Always have to adjust HD format !

[andyin137]

Is this just the way it is with HD TV.As its kind of annoying.Dish just added local HD channels in my area and for the most part the picture decent.But I am finding even on shows that say HD I am having to stretch format to fill screen,while other shows fill the screen just fine.Mostly the problems exist on Morning Network News shows(Today show etc)Why cant I set it to Normal and if program says HD ,why doesnt it fill screen when they are saying broadcast in HD.Are the local channels or Dish doing something to save bandwidth.I love my HDTV but its annoying having to reset format all the time.(Also since I tend to lose my remotes often (Kids).

 

[teamlazyboy]

that's the nature of HD. if a show is on an HD channel and is NOT HD you should get bars on the sides

 

[lakebum431]

Everyone has different preferences, but I prefer to watch it with the black bars instead of stretched or zoomed.

 

[Pepper]

Agreed, for me a nondistorted picture is higher on the importance scale than having light come from every pixel on the screen. Just set it to normal and leave it alone.

 

[BuddyBoy]

Some people have the philosophy that if they paid for a full screen worth of pixels, then dammit, the TV show better use all of those pixels. Otherwise they're not getting the full value from their TV.

 

[lakebum431]

Haha, but it makes thin people look like they should be on Biggest Loser.

 

[jimjo3298]

Don't blame dish blame the station or advertisers a lot of them won't show full wide screen till prime time. There a a select few in the morning showing full 16x9 HD

 

[dishcomm]

Some people have the philosophy that if they paid for a full screen worth of pixels, then dammit, the TV show better use all of those pixels. Otherwise they're not getting the full value from their TV.

and most of those people do not realize they are degrading the PQ by stretching the image.
In my travels as a tech, most folks would rather the image be a full screen.
I have gotten reactions to the "format" button from "ho hum" to outrage.
A few customers have actually whined that they have to push a button on the remote to adjust the format.. Jeez..
There is a growing legion of high maintenence people out there.
"High maintenence" is the new euphamism for "big pain in the ass".
All kidding aside, the techmnology of viewing has outraced the technology of the delivery.
We will all have to patient.

 

[cparker]

Some TVs have a setting called Justify (or... Just...) and using that setting to stretch to full screen works kinda nice. It stretches very little in the center and stretches more as it gets to the edges. Sounds like it would be real annoying, but it actually works pretty well for the majority of programming.

I think it would be awesome if the TV could sense the bars and auto-stretch it to your specifications when bars appear. Sadly... that's just not how it works.

Previous advice is good. Set it once and then pretty much leave it alone. Get used to seeing bars occasionally as not everything is formatted for wide screen.

 

[teamlazyboy]

i bought my TV for HD, so I'm fine when SD doesn't look that great, so i stretch everything that has bars on the sides just as a precaution since i have a plasma, probably doesn't matter a whole lot but i'm erring on the side of caution.

 

[Bobby H]

I don't watch much SD-quality programming anymore. On the occasions I do see a 4:3 SD format show I just leave it in its original, pillar-boxed aspect ratio. Imagery stretched to fill the screen is far more distracting.

I hate it when stations like TBS do that. They just need to leave content that was originally 4:3 ratio alone instead of zooming or stretching it. I change the channel immediately when seeing that nonsense. If it's a show I really want to see then I'll just change to the SD version of the channel and watch it pillar-boxed.

It's pretty silly how so many sports bars, restaurants and such in my region have lots and lots of 16:9 flat panel TV sets, but little or no HD programming subscribed or tuned into them. They're just stretching 4:3 SD stuff to 16:9 and expecting to get away with it.

 

[lakebum431]

I think it would be awesome if the TV could sense the bars and auto-stretch it to your specifications when bars appear. Sadly... that's just not how it works.

Actually some TVs do that. My Pioneer Kuro 6020 has a setting that does exactly what you are saying, after about 5 seconds with black bars on the side it zooms to fill the screen. I personally would rather watch with the bars, but if you are interested check out a Kuro.

 

[andyin137]

I guess we need to get on the TV stations who claim they are showing HD in the morning shows especially.Primetime shows look great,just annoying having to reformat.

 

[dennispap]

Is this just the way it is with HD TV.As its kind of annoying.Dish just added local HD channels in my area and for the most part the picture decent.But I am finding even on shows that say HD I am having to stretch format to fill screen,while other shows fill the screen just fine.Mostly the problems exist on Morning Network News shows(Today show etc)Why cant I set it to Normal and if program says HD ,why doesnt it fill screen when they are saying broadcast in HD.Are the local channels or Dish doing something to save bandwidth.I love my HDTV but its annoying having to reset format all the time.(Also since I tend to lose my remotes often (Kids).

Gma, and the today show are in hd. They should fill up the screen in normal mode. If they arent, your local channel isnt showing the hd feed.

 

[joecap1946]

Just curious, will watching the TV with Black Bars on the side hurt the TV in anyway??

I have a Samsung LCD.

Thanks

 

[lakebum431]

With an LCD no. Some TV formats are subject to burn in (plasma, RPTV, etc.) so if you watch with black bars all the time then it could damage those tvs.

 

[Jim5506]

Most TV stations are only capable of passing their network HD on to the OTA crowd and therefore you will only get about 9 hours of HD material daily from ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates, CW and MYTV will get you 2-3 hours per day.

Weekends with sporting events can get you more hours, but all other hours are SD and will have black bars on the side of the picture because the 3:4 SD picture is inserted into the 16:9 HD frame.

 

[Paradox-SJ]

Question to the OP:

What reciever do you have and how is it connected to your TV?

What DMA are you in and what morning shows are you refering to exactly?

The only morning show that still isn't HD is the Today Show on CBS....

So there many be other reasons why you are experiencing what you are.

 

[andyin137]

A Quick reply from Local CBS .

Is this just the way it is with HD TV.As its kind of annoying.Dish just added local HD channels in my area and for the most part the picture decent.But I am finding even on shows that say HD I am having to stretch format to fill screen,while other shows fill the screen just fine.Mostly the problems exist on Morning Network News shows(Today show etc)Why cant I set it to Normal and if program says HD ,why doesnt it fill screen when they are saying broadcast in HD.Are the local channels or Dish doing something to save bandwidth.I love my HDTV but its annoying having to reset format all the time.(Also since I tend to lose my remotes often (Kids).

Most TV stations are only capable of passing their network HD on to the OTA crowd and therefore you will only get about 9 hours of HD material daily from ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates, CW and MYTV will get you 2-3 hours per day.

Weekends with sporting events can get you more hours, but all other hours are SD and will have black bars on the side of the picture because the 3:4 SD picture is inserted into the 16:9 HD frame.

I wrote to all our local networks concerning the HD issue and got a quick response from our CBS affiliate,apparantly National CBS isnt sending them correct aspec ratio on there Morning shows and they are trying desparately to fix this,so I just presume all of our locals are having this problems from the National feeds,sometimes everything is automated and not updated and thats where the problems occur with National HD Feed.I will let people know what happens in case others in other areas have same problem.

 

[Jim5506]

CBS's morning show is SD, ABC and NBC are HD.

CBS has one soap in HD - The Old and the Useless or something...

Some stations can pass Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune on in HD.

For daytime, that's about it, OTA.

OOPS - I forgot The View on ABC is also in HD!