a really daft question

[adi]

ive got a panasonic tx28pk3 tv
i subscribe to telewest digital tv via a pace set top box
the "picture" setting on the set top is set to 16:9, and the tv is set to either "auto" or 16:9
in certain instances, and usually on non-terrestrial channels, the picture is cut off on each side - ie - like watching a 16:9 transmission on a 4:3 tv
does anyone have an answer ??

A really daft answer,
You have to contact Telewest and tell them you have a widescreen tv aswell, don't forget to tell them what size i.e 28"/32" so they can get the black bars to the right size, so it doesn't chop off any picture..........

A really sensible answer,
It's not a fault, it's just how they broadcast that programme, 14x9 and some still 4x3, if you don't want the black bars just manually select the setting on your tv thats stretches the picture. Thankfully these programmes are getting less and less.

bob......

[adi]

sorry.....no - its not the black bars
the actual edges of the picture are not visible - its noticable during programes where, if someone is being interviewed, they will put their name etc in a cation across the bottom of the screen - ie "Dr alan Smith - Oxford University".
what i see is "an Smith - Oxford Univer"
its also the same during some adverts - including movie ads - the actual edges of the picture are missing

When watching Sky one for example have a look at what picture mode you have it set on, if you have it on zoom mode you will be losing part of the picture at the top, bottom and sides, try smart or panoramic this will stretch the 4x3 picture with little or no loss of picture. Also check if you can set the default for the picture mode in the auto section of the menu for non widescreen broadcasts, then for non W/S/B it will switch to what you have selected i.e 14x9 4x3 panoramic etc. If you still have problems come back.

cheers bob.

[Doubledoom]

What channels and platform do you see this?

If you have your tv in the stretch and crop mode (auto on many brands of tv), then there is usually some cropping to cope with the stretching when viewing non anamorphic broadcasts.

If you are getting this cropping during anamorphic widescreen broadcasts, then you have too much overscan. Most widescreen sets allow you to make small amendments to the overscan and positioning to correct this.

It could also be RGB picture shift. This is a fault with the tv (which is very common), where the picture is shifted to the left whilst using RGB. You can test this by putting the source back into composite and seeing if the picture moves to the right.

Noticed that the Telewest digi box 4:3 selected output on my previous 4:3 TV had this effect - overscanning. The 4:3 selected output is too big in my opinion, and results in talking noses and captions out of safety cut-off.

Had the engineer 'round (that's the short version of this story) and he called up HQ, and they too said the 'Trisha on screen bug was slightly off screen. Great, all is well then. Idiots!

This is what made me buy the 40" widescreen as a solution; the idiots at Telewest (how I hate them, long story...) simply accepted the picture distortion/overscan they were introducing.

[AMc]

I have TeleWest Digital and I have seen the exact thing that adi is describing.

I have the STB set to output 16x9 and my TV's format correction stuff all turned off so 4:3 output is at the correct aspect ratio NOT cropped, zoomed or otherwise distorted.

On some programs, TOTP2 on BBC2 for instance, the picture has been stretched and cropped which chops the end off the graphics.
Everyone looks a bit fat like a Sony "smart mode" has stretched 4x3 to 16x9 and THEN the picture has been cropped to 4:3 with big black bars on the left and right

My gut feeling is that this is a problem with how TW are treating the feeds for certain channels when the source is 4:3. Its never bothered me enough to call TW but it is definitely TW's problem not ours.

AMc

[AMc]

My Tivo recorded an episode of TOTP2 the other day. TOTP2 was in proper 4:3 with all the graphics intact.
Finally I can see what year Sister Sledge had a hit with "Frankie"

It seems that the Liberate 1.2 (red button) release or something up the pipe from the Pace box has been fixed. This program was always the most obvious illustration of this problem.

Has anyone else noticed a change with their favourite BBC2 4:3 programs on Telewest AD?