# ASK DBSTALK: seperate aspect ratios in display setup?



## markcollins (Jan 27, 2004)

Unless I'm missing something,why is there no way to set up different aspect ratios in the display setup menu for HD and SD .Now having to go all the way back into setup to reset to 16x9 for HD is VERY annoying.Without this feature why switch from HD to SD on the 921 ever?
Any explanations here would be helpful and or if anyone knows if the techies have plans to add this feature in an update.
Mark


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Not sure what you're trying to do. If you have a 16x9 television, once the stretch and zoom bugs get worked out, why would you ever want to change the display mode setting from 16x9 to one of the 4x3 settings? 

At least I'm assuming that you're talking about the display mode settings, and not aspect ratios - the 921 does store separate aspect ratios for HD and SD programming. On mine, I have HD set to NORMAL and SD set to GRAY BARS.


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## markcollins (Jan 27, 2004)

Yes,What I am Talking about is If you had the option to set your AR in SD to 4x3 and HD mode in 16x9 in display setup.Then when you switched modes the AR would be correct,instead of trying to adjust with the format key.I don't know if this would be a software fix or a hardware limitation.I've noticed that the output mode is a seperate setting.When in HD it is 1080(MY setting) and in SD it is 480i.(I realize SD is 480I).
Wouldn't this make watching HD channels simpler to switch to with 921?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

OK, I see. And I agree to an extent. I'm trying to get the programmers to add some discrete remote code functionality to the 921 that would allow the display mode to be changed at the press of a button, rather than having to go through the menu. I'm not sure if the 921 has memory that could store display mode settings based on HD/SD.


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## rudolpht (Nov 6, 2002)

The 6000 used to store HD & SD modes separately but one global setting for each.


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## markcollins (Jan 27, 2004)

Would be great if you could convince them to do that.That is the one big negative to the 921 That I've found so far.The rest of the bugs I take are fixable eventually in the future SW updates.--Thnx Mark


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## tm22721 (Nov 8, 2002)

The current situation with the 921 makes it impossible to channel surf because you must enter a multi-level menu when you change channels.

Of course with the 921 crashing when you change channels maybe this is not such a hot issue at E* right now.


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## tm22721 (Nov 8, 2002)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Not sure what you're trying to do. If you have a 16x9 television, once the stretch and zoom bugs get worked out, why would you ever want to change the display mode setting from 16x9 to one of the 4x3 settings?
> 
> At least I'm assuming that you're talking about the display mode settings, and not aspect ratios - the 921 does store separate aspect ratios for HD and SD programming. On mine, I have HD set to NORMAL and SD set to GRAY BARS.


Mark - you say that the 921 stores separate aspect ratios but then say that you have HD set to NORMAL and SD set to GRAY BARS. NORMAL and GRAY BARS are not aspect ratios, they are formats. Isn't 'aspect ratio' set up in the Display Mode ? And E* tech support says that Display Mode is NOT separately remembered for HD and SD.

Please clarify.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

I'm calling "Normal" "Stretch" "Zoom" "Letterbox" "Gray Bars" aspect ratios, because that's what they're called in the 921 manual, and that's what they were called with the 6000 internally at Dish.

16x9, 4x3#1,. 4x3#2 I'm calling display modes.

1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i I'm calling display resolutions.

Using your terminology, the 921 saves separate formats for HD programming and SD programming. So, with my 921 set at 1080i, 16x9 HD I have set HD channels to Normal format and SD channels to Gray Bars format.


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## tm22721 (Nov 8, 2002)

Mark Lamutt said:


> I'm calling "Normal" "Stretch" "Zoom" "Letterbox" "Gray Bars" aspect ratios, because that's what they're called in the 921 manual, and that's what they were called with the 6000 internally at Dish.
> 
> 16x9, 4x3#1,. 4x3#2 I'm calling display modes.
> 
> ...


Mark - so how do I make the 921 save separate formats for SD (480i 4:3) and HD (1080i 16:9) Display Modes that will be invoked on the SD and HD outputs, respectively, when I toggle the SD/HD button ?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

tm22721 said:


> Mark - so how do I make the 921 save separate formats for SD (480i 4:3) and HD (1080i 16:9) Display Modes that will be invoked on the SD and HD outputs, respectively, when I toggle the SD/HD button ?


This isn't possible at the moment in the current software. I don't know if it's possible from the hardware side, but am waiting to find out.


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## markcollins (Jan 27, 2004)

I hope it's possible,Without that option changing from SD to HD is a frustrating project.Keep us posted on whether that is an improvement they can implement or are willing to do.


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

The stretch mode bugs of overstretching is announced to be fixed in the next software said to be out next week. For all you who like to watch distorted 4:3
TV, you will now have your distorted 4x3 TV standardized stretched to 16x9, not 20x9.


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