# Stuck in Stretch mode, who sees it?



## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

Mark if want to make this a poll that would be cool.

I never know if my 921 gets stuck in stretch mode because i never change it out of stretch (unless i switch to an HD channel and those are always fine in Normal). I have a panasonic big screen CRT and im not gonna burn in my tv to watch 4:3 content in normal. I wish the 921 would get partial zoom like the 811 and 6000, but anyhow thats not the point here.

Who actually switches between normal and stretch with SD 4:3 shows?

Who just leaves it in stretch (like me)?

Who has had their 921/921's stuck in stretch mode?

Jon


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## bushcasa (Jul 23, 2004)

j5races said:


> Who actually switches between normal and stretch with SD 4:3 shows?


I do. 



j5races said:


> Who just leaves it in stretch (like me)?


Sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes I have no choice. 



j5races said:


> Who has had their 921/921's stuck in stretch mode?
> Jon


Me.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

Known problem. Maybe it'll be fixed someday - but don't hold your breath.


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## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

Simon
I know, Im just trying to see if it is really that big of a deal. I have a feeling that most 921 owners leave theirs in stretch anyhow (since we don't have partial zoom, or the ultimate - native resolution) because they have TV that are subject to burn-in (CRT's, Plasmas, Non-fixed pixel projectors).

I have seen this come up a few times and wonder how many it really effects thats all....

Jon


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## UT_Texan (Dec 9, 2004)

I leave mine in stretch 90% of time. The problem I have is when viewing ota. If it is stuck in stetch mode, or at least that is what is says then the ota channels are in 4x3 mode and will have black bars unless it is HD but says stretched. Obviously this is a problem.


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## jtallon (Nov 7, 2004)

I *try* to view things in the correct aspect ratio all of the time - so if it is a 4:3 source, I'll try to watch it that way.

The 'stuck in stretch mode' bug seems to have gotten better with L212 and L213 - it was at its worst in L211 I think. But it is still around - happens maybe twice a month or so now, as opposed to every 3 or 4 days before, if I'm remember right...


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

Yes, I use it depending on the SD layout. When it is locked in the stretch, I don't like the short and plump appearance of objects like people.


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## Shani (Sep 23, 2004)

I don't use the 921 stretch too much; my TV does a better job. For me, it's been worse with L213 than L212 or earlier. Happens 3-4 times a week; although last night it happened twice


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## langlin (Apr 8, 2005)

If it would go to "zoom", that would be ok, but it goes to "stretch" and the is unwatchable


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## ckgrick (Oct 25, 2004)

I use zoom on SD programs that have been broadcast in letterbox format, e.g. many PBS shows. The overscan is a little much but the resolution is still good and I can pretend I'm watching it in HD. Otherwise, I always keep it in normal and put up with the SD black bars, TV makes people fat enough normally. I've never had a problem with it getting stuck in any mode.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

j5races said:


> Mark if want to make this a poll that would be cool.
> 
> I never know if my 921 gets stuck in stretch mode because i never change it ...Jon


Since noone else has mentioned it, the problem is much much worse then being stuck in stretch mode. Until a reboot, your 921 will progressively become more and more unstable. Eventually all remote function will stop working and if nothing is done a hard reboot (Unplug) will be needed. Some task obviously starts running away and can eat up all cpu cycles.

Since this has been well reported, and reproduced by some of those in the beta program, this will hopefully be fixed soon.


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## guruka (Dec 27, 2003)

j5races said:


> Who actually switches between normal and stretch with SD 4:3 shows?


Guess I'm a fiddler. I use three modes: stretch, zoom and normal depending on the content. I also switch to SD output and let my monitor do the (nonlinear) stretching since it does a better job than the 921. I leave SD in zoom when I'm not home and my wife is watching TV. She doesn't care, and it reduces the chance of burn in. When I'm home, I usually watch SD in SD mode and let the Hitachi do the stretch.



j5races said:


> Who has had their 921/921's stuck in stretch mode??


 Yup. Reboot time if a SD/HD output switch doesn't fix it.

