Aspect ratio on HD tivo

[rrr22777]

I currenty have the SD Directivo which has a selection in the settings to swtich from 4:3 to 16:9. This does not seem to do anything when I watch SD programming. I have selected Just as the setting on my TV but everything still looks 'bloated'.

I am getting the HD Tivo in a few weeks. Does it behave the same or does it change the aspect ratio automatically between SD and HD broadcasts? Does the SD broadcast look just like it would on a regular 4:3 TV?

[majones]

I currenty have the SD Directivo which has a selection in the settings to swtich from 4:3 to 16:9. This does not seem to do anything when I watch SD programming. I have selected Just as the setting on my TV but everything still looks 'bloated'.

I am getting the HD Tivo in a few weeks. Does it behave the same or does it change the aspect ratio automatically between SD and HD broadcasts? Does the SD broadcast look just like it would on a regular 4:3 TV?

The HD Tivo has an additional setting, allowing you to choose Panel or Full. If you choose Full, SD programming will fill the 16x9 screen and look bloated as you say. If you choose Panel, SD programming will be 4x3 with 'panels' on the sides. SD programming looks pretty much like it would on a 4x3 television, although some feel it looks slightly narrower.

With either setting, HD broadcasts are automatically detected and fill the 16x9 screen as they should.

[AstroDad]

You will have the choice of watching it in true 4:3 (with bars on the sides)or stretching it to fit your 16:9 TV

edit: beaten to the punch with a better answer than I gave

[Indiana627]

If you choose Panel and send a true 4x3 picture to your TV, then you can still use your 16x9 TV to have it fill the screen right?

[majones]

If you choose Panel and send a true 4x3 picture to your TV, then you can still use your 16x9 TV to have it fill the screen right?

Yes you can, assuming your TV has a stretch-type or widescreen option, as most do.

[AstroDad]

If you choose Panel and send a true 4x3 picture to your TV, then you can still use your 16x9 TV to have it fill the screen right?

I don't know if it depends on the TV, but I don't have the same aspect options on the TV when using the HR10. I can only do 16:9 or 16:9 zoom.

[AstroDad]

Yes you can, assuming your TV has a stretch-type or widescreen option, as most do.

so it sounds like it depends on the TV then, as I have those options and cannot use them with the HR10

[rrr22777]

The HD Tivo has an additional setting, allowing you to choose Panel or Full. If you choose Full, SD programming will fill the 16x9 screen and look bloated as you say. If you choose Panel, SD programming will be 4x3 with 'panels' on the sides. SD programming looks pretty much like it would on a 4x3 television, although some feel it looks slightly narrower.

With either setting, HD broadcasts are automatically detected and fill the 16x9 screen as they should.

Excatly what I was hoping for. HD TV with SD Tivo sucks. Anyone know what the aspect ratio settings are there for on the SD Tivo?

[majones]

so it sounds like it depends on the TV then, as I have those options and cannot use them with the HR10

What happens when you choose 'Full' on the HD Tivo instead of 'Panel'? Does it stretch 4:3 content to fill the screen?

[AstroDad]

What happens when you choose 'Full' on the HD Tivo instead of 'Panel'? Does it stretch 4:3 content to fill the screen?

Yep

[Budget_HT]

Excatly what I was hoping for. HD TV with SD Tivo sucks. Anyone know what the aspect ratio settings are there for on the SD Tivo?
We were told the aspect ratio settings on the SD DirecTiVo were for some future use that never materialized. They do nothing right now, and likely never will.

[drew2k]

Once you get the HD-TiVo, you'll find that you may have to play with various settings to get the exact result you want. Your TV mode as well as the panel setting and the resolution output setting on the TiVo will affect the display.

See this thread (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=309841) for some issues someone else brought up about the width of the pillars when watching SD content on the HD-TiVo and for examples of how the settings affect the display.

[jmrife]

More than likely, your 16:9 tv will do a "better" job of filling the screen than the TiVo. If the panel has a "justify" type stretch mode, SD is easier to watch than the similar mode from the recorder. More natural. As the previous poster said, experiment until you find the right setting, or combination of settings (TV/recorder) that is most pleasant to you.

[otamcnet]

Yes you can, assuming your TV has a stretch-type or widescreen option, as most do.


My two TV's, one about 4 yrs old, the other brand new - WILL NOT let you change the aspect ratio on the 1080i componet input or HDMI. For me, all aspect shifting (on those inputs) is done at the source. BTW, SD looks like crap at first, but with time (and distance) its not half as bad and is very watchable.

[shendley]

This is not quite the same issue, I think, but why is it that some commercials on HD broadcasts OTA get formatted as 1) widescreen but 2) don't fill the screen - there are black lines on ALL sides? It seems like what's happening is that it's a HD broadcast in widescreen that the broadcasters think is SD, so they're scaling it down to size to fit regular non-widescreen tvs with letterboxing. But that's just my guess.

[gio1269]

Do you have a Panasonic Plasma? My panasonic has that Just mode.

Here is what I do-

I set the HD-TiVo to FULL and the Plasma to FULL. 4:3 looks fine and HD 16:9 is perfect. Now when I watch OTA Digital Broadcasts that are NOT in HD, Then I use the "Just" mode on the TV. Picture looks really nice.

Only thing is the channel banner and the TiVo status bar will be stretched and hard to read.

When I watch OTA without TiVo and using the "just" mode, the picture looks the best, but the settings I mentioned with TiVo look almost as good.

[rrr22777]

Do you have a Panasonic Plasma? My panasonic has that Just mode.

Here is what I do-

I set the HD-TiVo to FULL and the Plasma to FULL. 4:3 looks fine and HD 16:9 is perfect. Now when I watch OTA Digital Broadcasts that are NOT in HD, Then I use the "Just" mode on the TV. Picture looks really nice.

Only thing is the channel banner and the TiVo status bar will be stretched and hard to read.

When I watch OTA without TiVo and using the "just" mode, the picture looks the best, but the settings I mentioned with TiVo look almost as good.


Yes I have the Panasonic TH-50PX60U. I am not going to have any OTA since I am 50 miles away from the station. Antennaweb shows only blue and violet antenna choices.

I think the Just mode still makes the picture look weird. The Zoom mode actually looks more natural but that cuts off some of the picture and menu options on the Tivo.

I am hoping the Full mode on the HD Tivo is better at handling this.

[gio1269]

Yes, use full mode on the TiVo and your Plasma for HD and SD and you will be fine.