Channels stretched?

[vedhead]

I know South Park is in HD now, yet, the channel is SD, stretched (half the logo is cut off). Same thing with AMC (Mad Men) and Oxygen (Bad Girls Club). I know its not the aspect ratio on my TV, coz I flipped through them and its coming from Directv like that. I noticed it first on Mad Men 2 weeks ago (the episode before that was letterbox as usual).

Anybody have any idea what the deal is?

Update: all this stuff is from the DVR. Just noticed that South Park wasnt the HD version for some reason. So at least I know why it wasn't HD...but it doesn't explain why the SD versions (os south park, mad men, bad girls club) are all being auto stretched...they should have black bars...and they definitely used to. Anybody else notice this?

 

[joed32]

We all hate "stretchovision".

 

[Mr Tony]

I think there is a setting in the menu called "native" and it should be set to OFF...otherwise it will stretch the SD channels if you have HD

 

[DSpud]

Did you check the aspect ratio on your direcTV box and your TV? Sounds to me that your TVs aspect setting could have been changed.

If you keep your direcTV box on "native" and pillar box format you should be good out of the box. It will display the show in whatever resolution it is and it will keep keep the OAR and pillar box the outsides of 4x3 formatted programming.

 

[cypherstream]

DirecTV doesn't carry AMC in HD for some reason. Oxygen doesn't even offer an HD channel. So those will be stretched. Not sure about the South Park thing... Comedy Central is carried in HD, and if the episode is an older one, I remember seeing Comedy Central broadcast it in Pillarbox (black bars on the sides).

 

[JerryVolunteer]

DirecTV doesn't carry AMC in HD for some reason. Oxygen doesn't even offer an HD channel. So those will be stretched. Not sure about the South Park thing... Comedy Central is carried in HD, and if the episode is an older one, I remember seeing Comedy Central broadcast it in Pillarbox (black bars on the sides).

South Park last night was new and was in HD. Looked fine on my tv and not stretched

 

[vedhead]

DirecTV doesn't carry AMC in HD for some reason. Oxygen doesn't even offer an HD channel. So those will be stretched. Not sure about the South Park thing... Comedy Central is carried in HD, and if the episode is an older one, I remember seeing Comedy Central broadcast it in Pillarbox (black bars on the sides).

The south park issue was my fault. The issue is that Mad Men and Bad Girls Club are being stretched now whereas before (a few weeks back) Mad Men would have black bars on top and bottom and BGC would have them on the sides. I know it's not my TV aspect ratio (I flip through them and you can tell)...it's just strange that it is happening now...I normally stretch them myself, and my TV does a better job than what they are doing now.

 

[wildbill129]

Go to menu, favs and setup, system setup, HDTV, video, turn stretch off and select orignal format.

Native on/off is for the TV resolution. Native on will slow down channel changing.

 

[vedhead]

Go to menu, favs and setup, system setup, HDTV, video, turn stretch off and select orignal format.

Native on/off is for the TV resolution. Native on will slow down channel changing.

I think that did it. Not sure how that setting got changed, but it was on crop. Will know for sure tomorrow!

 

[vedhead]

Yup, that did it. Thanks a lot!