# R15 - Display setting 16:9



## zortapa (Nov 16, 2005)

I think I've searched this forum correctly, but I have not found any info about setting the TV aspect ratio to 16:9 on the R15. Does this do anything? My parents just hooked their R15 to their widescreen TV and we don't see any difference between the 4:3 setting and the 16:9 setting on the R15.

Thanks.
-Eric


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Nope... doesn't do anything. (just like in the TiVo).


It is a backwards compatibility feature from way back when in DTV's history..
There was a time that programs where broadcasted in both formats...

But it hasn't been used for a LONG time now, not sure whey they still have it in the code.


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## zortapa (Nov 16, 2005)

Is there anything that they can do with this setting? If not, then there really is no reason for it to be selected and changed. 

Perhaps the fact that it does nothing is why there is no info about this parameter in the R15 manual....


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

No... doesn't do anything..

It is there as a "compliance" piece at best.... IMHO
It is there in the HR10-250 and other TiVo products as well.


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## nabsltd (Nov 18, 2005)

ebonovic said:


> No... doesn't do anything..
> 
> It is there as a "compliance" piece at best.... IMHO
> It is there in the HR10-250 and other TiVo products as well.


The HR10-250 actually uses the setting to change the output, in conjunction with the output resolution setting and the "panel" (aka sidebar) setting.

And, if DirecTV ever sent out an SD program with the "anamorphic" flag set, every receiver with the 16:9/4:3 setup choice would honor it, so, yeah, it really does do something.


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## Kapeman (Dec 22, 2003)

nabsltd said:


> The HR10-250 actually uses the setting to change the output, in conjunction with the output resolution setting and the "panel" (aka sidebar) setting.
> 
> And, if DirecTV ever sent out an SD program with the "anamorphic" flag set, every receiver with the 16:9/4:3 setup choice would honor it, so, yeah, it really does do something.


Maybe that's why the U2 freeview event looked better in FULL screen mode on my 16:9 TV.

It's the only time in 2 years of having the set and D* that I have noticed this.


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## nabsltd (Nov 18, 2005)

Kapeman said:


> Maybe that's why the U2 freeview event looked better in FULL screen mode on my 16:9 TV.
> 
> It's the only time in 2 years of having the set and D* that I have noticed this.


Yes, DirecTV does send anamorphic SD programs from time to time, but they have *never* flagged it correctly. If they did, it would letterbox on a 4:3 TV using any correctly set up modern receiver.


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## Ricko (Jan 12, 2006)

I think we are talking about the problem that I came to research. 

Today I bought and installed a new HR10-250. I haven't even had a chance to check the recording aspects of the unit because I haven't gotten past past my concern about the fact that the unit will not correctly display a 16:9 aspect HD program.

It will not keep the correct aspect ratio if I have the out put set to 1080i. It completely fills a 4:3 screen with a vertically stretched image.

It will maintain the broadcast aspect ratio of 16:9 but only if I set the out put to 480i or 480p. My Toshiba 4:3 won't take a 720p input, so I can't comment on what it does with that.

My old workhorse RCA DTC100 would reocgnize the 16:9 on its own (after I set it up to) and would correctly display with grey bars top and bottom. 

I refuse to purposely down-rez just to maintain the corect character shapes on a screen, especially after what I paid for this unit.

Tomorrow it is going back to Best Buy. 

If I understand these posts correctly, it sounds like others are encountering this but living with it. Correct picture is more important to me than recording, I guess. :nono2:


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Not sure why you're "testing" an HR10-250 and posting in a R15 thread.

I can't verify your testing on a 4:3 screen but on my 16:9 HD screen I don't have any problems. Are you saying you purchased this to prove some point and not will be returning it?


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## JLucPicard (Apr 27, 2004)

Ricko,

I have two HR10-250s connected to my 16:9 Sony Wega (one has been connected to it for close to a year now) and I haven't had any trouble with the picture at all. I am outputting at 1080i via HDMI and it works great. The only thing that jacks up the picture is changing the picture aspect settings on my TV remote. Not the fault of the HR10-250.

For what that's worth.


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## Ricko (Jan 12, 2006)

Wolffpack said:


> Not sure why you're "testing" an HR10-250 and posting in a R15 thread.
> 
> I can't verify your testing on a 4:3 screen but on my 16:9 HD screen I don't have any problems. Are you saying you purchased this to prove some point and not will be returning it?


Wolffpack,

Just FYI, I found this thread by using search word "HR10-250". and I think you will see that I am not the first to make reference to it. This thread was intoduced with a title which included "Display setting 16:9" which really is what I thought was being discussed here, as a general problem area of D* boxes with incorporated TiVo.

I had no idea these discussions were so tightly restricted.

You can be assured that I didn't put down $600 (before rebate) just to "prove a point" to no one in particular. This was not a "test".

I wanted to know if this display error in 1080i was widespread. The store is many miles away and at todays gas prices a return won't be cheap. Now that I have found out that the problem is apparently widespread, at least for those of us od-school types with a 4:3 screen, I probably won't be interested in an exchange, unless they can demo a correctly working box.

I'm glad your's is performing well.


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Ricko,

How is your 250 attached to your Toshiba? I'm using the component feed.


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## zortapa (Nov 16, 2005)

Ricko said:


> Wolffpack,
> 
> Just FYI, I found this thread by using search word "HR10-250".


Actually, I started this thread to discuss this on the R15, not the HR10-250.  I guess the moderators also missed that detail when they moved this to the HD forum.
-Eric


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

I guess a few growing pains are to be expected.


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## zortapa (Nov 16, 2005)

It's not a big deal to me since you folks are teaching me more that I had hoped! :bowdown:


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## nabsltd (Nov 18, 2005)

Ricko said:


> It will not keep the correct aspect ratio if I have the out put set to 1080i. It completely fills a 4:3 screen with a vertically stretched image.


That is correct.

The HR10-250 assumes that if you are outputting HD, then the TV is capable of receiving HD (which is logical...otherwise you couldn't see anything ). And, if the TV is capable of receiving HD, then the HR10-250 assumes it is capable of displaying it correctly. Unfortunately, your TV is one that appears to be unable to do this.


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