[zzyzxuk]

I've recently changed my television to a new LG LCD TV and it's been working really well... however I've noticed that since Monday, all the programmes TiVo records on Channel 4 (which is mostly what I watch) end up displaying in a reduced screensize on the television, but the live TV picture, as well as the TiVo menus itself take up the full screen - only the recorded content is smaller.

While playing the shrunken video, there's nothing I can press on the TV's remote to make it go full-size.

This doesn't happen on the "Watch live TV" stuff - only the recorded programmes, and funnily enough, only the ones since Monday, (which may be just a coincidence).

I looked for a setting in TiVo that controls the aspect ratio that it records/sends to the TV as I'm -guessing- that it might send a code to the TV to tell it what aspect ratio to use (I really don't know how the TV chooses what mode to use), but couldn't find any such setting.

On my Cable box (I'm with Virgin Media), the setting is set to 16:9, and it's the same on my TV.

Can anyone point me to some tutorial that explains how all of this works, or suggest to me why the newer recorded programmes are all reduced in size but the live TV is full screen?

 

[mikerr]

On some cable boxes you have to use the cable box's VCR scart, not the TV one

Maybe try different scart cable, or reseat your cables.

Also check tivo has SCART control on (setup/recorder/scart/ tv control on)

 

[cwaring]

..but the live TV picture, as well as the TiVo menus itself take up the full screen - only the recorded content is smaller.

The Tivo menus are in 4:3 so I can only assume that you have your TV forced into 16:9 mode.

While playing the shrunken video, there's nothing I can press on the TV's remote to make it go full-size.

Your TV doesn't have a 'zoom' function?

I looked for a setting in TiVo that controls the aspect ratio that it records/sends to the TV as I'm -guessing- that it might send a code to the TV to tell it what aspect ratio to use (I really don't know how the TV chooses what mode to use), but couldn't find any such setting.

You're right. There isn't one. The Tivo will use whatever it receives from the SCART.

On my Cable box (I'm with Virgin Media), the setting is set to 16:9, and it's the same on my TV.

As it should be

Can anyone point me to some tutorial that explains how all of this works, or suggest to me why the newer recorded programmes are all reduced in size but the live TV is full screen?

Have you had to remove the SCART from your cable STB for some reason? I'd check it's in the TV SCART and not the VCR SCART.

 

[Automan]

Is your souce a Sky digibox?
if yes do you view it from another room or restart about the time the problem started?
Do you have the rf2link device?

If some of the above make sure box is brought out of standby by sky key on remote and not rf2link or second room (if set for a 4:3 tv).

If no sky box ignore all of above

Automan.

 

[zzyzxuk]

The signal leaves my Virgin set-top box via a SCART cable connected to it's: "TV" socket which goes into the TiVo's "AUX SCART" socket.

It then leaves Tivo via the "TV" socket and goes into the television's "AUX1" socket.

As for possible settings on the television, here are the options - which one is best?

-spectacle
-full
-original
-4:3
-16:9
-14:9
-zoom

On the smaller programmes that I'm talking about, only the "zoom" settings will make the programme occupy all of the screen on the television, and I'm not sure if that setting should be used for all of my programmes?

Something I'm rather curious about is that on this particular TiVo recording (The Daily Show, if you're curious) is that the commercials leading up to the actual programme itself are in full screen, but as soon as the show itself comes on, it's on a smaller size - is this because it somehow is leaving More4 in a smaller size as well?

 

[cwaring]

Here is a quick guide as to the different picture sizes possible on a Widescreen TV: http://www.virginmediainfo.co.uk/widescreen.shtml

It does sound like More4 are showing "The Daily Show" in either 4:3 or 4:3L mode.

 

[TCM2007]

The Daily Show is 4:3 so should display on a 16:9 TV as 4:3 with black bars on each sides. In ad breaks it switches to 16:9. All is working perfectly.

If you want to over-rule the aspect ratio, you can with the Zoom function, but your STB, TiVo and TV are just doing what the programme broadcaster specified.