# 625 Widescreen mode?



## poeppe

Is there any way to set the 625 into widescreen mode? I know the 501 had a picture size setting, but I can't find it on the 625. 

I have a new widescreen TV and find it annoying to see black bars at both the top/bottom and sides when a show is broadcast in widescreen. The black bars on the sides are the same size as as they are during non-widescreen shows. 

Thanks,
Denis


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## neilo

poeppe said:


> Is there any way to set the 625 into widescreen mode? I know the 501 had a picture size setting, but I can't find it on the 625.
> 
> I have a new widescreen TV and find it annoying to see black bars at both the top/bottom and sides when a show is broadcast in widescreen. The black bars on the sides are the same size as as they are during non-widescreen shows.
> 
> Thanks,
> Denis


What is probably easiest to change things with your TV controls. Our widescreen TV has 4 modes - 4:3, Zoom, Just, and Full. For the widescreen shows that have bars all the way around in 4:3 mode, I use the Zoom mode. For some regular 4:3 modes I use the Just mode which stretches the picture out but has an algorithm to make things in the center look appropriate.

Neil


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## poeppe

Thanks for the reply Neil.

Yeah I have done that too but it makes people look fat when I forget to change it back. So I was hoping I could change some setting on the reciever so I wouldn't need to keep changing the settings on the TV.

Denis


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## fredinva

You have a new widescreen tv!!!!

Why not fill it with HD and an upgraded hd receiver???
fred


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## JCW2001

Hi, I was wondering if there's a solution to this. We can't get HD in our house, according to Dish, so upgrading our reciever seems overkill. Any ideas? Thanks.


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## Ray [email protected] Network

The HD receivers have a setting where you can select the TV type and aspect ratio for the type picture you want displayed from the receiver. This feature is not available on the SD receivers. The settings have to be done on the TV itself. If you have further questions, please let me know. Thanks.



JCW2001 said:


> Hi, I was wondering if there's a solution to this. We can't get HD in our house, according to Dish, so upgrading our reciever seems overkill. Any ideas? Thanks.


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## Michael P

JCW2001 said:


> Hi, I was wondering if there's a solution to this. We can't get HD in our house, according to Dish, so upgrading our reciever seems overkill. Any ideas? Thanks.


 How is it that "Dish" says you can't get HD in your house? They may need to upgrade your dish, but even without an upgrade you should be able to get some of the channels in HD.

I find it ironic, here I sit with an SDTV and an HD DVR (had one since '04) in order to get the OTA tuner and you have an HDTV and an SD tuner.


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## Blowgun

Ray [email protected] Network said:


> The HD receivers have a setting where you can select the TV type and aspect ratio for the type picture you want displayed from the receiver. This feature is not available on the SD receivers.


On the standard definition 5xx receivers, what does *menu, 6, 1, 2* accomplish?

The options are:

*Aspect Ratio*
[ ] 4x3 Standard
[x] 16x9 Cinematic​
I currently have the option set to 16x9 since I have a wide-screen TV.


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## Ray [email protected] Network

The 501, 508, and 510 receivers provide this option, which gives the Letterbox effect on the picture from the receiver. These receivers are no longer available and are being replaced with the 512 receiver when the need arises. Thanks.



Blowgun said:


> On the standard definition 5xx receivers, what does *menu, 6, 1, 2* accomplish?
> 
> The options are:
> 
> *Aspect Ratio*
> [ ] 4x3 Standard
> [x] 16x9 Cinematic​
> I currently have the option set to 16x9 since I have a wide-screen TV.


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## SeaBeagle

"Ray [email protected] Network" said:


> The HD receivers have a setting where you can select the TV type and aspect ratio for the type picture you want displayed from the receiver. This feature is not available on the SD receivers. The settings have to be done on the TV itself. If you have further questions, please let me know. Thanks.





"" said:


> I change the settings on my 612 on a channel that has he black bard on the sides rather thn the top and bottom and after I change the settings there is not any difference. So changing the settings on the receiver will not do the trick.


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## P Smith

Ray [email protected] Network said:


> The 501, 508, and 510 receivers provide this option, which gives the Letterbox effect on the picture from the receiver. These receivers are no longer available and are being replaced with the 512 receiver when the need arises. Thanks.


So, the feature is just changing aspect ratio for SD DVR video buffer to be use a regular (proportional) Zoom on your wide screen TV.


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## Blowgun

Ray [email protected] Network said:


> The 501, 508, and 510 receivers provide this option, which gives the Letterbox effect on the picture from the receiver.


So I'm not wasting your time having you explain aspect ratios, I know what the difference is between Anamorphic, Letter, Pillar, Window-boxing and Zoom. I also know, based on the receiver's help screen:

*SELECT THE RELATIVE SIZE OF YOUR TV SCREEN*
Select "16x9 Cinematic" ONLY if you have a wide-screen or home theatre TV with this support.

Otherwise, select "4x3" for the standard TV size.​So I know that I should keep the option set to "16x9" due to the satellite receiver's final output to the widescreen TV. Here's how the satellite receiver is currently connected to the widescreen TV.


Code:


  SAT         AVR         TV
 .---.       .---.       .---.
 |   |       |   |       |   |
 | V |-------| V |-------| V |
 |   |       |   |       |   |
 | A |-------| A |       |   |
 |   |       |   |       |   |
 `---'       `---'       `---'

The above block diagram shows that the Satellite video is connected to the Home Theater receiver [AVR] using an S-Video cable. The AVR is set to pass the signal unmodified out through an HDMI cable. The HDMI cable is connected to one of the HDMI inputs on the widescreen TV. The satellite audio is fed by TOSLINK directly to the AVR.

Yet, when this option is toggled there doesn't appear to be any difference with the 16:9 screen. Awhile back the satellite receiver was directly connected to a 4:3 CRT. At that time, toggling this option also never seemed to make any difference. No matter whether the screen is 4:3 or 16:9, it's as if this option has no function.

At one time I thought it controlled the aspect ratio of only the satellite receiver's GUI system and not the channel video outputted to the TV screen. But, toggling it a few minutes ago doesn't change the satellite receiver's GUI width.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "Letterbox effect". I know that a channel can include black bars to preserve the film's original aspect ratio on a 4:3 screen. But, toggling the satellite receiver's Aspect Ratio option doesn't include or exclude the black bars. If the black bars are there, it's usually part of the original frame that's sent by the channel itself.

For example, I happen to have the satellite receiver set to Starz and they are currently showing what's coming up on Starz using a letterbox frame. This is with the satellite option set to 16:9. On another Starz channel a movie is being shown in full frame. Toggling this option to 4:3 doesn't introduce letterboxing to the frame.

Can you please give an example how this option is suppose to work?


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## Blowgun

I guess my explanation that the option is broken or has no function will have to suffice.


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