# How often (and why) do you use the Format Button?



## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Trying to get some sense about the format button usage. 

How often do you use your format button to actually change the format?

And under what circumstances?

(My answers in the next post.)

Thanks,
Tom


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

I realized that I only use the format button on any given receiver, to actually change the format that is, when I move a receiver. So I said never. I don't change between resolutions nor do I change from stretch. (Helps that I don't watch much SD anymore.) 

What about you and your family?

Thanks,
Tom


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## csrrocks2011 (Aug 10, 2011)

Once a day for me.
However, it's usually AT work, because when customers call about cut off pictures, it's easier to test with them when I can see what they;re seeing. esp the "seasoned" customers who have never used HD before and keep watching the SD version of a channel and then they stretch it all out to high heck!


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

Once all of my watched channels went to HD, (besides BBCA), I kept it in "original format". Back in the SD days I was stretching the crap out of the shows to fill the screen.

Man I miss those threads.:lol:
Stretch me baby!!!!!!


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

There are a few SD channels and one off-air subchannel (480i) that require toggling the FORMAT button to get the proper aspect ratio. So I probably use it ~1 per week.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

I won't say I never use it but I can't recall the last time I have used it so for the intent and purpose of the poll I chose never.


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## HoTat2 (Nov 16, 2005)

I voted at least once a week, but it's really like maybe three times per week on average for an old 20 in. 4:3 LCD TV in the kitchen-breakfast room area hooked up by component cable to an HR21-200 locked to scale all to 480p.

Since the set is 4:3 the format button is occasionally used to change from letter-box for a full 16:9 HD image to crop when viewing a station broadcasting up-converted 4:3 material due to window-boxing.


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

I leave it set to original format but i push it once in a wile to see what the channel is delivering like 720p,1080i etc, voted once a week.


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## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

Never.


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## I WANT MORE (Oct 3, 2006)

csrrocks2011 said:


> Once a day for me.
> However, it's usually AT work, because when customers call about cut off pictures, it's easier to test with them when I can see what they;re seeing. esp the *"seasoned"* customers who have never used HD before and keep watching the SD version of a channel and then they stretch it all out to high heck!


Never. I and prefer the term "tenured".


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## afulkerson (Jan 14, 2007)

I voted never. I tried it once a couple of years ago do not see any use for it. I have all HD TV's and only watch HD channels.


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## BosFan (Sep 28, 2009)

Once a day that my kids are home because they are obsessed with stretching the SD channels, so I put it back. The one exception is now that HLN is SD but letterbox I will crop that on my 42" while I'm on the treadmill.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

I voted once a year. It is very very rare. Typically only when setting up a receiver with a tv.


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## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

Voted once a year. 

I usually hit it after some change, move a DVR, new TV, something changes, but I could live without it, especially now that's it's on the INFO bar.


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## br408408 (Jun 1, 2008)

Only to set up new a receiver. Just about everything I watch is HD, and the few thing that are not, I don't stretch


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

Never, I have Native off and set to only 1080i / p


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

br408408 said:


> Only to set up new a receiver.


Same here. I could work-around it, though, by simply changing channels, once I selected my preferred "HD Settings" options in set-up.

I didn't vote, but if I had to, I guess "once a year" would be closest for me.


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

One of our local channels (Antenna TV) is delivered 16x9 by the broadcaster so I take it off "pillar box" to "original" format" when I watch something (usually "All in the Family") on there. Otherwise, it looks up-and-down-stretched with extra large black bars. I also use it to crop the 16x9 image to fill the screen on SD channels (NG Wild, HLN usually). Stretch-o-vision is a crime and should be punishable. I actually have both HD and SD TBS and Cartoon Network in my favorites list because it hurts to watch older episodes of Family Guy all stretched out. Peter is fat enough.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Fairly rare now. I used to use it for Mad Men, to make it full screen.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

My vote was once a day, but really it may be every couple of days, or several times a day.

The reason I change it is for the SD channels/programs that are in 16:9. For these having a "window box" I change to zoom [my TV] or crop [receiver] to fill the screen. Then at the end of the program, I need to change back to pillarbar for the 4:3 SD.
If all SD was in 4:3, I wouldn't be using the format button.