.....G


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## Avillant (May 21, 2004)

I absolutely refuse to watch 4:3 video in stretch mode!!! I cannot understand why anyone would spend thousands of dollars to watch short fat people on a distorted picture. I do try to keep my 4:3 viewing down on my big 65" Mitsu (CRT), but occaisionally I do watch some, and after four years there has been no problem, no burn in.

However, I did just get a 52" Mitsu DLP (no burn in) for most of my daytime viewing. I think I would rather not watch TV than to watch horribly distorted 4:3 stretched out to 16:9. This is just one more reason that I would not consider a plasma TV in my home.

Tony


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## jergenf (Mar 31, 2005)

To J5: The 921 also has zoom and grey bars. I always want to view everyting in the proper aspect ratio. I know this (phospher burn) can be a concern with CRTs and plasma owners but I use grey bars half the time to ensure my CRT screen edges get exercised.


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## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

but what about the fact that the grey bars still have the thin edge of black? did they fix that with 212 or 213? maybe 214 next week fixes it?

jon

Im pretty sick of stretch i hate it. MY panny is about 3 years old. maybe its time to watch in grey bar and if it happens to burn in, then its just an excuse to get a new toshiba big screen.


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

Avillant said:


> I absolutely refuse to watch 4:3 video in stretch mode!!! I cannot understand why anyone would spend thousands of dollars to watch short fat people on a distorted picture. I do try to keep my 4:3 viewing down on my big 65" Mitsu (CRT), but occaisionally I do watch some, and after four years there has been no problem, no burn in.
> 
> However, I did just get a 52" Mitsu DLP (no burn in) for most of my daytime viewing. I think I would rather not watch TV than to watch horribly distorted 4:3 stretched out to 16:9. This is just one more reason that I would not consider a plasma TV in my home.
> 
> Tony


I thought I was reading something I posted with your name. You and I think alike.

No distorted views here! I watch HDTV at the proper AR and SD at the proper AR. I would never own one of those Plasmas, too expensive and too fragile. Short lifespan. I had a CRT too and after about 10,000 hours of 16x9, the tubes developed burn-in. But that was only visible if I switched to using the full target in the CRT for 4x3 display. Time to change the tubes anyway so I simply upgraded to DLP FPTV. No burn in and superb picture at 92" wide.


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## tech_head (Dec 8, 2004)

No short fat people for me.
If it's 4x3 then I watch it that way.

Mine will get stuck in stretch.


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## bobr (Mar 23, 2002)

i,m stuck watching a buch of short fat redsox. Can't reboot because I am recording third watch.


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2005)

I deal with the stuck stretch mode 3-4 times a week. This weekend I had to reboot twice. Both times were when I was in DVR mode, recording one or two different shows, one of them being OTA. When I would return to Live mode via cancing a few times, I'd get the notice "Can't find channel 238-12". After that I'd be stuck stretching.

It's getting old.


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## Guest (Apr 19, 2005)

Stuck in stretch mode this morning after turning it on. Won't toggle between HD/SD either. I turned the 921 off yesterday in HD mode and just turned it on this morning. Nothing but rebooting helps.

It takes the fun out of TV when you have to work at is so much.


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

I got my first ever "stuck in stretch" last night. It started with a ZSR on DiscoveryHD (100 Greatest inventions). Since I had 24 recording, my wife would have never forgiven me if I rebooted.  So, I rebooted this morning just before leaving for work. My wife hates the grey/black bars, so we normally leave it in stretch anyway, but use Zoom on the letterboxed programs.

I hope E* gets the ZSR fixed soon. I get a ZSR on about 1 in 4 HD recordings since 2.12. I never had one until then.


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## Rob Glasser (Feb 22, 2005)

Getting stuck in a particiular mode, either normal, grey, stretch, or zoom, is starting to become a daily occurance. I've had my 921 since mide February, didn't see the problem at all for about 2 weeks, then it was about 1 a week, then it was maybe twice a week, and now for the past 5 days it's been every single day. Can only fix it by doing a front panel reset. Fun times. Can't wait for that existing subs 942 offer so I can take my POS 921 back to Costco. Definetly the most bug ridden PVR/DVR I've ever used.


