New problem with TV2 Aspect Ratio

[Gordoco]

I turned on TV2 this morning to find that its aspect ratio is wrong and I've been unable to restore it. TV1 is working fine. TV2 was fine last night.

I have a 622. TV1 and TV2 are both HD sets, though obviously TV2 via coax does not display HD. Aspect ratio via the * key on the remote is "Normal" for HD channels and "Gray Bar" for SD channels. Prior to today, HD channels displayed properly (filling the screen when content is 16:9) and SD channels displayed 4:3 with gray bars on the side. Exactly how I like it - no distortion.

Now, TV2 displays black bars top and bottom on HD channels. SD channels are stretched to fill the full screen. When I cycle through the various modes on the Dish remote via the * key, "Normal" is the only mode that displays the full width, but it displays black bars top/bottom. It never did this before. Likewise, SD channels now are always stretched - never any sidebars - and the * aspect ratios cause additional distortion, but none show the content in 4:3.

My TV is a Samsung 720p. Its aspect ratio setting is set to 16:9 as it always has been. I don't think it's a problem with the TV.

Here's what convinces me it's a problem with the 622 TV2 output and not the TV itself. When I go to any Dish screen that shows a live thumbnail view, such as the Guide or DVR screens, the thumbnail view exhibits the same behavior: black bars top and bottom on HD content. Yet when I look at TV1 on the same display at the same time (Single Mode), I do not see black bars in the thumbnail. On an SD channel, the thumbnail shows the gray sidebars on TV1 but not on TV2.

Also, the OSD when you press "View Live TV" overlays the top black bar, thus the black bar is definitely originating from the receiver, not the TV.

Maybe there was a firmware update last night that changed this? If so, I want it changed back!

Is there some other setting I'm missing somewhere? Or am I completely crazy?

Anybody else with a 16:9 TV on TV2 seeing this problem?

 

[BuddyBoy]

Sounds to me like the aspect ratio setting on your TV changed, and nothing on the receiver changed.

 

[Gordoco]

I don't think it's the TV. Guide and DVR displays take up the entire screen (vertical and horizontal). But black bars top and bottom appear when I go back to the program. How can the TV aspect ratio be wrong if the black bars are only displayed sometimes?

 

[ripnbigc]

Did you change the mode button on the 622? That will change the aspect ratio on TV2.

 

[sca]

still sounds like a tv setting to me.

 

[Gordoco]

Did you change the mode button on the 622? That will change the aspect ratio on TV2.

That fixed it. I had not changed it, but flipping it to Dual and back to Single mode fixed the problem. Thanks!

 

[ripnbigc]

That fixed it. I had not changed it, but flipping it to Dual and back to Single mode fixed the problem. Thanks!

No problem.

 

[BuddyBoy]

I guess you didn't notice that in single mode you have five different aspect ratio settings when you hit "*", and in dual mode you only have two? You claimed to have hit "*" but didn't mention observing anything had changed.

 

[Gordoco]

I guess you didn't notice that in single mode you have five different aspect ratio settings when you hit "*", and in dual mode you only have two? You claimed to have hit "*" but didn't mention observing anything had changed.

Seems pretty clear from my original message. "When I cycle through the various modes on the Dish remote via the * key, "Normal" is the only mode that displays the full width, but it displays black bars top/bottom." What's your point? In any event, the problem has been solved thanks to help from the forum.

 

[M Sparks]

This "problem" is actually one of my favorite features of the 622. I think it's the only one that outputs an anamorphic picture via S-Video, which makes it easy to capture with a Firewire adapter and make genuine widescreen DVDs copies.

I just wish this could be done in Dual mode.

 

[TNGTony]

Ditto! I really wish Dish would add this "problem" to TV2 in dual mode!

See ya
Tony

 

[M Sparks]

HEY! I found last night that I have the same problem! Switching modes back and forth fixed it, but I tried to document it a little before I tried it.

I had NOT changed modes. I was still in Single mode. Unlike Gordoco, I feed a 4:3 TV from TV2. Of course, doing this in Single mode creates a distorted picture. We only watch this TV for about a half hour while getting ready for bed, so we just put up with it, or you can stretch the picture and get either a normal 4:3 channel or a centercut 16:9 channel. But last night, I noticed I was getting a normal looking letterboxed picture.

BuddyBoy...there are still 5 different format modes, but only 3 different outcomes. And Gordoco had NOT changed modes. This is why he didn't notice any change other than the picture. The box still cycles through all five formats...it's just that they are all WRONG.

Normal= Letterbox in Dual mode
Stretch, Zoom, and Grey Bars= Normal in Dual mode...basically centercut.
Partial Zoom= I THINK this stayed the same. It was the only mode that created picture distortion on the 4:3 TV

When flipping through the formats, the HDTV in the living room behaved normally, displaying all 5 formats. But the 4:3 TV was all messed up. When moving from Zoom to Grey Bars, there wasn't even any change in the picture, other than the label.

I did not test what happens with an SD channel.

Actually, I wouldn't mind if it would stay in this mode as long as I could still switch to the old way and output an anamorphic picture through S-Vid. It was nice having a properly letterboxed picture in the bedroom without being in Dual mode.

 

[ripnbigc]

I had the same problem, after receiving the software update to 621, going to the HDTV setup page fixed it. I didn't change the settings, just hit done.

 

[M Sparks]

It did it again after a power outage, and again this morning. I tried going to the HD setup page and found I had been knocked down to 720p as well. Hopefully resetting that will keep it at bay.

 

[ripnbigc]

Mine was messed up again overnight.

 

[M Sparks]

Hmm...where can we report this, since apparently it's only a problem for three of us? Of all the years of reading this board, I've never had any software update problems before. Anyway to do a rollback?

 

[Trek2000]

That fixed it. I had not changed it, but flipping it to Dual and back to Single mode fixed the problem. Thanks!

If it is in dual mode you can switch your second TV to TV1 and it will also give the correct aspect ratio for a HDTV.

 

[csdsandiego]

Count me as another person with the aspect ratio problem on the secondary tv's. I've got several widescreen tvs around the house fed via a distribution system, and they *all* started showing the problem - hd programs have black bars top and bottom. I can fix it by toggling the 622 settings as others have suggested.

But every morning the problem returns......

 

[M Sparks]

If it is in dual mode you can switch your second TV to TV1 and it will also give the correct aspect ratio for a HDTV.

You're missing the point entirely. The problem is in single mode.

And yes...it's back again this morning.

 

[ripnbigc]

You're missing the point entirely. The problem is in single mode.

And yes...it's back again this morning.

Here too. At least there is a work around.