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## NR4P (Jan 16, 2007)

Never, set it properly in menu for the particular TV and just leave it.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

NR4P said:


> Never, set it properly in menu for the particular TV and just leave it.


Guess you like watching "windowboxed" SD sometimes.


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## Newshawk (Sep 3, 2004)

I usually leave the living room DVR set to "crop" as the only things I watch in SD are BBC America and Anime Network On Demand. For occasional anime series, I switch to "pillar box" to keep the original 4:3 ratio.


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## HoTat2 (Nov 16, 2005)

Kinda surprised some with H/HR2X receivers connected to SDTVs in the household, like me  , haven't posted yet of the typical need to toggle between letter-box and crop when viewing HD channels.


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## kiknwing (Jun 24, 2009)

I think in the 4 years of having a hd-DVR, I have used it once. So I voted never.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

I don't even have it programmed into my Harmony.


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## njblackberry (Dec 29, 2007)

Never. 4 HD DVRs and three HD receivers. Never once used the format key.


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## jagrim (Aug 26, 2006)

I voted at least once per year but that includes accidental pushes. I really see no use for the button.


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## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

Hopefully they're asking because they're designing the new tactile feel DirecTV remote.

I want a DirecTV remote that has buttons like the TiVo Glo remote. The DirecTV remote is "cheap" feeling (button-wise) compared to the Glo remote.

I'd replace every one with a DirecTV tactile remote.

Also remove the ACTIVE button while they're at it. The only time I've ever hit that button is by accident and then it flushes the buffer and I'm ticked off.


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## azarby (Dec 15, 2006)

Tom Robertson said:


> I realized that I only use the format button on any given receiver, to actually change the format that is, when I move a receiver. So I said never. I don't change between resolutions nor do I change from stretch. (Helps that I don't watch much SD anymore.)
> 
> Thanks,
> Tom


Exactly the same scenario here.

Bob


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

At least it's in a place on the remote where I don't hit it accidentally. I voted never, if I want to change aspects, I use the TV. I never use the "Active" button either, but I do hit it accidentally from time to time. I never use the "TV Input" button either. Or the "Enter" button. 

I hope this poll isn't about redesigning the D* remotes. I'm used to them and I don't have to look at them to see what I'm doing. The backlit remotes could also be done away with. All mine have that function turned off. Goes thru batteries too quickly.

Aside from the "Active" button, I have no complaints about the remotes.

Rich


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## scottchez (Feb 4, 2003)

TV is a new 16x9 HD 1080p

I use it to get rid of letter boxes when watching Star Trek

I changed the HD DVR to 4:3
the format button is occasionally used to change from letter-box for a full 16:9 HD image to crop when viewing a station broadcasting up-converted 4:3 material due to window-boxing.


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

On initial TV setup only.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

I didn't even map that button for my folks when I programmed a universal remote for them. SO add one more for never..


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

I will occasionally use format to zoom in on 480 letter boxed SD.

Mike


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

Set it and leave it.


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## NR4P (Jan 16, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> Guess you like watching "windowboxed" SD sometimes.


SD, is that like 8 track? :lol:


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

NR4P said:


> SD, is that like 8 track? :lol:


Yes, (good analogy) altho the comparison might wax cyclinder next year. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

I use the format key for the following:

1. Some SD channels have letterboxed content which I can expand to full screen with the crop setting.

2. Some SD subchannels broadcast 4:3 content inside a 16:9 video format so I need to stretch it out.

3. The aspect ratio of some Media Share video content is incorrectly determined by my HR24-500 (my other receivers don't have this limitation).


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## Game Fan (Sep 8, 2007)

Never. I may have done it, accidentally, but don't remember it.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

I use the button many times a week, but just to check on the rez. of the content. Always original format.

Unlike many, I far prefer to watch in letterboxed, barred, or even double-barred than anything stretched or scaled. If there are few pixels, as in SD, I'd rather they take up less real estate on my screen. To me, that gives a better picture.


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## LOCODUDE (Aug 8, 2007)

I use it about once per day!!!!


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## balboadave (Mar 3, 2010)

Never on a HD station, as I only have 1080i and 1080p outputs enabled. But there are SD channels I watch evey day, so I use Pillar Box on a 4:3 show like _Have Gun Will Travel_, and Crop if it's a squeezed HD show, like most everything on BBCA.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

LOCODUDE said:


> I use it about once per day!!!!