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2005)

I think I'll post a new entry every time this happens. Just returned home and fired up the 921... Yup, you guessed it- stuck in stretch and the HD/SD buton doesn't work.


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## TonyB (Jul 5, 2004)

Happened occasionally before this release, happens daily now. This rev of the s/w was ZERO steps forward and SEVERAL steps back - it sucks.

If E* had done as I argued in this forum last fall and dumped Eldon IDIO** and gotten a US based team to work on the code we would have 942 level capability right now.


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## darth (Apr 19, 2005)

O.K. I give up. How are you suppose to change modes. My manual doesn't give a clue. My programs show up in stretch, normal, zoom, or what ever all own their own. 

I have noticed, that if it is in normal (with black, not grey, bars own each side) and I hit "info", and "done", then it goes to stretch. If I hit "guide" and re-choose the channel, it goes back to normal.


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

The * button on the remote changes the stretch mode.


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2005)

I just turned on the 921... and guess what? The screen is stuck stretched, but the mode in the banner says normal.

I turned the 921 off last night in normal mode with the appropriate black bars on the side of an OTA SD-DTV channel. It was recording when I powered it off.


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

I need to knock on some wood, but so far this week, no, "stuck stretch mode." I have been doing power button reboots when (for whatever unknown reason) the 921 doesn't automatically do a reboot.


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## LindaT (Dec 16, 2004)

bushcasa said:


> I do.
> 
> Sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes I have no choice.
> 
> Me.


I do as well...


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## darth (Apr 19, 2005)

Jim Parker said:


> The * button on the remote changes the stretch mode.


Thank you, and thank God for this forum.

So far, mine seems to work correctly (1 night).


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

Your more than welcome. Hope you have good luck with yours. The 921s vary greatly from unit to unit in the number of problems that show up. 

Mine has learned a new trick in the last week, or maybe I should say it has unlearned a trick.  The 10 second skip back quits and the 4x FF goes about 1.5x. It has done this 3 times, luckily a reboot solves the problem.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

I've discovered a nice trick that could help some folks survive stuck-stretch mode until you can find a convienent time to reboot.

Go to Menu-6-9 and switch from 16:9 to 4:3 if watching SD content. Depending on your TV, it might give you an undistorted picture.


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## Guest (Apr 24, 2005)

Last night I fired up the 921, yup, stuck in Normal in SD mode. The bithch this time was having to get out of bed and going downstairs to reboot the fargin' thing. That's probably more reboots in one week than I have fingers available to count, on one hand.


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2005)

Powered on the 921 today and again it was stuck in stretch mode. When I first started to post every occurance of the stuck stretch bug, I honestly didn't think I'd post so often.

As you can see, it has been very common. I'll drop my little 'experiment' and come to the conclusion that I reboot 5-7 times per week.


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## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

I don't know if it has been mentioned or not, but i saw a stuck in stretch mode on mine last night. To get rid of it. I pushed left and then exited that menu and it unlocked the stretch stick. Try that guys.

Jon


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## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Though not as often as 212. I do get it and it requires a reboot. UGH. What do you mean J5races with "pushed left"?


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2005)

I think he means push:

Arrow Left (enter Themes)

Cancel.


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## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

exactly, it worked for mine. How about you guys? does it fix it for you?


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2005)

j5races said:


> exactly, it worked for mine. How about you guys? does it fix it for you?


I'll let you know the next time it happens.


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## Guest (May 2, 2005)

gpflepsen said:


> I'll let you know the next time it happens.


It just happened. Didn't work for me.


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## n0qcu (Mar 23, 2002)

I've seen several different 'fixes' for the stuck stretch. So far the only that has worked for me is the reboot.


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## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

I'm just telling you that it worked on mine once. I didn't claim it was a "fix."


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## SummitAdvantageRetailer (Feb 20, 2005)

I see it too often that I'm resorted to watching 480p on SD channels and having to convert to 1080i on HD channels. This is really frustrating. Though we don't have too many 921 customers, they complain the most because they paid quite a bit to get the HD DVR. Please make the receiver stable ASAP! It's quite embarrassing.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Reboot is the only cure for me as well...........


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