# Format button doesn't work?



## davewolfs (Aug 18, 2007)

Hey folks,

I am a little confused by the format button feature of the HR20. I have setup my receiver so that all resolutions are supported and I have tried setting native to both ON and OFF.

For some reason, when I have native set to on and switch through my my different formats i.e. letterbox, crop and stretch my screen size does not change at all.

Furthermore, when native is set to off, my resolutions change but my screen aspect does not.

Is this how things are supposed to work or is there something wrong with my receiver?


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

If you have a 16:9 display and are receiving 16:9 programming, the format key won't change the screen size, but it will for 4:3 programming.

Native on will feed the same resolution as received to the TV.


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## davewolfs (Aug 18, 2007)

bobnielsen said:


> If you have a 16:9 display and are receiving 16:9 programming, the format key won't change the screen size, but it will for 4:3 programming.
> 
> Native on will feed the same resolution as received to the TV.


The screen is a Pio 5080 and is 16:9 and the content is on HBO but is in 4:3. Should it be zooming?


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## steverichmond (Oct 11, 2007)

davewolfs said:


> The screen is a Pio 5080 and is 16:9 and the content is on HBO but is in 4:3. Should it be zooming?


I have a PIO 5070 and it does the same thing. I migrated from E* to D* 9 days ago and this is my biggest issue. The E* VIP 211 would stretch any channel when you toggled it into stretch mode. There are some trad offs here though, you never have to worry about HR20 stretching a true HD 16x9 screen. Thanks

Steve


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

davewolfs said:


> The screen is a Pio 5080 and is 16:9 and the content is on HBO but is in 4:3. Should it be zooming?


If you're on an HD channel, none of the format setting make any changes. They only work for SD. Even if your HD show is in 4:3, it's controlled by the program source and not the HR-20. Some newer TVs will change format on HD channels, but even that is new.


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## steverichmond (Oct 11, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> If you're on an HD channel, none of the format setting make any changes. They only work for SD. Even if your HD show is in 4:3, it's controlled by the program source and not the HR-20. Some newer TVs will change format on HD channels, but even that is new.


You are correct. I can change it with TV remote. It's a bit of a hassle though. I prefer 1 remote. Thanks.


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## mtnagel (Sep 18, 2006)

And using the "crop" mode on my tv makes the progress bar dissappear off the screen and most of the program info on the top. 

I don't understand why you can't use the format button on HD channels?


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

mtnagel said:


> And using the "crop" mode on my tv makes the progress bar dissappear off the screen and most of the program info on the top.
> 
> I don't understand why you can't use the format button on HD channels?


Because they designed it that way.

The formatting choices leave something to be desired. They do not work with HD channels. They cannot unstretch something. Then when they work for SD, they often don't (super crop mode).


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

steverichmond said:


> You are correct. I can change it with TV remote. It's a bit of a hassle though. I prefer 1 remote. Thanks.


With my Sony TV code loaded in the D* remote, I can slide the D* remote over to TV and the format button works for my TV. FWIW


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

mtnagel said:


> And using the "crop" mode on my tv makes the progress bar dissappear off the screen and most of the program info on the top.
> 
> I don't understand why you can't use the format button on HD channels?


With a 16:9 TV setting, they only work on SD.
With a 4:3 TV setting, they only work on HD.


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## PoitNarf (Aug 19, 2006)

If enough of us make noise about this then maybe we'll see it added:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=103646


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## davewolfs (Aug 18, 2007)

Kinda lame that they wouldn't enable this feature for HD channels. Why even bother making the option available.

The output and quality of the HD channels have been great but I must say, the HR20 has its quarks compared to the ViP622.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

davewolfs said:


> Kinda lame that they wouldn't enable this feature for HD channels. Why even bother making the option available.
> 
> The output and quality of the HD channels have been great but I must say, the HR20 has its quarks compared to the ViP622.


"The lameness" will go away when HD is all in 16:9 won't it? This is just a transitional phase.


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## John in Georgia (Sep 24, 2006)

It has quirks, yes. But quarks is off-topic I think.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

John in Georgia said:


> It has quirks, yes. But quarks is off-topic I think.


well so is the ViP622. :lol:


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## rynberg (Oct 6, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> Some newer TVs will change format on HD channels, but even that is new.


Not necessarily, my 4-year old Mits CRT RPTV will stretch 1080i content. However, it will not unstretch it....damn you new stretching networks!


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