Why?

Thanks, I'm finding this all interesting. 
Tom


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

Never. Why would anybody want to watch a distorted picture? Besides, 99% of what I watch now is HD, so theres no point. If I want to watch an old show, I'll watch it with pillars.


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## balboadave (Mar 3, 2010)

SledgeHammer said:


> Never. Why would anybody want to watch a distorted picture? Besides, 99% of what I watch now is HD, so theres no point. If I want to watch an old show, I'll watch it with pillars.


Crop is not stretched. There is no distortion.


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## gpg (Aug 19, 2006)

Once a year I'll find an SD show that I want to crop. Now that I think about it, I'm more likely to use zoom on my TV, so maybe I should have answered never.


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## alnielsen (Dec 31, 2006)

I pretty much watch 4:3 content in pillar box. Any WS content automatically switches to 9:16 or original format.
I think the only time I hit is is when I'm trying to tweek the settings on the tv and the receiver.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

I would say it average out to several times a week to unstretch a show like BBCA L&O:UK. So until DirecTV gets all its basics in HD, this format adjusting is going to be with us for awhile.


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## sonofcool (Dec 23, 2007)

My "local" (actually about an hour from here) is SD so when I watch recorded content on it I mess with the format but for some reason I can never see the whole screen. I may have something messed up in the TV settings but never tried to figure it out as I don't watch this channel that much.

Breaking Bad on AMC seems to be an SD show on (what is now) an HD station, so imessed with the format button some to see if I could make it fill the screen but ended up settling for original.

So I am putting myself in the never column.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

sonofcool said:


> Breaking Bad on AMC seems to be an SD show on (what is now) an HD station, so imessed with the format button some to see if I could make it fill the screen but ended up settling for original.


If you're set to a 16:9 TV ratio & are tuned to an HD channel, format doesn't change anything, since it only works for SD channels.
If you're set to a 4:3 TV ratio, then format only works on HD channels.


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

balboadave said:


> Crop is not stretched. There is no distortion.


Sure, but you lose half the picture... ok, thats an exageration , but you do lose a lot on the top and bottom and often wind up with chopped off heads.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

SledgeHammer said:


> Sure, but you lose half the picture... ok, thats an exageration , but you do lose a lot on the top and bottom and often wind up with chopped off heads.


Yes & no,
If you're watching a 4:3 picture on a 16:9 screen, then "yes", but if you're watching an SD show that is in 16:9, crop/zoom makes it fit the screen, without losing any image AND doesn't distort it either.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Maybe this might help explaining where changing format is useful.
With this image, the program provider is sending letterbox, while the DirecTV receiver is set for pillar box.







Changing to crop works quite well as it fulls the screen "correctly", with the only "downside" being that you need to change format back to pillar box for the next show to make sure you're not losing part of a non letterbox program.


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## xzi (Sep 18, 2007)

I have older 4:3 "EDTV" in the bedroom that does 480p and I use it there on occasion. I also use it all the time in TV mode with that TV because it sets the TV to anamorphic 16:9 mode for full-resolution 16:9 and it just happens to be the ASPECT button in that mode. Handy!


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## tkrandall (Oct 3, 2003)

_Edited to clarify the settings:_

I voted "never" because I after I set it up, I leave it alone.

I am an aspect ratio snob, and on my 16:9 HD sets leave it on the "pillar box" that shows 4:3 programming with pillar box - as it should be. 

I hate stretched content.

Even on my older (circa 2004) TV with 4:3 display that has an HR24 attached to it (yes, I know...) I have it set to the "letter box" option so that I get wide screen 16:9 displayed (letter boxed) for most programming, i.e. HD channels. I have SD duplicates hidden on all my receivers.


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## sonofcool (Dec 23, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> Yes & no,
> If you're watching a 4:3 picture on a 16:9 screen, then "yes", but if you're watching an SD show that is in 16:9, crop/zoom makes it fit the screen, without losing any image AND doesn't distort it either.


Fair enough. My only experience is 16:9. Thanks for the clarification/education!


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Two reasons. To zoom SD letterbox and to change stretched HD to SD so my TV will look normal.


