# Bug Report L215 - Stuck Aspect Ratio



## mwgiii (Jul 19, 2002)

My 921 had L213 when I got home. I did a soft reboot and L215 loaded.

921 launched 9:00pm timer on FX for Rescue Me. We were watching a previously recorded program (Teen Titans on Cartoon Network). I started Rescue Me after about 20 minutes of record time. 

Rescue Me is letterboxed, so I changed the ratio on my 921 to Zoom to fill my Panasonic 34" widescreen. After Rescue Me is over, I watched some of Letterman & Leno OTA. I then changed to a satellite channel and tried to change aspect to normal but it does not respond to the remote.

Soft reboot solved the bug.

Boot: 140B
Flash: F052
Software: L215 HECD-N

BTW, I have had the stuck aspect ratio bug before L215. It happens at least once a week. A soft reboot solves the problem.


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

Yep, one of my receiver got the stuck aspect too. I couldn't do a reboot because another program is recording. I was watching a regular SD satellite channel and it stretched all on it's own with out anyone doing anything. I don't think that this problem was fixed with L215.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Ah, ****...

I wish to God I knew how you guys triggered this again...I literally tried for hours to break this under the betas, and never succeeded...


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## jal (Mar 3, 2005)

Here we go again.....


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## igleaner (Aug 22, 2002)

Actually, the aspect ratio problem is even more serious than you think. 

Previously, I had a long macro to change the setup display under Menu 6-9 when switching form HD to SD and visa versa. It was necessary to switch the HD/SD setting because SD shows look clearer on S video output, while HD shows need the DVI output. Now, apparently the macro has to be rewritten because 215 does not respond exactly like 213 did in the order of making selections on the setup screen. However, this is only a minor nuisance.

The real problem lies in the aspect ratios themselves. Before, when using 480i and a 4:3 Type #2 display to watch a 4:3 formatted SD show, you could select the Normal aspect ratio to fill the entire width of the widescreen. Then you could use the TV's superior stretch mode to prevent widening in the center of the screen so everyone did not look like Danny Devito. 

Now, with 215, when you select 480i and either 4:3 Types 1 or 2 and select Normal, you see a 4:3 format with bars on the sides. Then the only way to fill the 16:9 screen is to select Stretch, which distorts horizontally across the entire screen, rendering the TVs stretch modes worthless. 

And, in 480i mode, the top and bottom of the image is always cut off regardless of the aspect ratio chosen. You notice this most on CNN, where the crawlers are totally gone. You can only see them if you switch to an HD mode. Unfortunately, because SD programming has a better image when using 480i and S video output, I'm stuck with the screen cut off problem for most of my viewing.

So, unless you're willing to watch SD shows with bars on the sides, the only way to fill the widescreen is by stretching horizontally making everyone look fat! And, unless you're willing to watch SD shows on a less than stellar HD DVI output, the top and bottom of your image will always be lost. 

I definitely preferred the older formats, which let me choose the TV's aspect ratios and preserved the physical appearance of images in the center of the screen without loosing the CNN crawlers.


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## mwgiii (Jul 19, 2002)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Ah, ****...
> 
> I wish to God I knew how you guys triggered this again...I literally tried for hours to break this under the betas, and never succeeded...


I am always in 1080i. This is the 1st time I have ever been stuck in Zoom. Previously I would have stuck ratio problems in Stretch.


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Ah, ****...
> 
> I wish to God I knew how you guys triggered this again...I literally tried for hours to break this under the betas, and never succeeded...


Mark, earlier I had been playing with the closed captioning as I sometimes have difficulty in hearing. Empire was recording off of an OTA channel. Otherwise I can't think of anything that would trigger the stretch & stick.


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## gboot (Oct 11, 2004)

playing with the closed captioning 

I don't think it's that. I've never ever tried closed captioning and I get stuck on occasion with 213.


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## jal (Mar 3, 2005)

When I switched from OTA to Fox news channel 205, the aspect ratio got stuck. Now, it gets stuck in strech mode even though the banner reads zoom mode. Can't dish network ever get this product fixed? I've already had to reboot twice tonight. I have a plasma, and cannot leave it in strech with the crawl on the bottom for long periods of time due to risk of screen burn. At this point, Dish should just replace all 921s with 942s. We've all waiting long enough, promise after promise of a fix not kept. Why is this so hard to get right?


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## Rodney (Aug 22, 2003)

Sounds as if E* needs to incorporate (I know, to some degree we are already) all the 921 owners of this forum into their beta testing program. It appears we are quite adept at finding software glitches that were not evident to the existing beta group.

