 720p.

[akrover]

yes, I believe pbs is too. But that is really neither here nor there. This problem is with bars at the top and bottom. Bars that would normally only occur if you were watcing hdtv broadcasts over coax without an atsc tuner. Any ideas?

[oman321]

akrover,

Are you certain he was using the component input. Perhaps he was using an S-video input and not realizing it (cable techs sometimes make this extra connection for you for analog viewing). S-Video gives me that affect on my STB when tuned to an HD channel it down converts to 480 and gives me bars top and bottom. Check the menu's in the STB maybe he has it set to 480P instead of 720P or 1080I.

[akrover]

oman321,

I am 100% positive that he is using the component, because I spun the set around and checked. That was the only video he had out of the stb. Component only. At the time I thought, of the two component input only one was 1080i (the other 480/1080), but it was not labeled that way and the one we were watching it on was labeled HD in the menu. I don't see sony giving that option if it wasn't available.

I think you might be onto something where the box is somehow set to 480 only.

[oman321]

Ya do a search for his STB and you'll find instructions on how to properly setup. You should have a camera ready for when his jaw hits the ground. :D

[Ratman]

I think you might be onto something where the box is somehow set to 480 only.

See post #2.

PBS is 1080i.

[akrover]

See post #2.

PBS is 1080i.

yea, I just couldn't see that he would have changed that. He is pretty technologically challenged. I was pretty sure the boxes came set to 1080i. For him to get into the wizard and change things would be an act of god. So, I'm not even sure that is right. It is just the only logical solution so far.

Okay, I thought there was a fourth in 720p.

[Ratman]

If you assumed that the cable installer setup the box properly, that's where logic goes out the window.

There are MANY posts that relate experiences where the boxes were improperly connected and/or set up by the cable "technician".

[akrover]

you are 100% percent right about that. So many problems with TWC installers.

[Ratman]

Just in case you haven't seen this FAQ, it may help:
http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/showthread.php?t=8721