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## say-what (Dec 14, 2006)

Only when it's accidently pressed, so never intentionally


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## spaul (Jul 19, 2009)

I never use it at all 2HDVR boxes and 1 H box leave them set to receive as broadcast .The few SD channels that I might watch I rather watch in 4:3 and not be distorted plus have 2 DVR boxes set to native on since the 2 sets connected do a good job scaling .I,ll go to a old Fun House with the mirrors that stretch your shape when standing in front of them don,t need that affect while watching TV .


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but there are format options that don't distort the image.

[sorry about the crappy picture, as this came off my H25 and couldn't be paused for the slow shutter speed of my camera]

This in pillar box:









Becomes this in crop:










This image is 26% larger and undistorted


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## JeffBowser (Dec 21, 2006)

Every once in awhile my HR20 will reset itself to 480i and I'll use the button to put it back to 1080i. Other than that, I neither use the button, nor the menu - I set to my preference, and there it stays, regardless of source.


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## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

Never.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

veryoldschool said:


> I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but there are format options that don't distort the image.


While true, I would think that the vast majority of times that someone uses the format button, it distorts the image.


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

THe local stations here can't decide how they want to format their broadcast. Sometimes it is full screen, sometimes it is bars along both the sides and the top. WTH Fox?


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

I voted never but it does get used in my daughter's room to set it back to unaltered when she accidentally hits the button. I didnt figure that really counted.

I have my LG (in the family room) set to display in the format the show is broadcast in so it does that itself. The Sony (in the main living room where everyone watched) isnt set that way because the wife hates when the guide is pillar boxed.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> While true, I would think that the vast majority of times that someone uses the format button, it distorts the image.


"Well" anybody can screw it up. :lol:
Since I got my first HR20, I've found more letterbox SD shows being aired and use the format options than I did in the beginning.
"Back in the day", pillar box was set & left.


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## braven (Apr 9, 2007)

Never


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

Occasionally when I need to set up a new receiver or look into a possible broadcast (display) problem. I voted once a year. I agree with Sixto that the Active button should be removed, or at least give us a way to disable it or to have the receiver ignore it.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Tom Robertson said:


> How often do you use your format button to actually change the format?
> 
> And under what circumstances?


I voted more than once a week...

I'm in an MPEG4 market (my locals are in MPEG4 on the KA satellites), so I have all HD-DVRs... even on the two SDTVs I have left.

I prefer OAR, so I usually leave the HDTV channels in Letterbox mode, but occasionally the channels will show something "windowboxed," so I will use the FORMAT button to crop the top, bottom, and sides to show the 4:3 image correctly on my 4:3 TVs. This usually happens numerous times during the week...

To make matters more complicated, I'm using the FORMAT button on some 4:3 channels on my 4:3 SDTVs as well. Granted, that's due to a bug which I hope will be fixed eventually, but I'm not holding my breath. 

~Alan


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## bigjoelee (Aug 19, 2008)

I use it to stretch, and make the flashing white bar that is on some of the SD channels like TRUtv go away. Why doesn't Directv clip that off anyway.
Joseph


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

bigjoelee said:


> I use it to stretch, and make the flashing white bar that is on some of the SD channels like TRUtv go away. Why doesn't Directv clip that off anyway.
> Joseph


You should be able to adjust your TV to eliminate that. Directv shouldn't attempt to adjust for overscan issues.


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## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

Never use it now but a couple of months ago I was using it quite abit but that was before the SD Tv in the living room died and was replaced with and HD Tv now since I have the HD set I have not had the need to change the format.


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## redsoxfan26 (Dec 7, 2007)

Voted never. Settings are 1080i/p and pillar box for one tv. 720p and pillar box for the other. Native off on both.


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## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

I have one 4:3 LCD set that needs occasional adjustments. The other 6 are never touched. It's interesting how useful the button is with older TVs, but once you're on HD, there's no going back. Aside from retro TV shows, I can't watch anything unless it's HD.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Once I have it set up properly I don't change it and don't know why one would want to change it (I don't watch SD, PERIOD).


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

richierich said:


> (I don't watch SD, PERIOD).


BBCA & The Military channel have shows I WANT to watch. :lol:


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I have 60+ Pages in my UPL so I have to limit the channels I watch so I don't watch SD at all and hardly have time to watch half of what I record so a lot of stuff gets deleted that never got viewed.