OOps, forgot to mention that my aspect ratio is stuck also.


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## bloom (Jul 29, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Ah, ****...
> 
> I wish to God I knew how you guys triggered this again...I literally tried for hours to break this under the betas, and never succeeded...


My aspect ratios were stuck last night. I couldn't change aspect, nor could I shift from HD to SD. Only a hard reboot fixed the problem.

This is brand new, and had never happened before 215.


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

Rodney said:


> Sounds as if E* needs to incorporate (I know, to some degree we are already) all the 921 owners of this forum into their beta testing program. It appears we are quite adept at finding software glitches that were not evident to the existing beta group.


They did! all 10,000 of us. Read what Mark posted. We are the secodary beta group,( NOT under NDA. 

Any who aren't on L215 now probably are in what I would call the control group.


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## n0qcu (Mar 23, 2002)

Just for the record. Stuck aspect here also. Although it's not as bad now as it stays suck in lettterbox mode instead of stretching like it used to with L213. (4x3 set here)


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## rdopso (Jan 26, 2004)

I have had no stuck aspect ratio problems with either 213 or 215. I leave my 921 in HD and 1080i all the time and change the aspect ratio as needed with the remote.


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## jal (Mar 3, 2005)

I do the same thing, but always get the stuck aspect ratio.


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## UT_Texan (Dec 9, 2004)

Ditto Jal,


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## richardlazar (Dec 19, 2004)

Stuck aspect. I was watching an OTA HD broadcast and just changed channels to GOLF and it was in stretch mode. I had been watching CNN earlier and it was fine. Nothing triggered it, in fact it has happened 3 times since I received 215. 

I also got a frozen remote twice that I never got before. I wait a minute or two and the remote responds again.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

richardlazar said:


> Stuck aspect. I was watching an OTA HD broadcast and just changed channels to GOLF and it was in stretch mode. I had been watching CNN earlier and it was fine. Nothing triggered it, in fact it has happened 3 times since I received 215.
> 
> I also got a frozen remote twice that I never got before. I wait a minute or two and the remote responds again.


Frozen remote and stuck aspect where symptoms of the same problem in my experience. Unlike you, I, so far, have not had cases since l215. I guess we will have to see over time if this is happening more or less then in the past.

In all cases in the past a forced reboot was the only solution. I usually did I power button reboot. Only occasionally had to do a unplug, wait a minute, plug in.

WARNING: NEVER DO A CARD REBOOT!!! You can destroy the card or the reader.


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## conner65 (Jan 26, 2004)

I got the stuck aspect ratio when I was watching Voom Monsters and switched to a PVR recorded show on NBC taped from Dish 480i locals. Soft reboot fixed problem.


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## 4HiMarks (Jan 21, 2004)

I can't help much, as I hardly ever watch any SD, but I have experienced the stuck aspect a few times. I always leave mine in 720p, DVI output, and almost always Normal Aspect, although I will sometimes toggle through the modes. 

I haven't come across it in 215 yet.
-Chris


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## pncb (Jul 4, 2005)

Stuck aspect ratio here too. I've had to reboot twice daily since 215 came down. As far as I can see the only thing fixed is the red dot now appears for OTA timers. What I've found so far that no longer works is the page up/down feature when in the themes menu.

From what I read the 942 is no better, the bug reports are numerous. Is there an executive at Dish that gives a damn. Dish is paying developers for substandard output, customers are frustrated, and customers are leaving. I wonder what would happen to the IT department if Charlie had to reboot his desktop computer two or more time a day?


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## paulrus (Sep 1, 2004)

bloom said:


> My aspect ratios were stuck last night. I couldn't change aspect, nor could I shift from HD to SD. Only a hard reboot fixed the problem.
> 
> This is brand new, and had never happened before 215.


I just had the same thing happen today to me as well. I switched from SD programming in 4:3 and went to HD 16:9 - the unit stayed in 4:3 and wouldn't go back until I did a hard reset.

Paul


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## gunawo (Aug 17, 2004)

Ditto for me, stuck in 4:3, did a power reboot then it worked OK. I have not had any problems to speak of with the 921 since I bought it almost a year ago. I ordered the locals from E to get guide data during L213. It worked fine until L215, now the data is gone. The unit has locked up at least once a day since L215. I've had stuck aspect ratio problems. I guess I am now paying for the troublefree past year. I sure wish they would go back to L213.


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