With 7 DVRs and 13,000 Gigabytes of Storage I can use it as a Storage and Archival System and once a month I go thru the UPL and Delete recordings that I deem no longer needing to be kept.

With my Setup you have to periodically perform Maintenance Procedures to get rid of stuff you thought you wanted to watch but never did and now you don't care about it so you delete them.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

richierich said:


> I have 60+ Pages in my UPL so I have to limit the channels I watch so I don't watch SD at all and hardly have time to watch half of what I record so a lot of stuff gets deleted that never got viewed.
> 
> With 7 DVRs and 13,000 Gigabytes of Storage I can use it as a Storage and Archival System and once a month I go thru the UPL and Delete recordings that I deem no longer needing to be kept.
> 
> With my Setup you have to periodically perform Maintenance Procedures to get rid of stuff you thought you wanted to watch but never did and now you don't care about it so you delete them.


Not everybody has your setup...

... but I too record more stuff than I really have time to watch. However, I don't limit the programs I watch (for the most part) to the HD channels I have, but rather I pick and choose from the programming I want to watch, and sadly, there are still some 20+ channels I watch that DirecTV doesn't offer in HD.

However, and more importantly, most people do not have the money to have nothing but HDTVs in their households. For those of us in MPEG4 households, that's important...

~Alan


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

veryoldschool said:


> BBCA & The Military channel have shows I WANT to watch. :lol:


Plus one on both of those channels.


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## e4123 (Jan 31, 2011)

I format the 480 channels to 720p w/ letter box and watch them on my 32 in panasonic.


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## markfp (Mar 9, 2010)

I use it everyday when watching TCM. I don't want to see films beautifully shot in 4:3 deformed by stretching it to 16:9.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

markfp said:


> I use it everyday when watching TCM. I don't want to see films beautifully shot in 4:3 deformed by stretching it to 16:9.


Would it not be easier to set to "Original format" and not have to switch it yourself? (I totally agree on not stretching any format).


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## David Ortiz (Aug 21, 2006)

gpg said:


> Once a year I'll find an SD show that I want to crop. Now that I think about it, I'm more likely to use zoom on my TV, so maybe I should have answered never.


It's not really an issue for me now that AMC is in HD, but I always preferred using the DVR to zoom. I would only use the TV to zoom if I had to because the GUI gets cut off that way.


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## armchair (Jul 27, 2009)

I set my HDTV settings in the Menu and never use the FORMAT button.


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## webby_s (Jan 11, 2008)

Lately I've been using the format button because I have been using media share and the formats I have there are all wonky.


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## mborner (Jan 12, 2011)

The format button hasn't been pushed in 10 years. Oh, wait..........I did send the command once from a 3rd party control system just to see if it worked.


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## Ken984 (Jan 1, 2006)

I only use it for SD that is letterboxed (window boxed is more accurate i guess).


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## ejbvt (Aug 14, 2011)

Laxguy said:


> Would it not be easier to set to "Original format" and not have to switch it yourself? (I totally agree on not stretching any format).


That doesn't work for me. Original is the same as stretch, which I don't understand. I have to use pillar (with the exceptions I described earlier.) Stretching should be banned.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

ejbvt said:


> That doesn't work for me. Original is the same as stretch, which I don't understand. I have to use pillar (with the exceptions I described earlier.) Stretching should be banned.


This may be due to how your TV handles "Original" format. You may have a setting for 4:3 in your TV that is causing this.
I have my TV set to zoom 4:3, so when I select original, the TV zooms the letterbox to full screen.
"It sounds like" your TV is set to "full" [or whatever your TV calls this].


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

I voted never. The only time I use it is during initial setup, then I never touch it again. My boxes are all set to upscale everything to 1080i, and pillarbox SD content. Sometimes if a show is windowboxed (black bars on all 4 sides) I will use my TV's aspect button to zoom in so the 16:9 image fills the whole screen. 

I never use stretch, as I absolutely despise when things are out of proportion like that. It drives me nuts when I go to other peoples houses and they have stuff set up like that. My wife actually has yelled at me a couple times for changing other peoples TV setings to stop stretching (it's their TV they can have it set up however they want).


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## gslater (Aug 5, 2007)

Every time I watch Doctor Who on BBC America in SD letterboxed, I switch to crop so that I get picture that fills my TV.


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