My Humax Forum » Freeview HD » HDR FOX T2

Aspect ratio problems with new tv

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    kes

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    I have a very irritating problem with our Sony Bravia KDL32WD756 TV whilst watching via our Humax Fox T2. I have posted this on the Sony community forums without success (they blame the Humax).

    We watch the TV via Freeview, preferably in HD, via the Humax Fox T2 (to enable pause/rewind, and the Sony's epg is terrible). The Humax is connected via a HDMI cable to HDMI2 on the TV.

    In essence when we watch a programme transmitted in 4:3 aspect ratio through the TV it is converted to 16:9 wide zoom, which is what we want. When we watch a 4:3 programme through the Humax it is shown as 4:3. If I manually alter the screen display to 16:9 it is fine until the adverts, but reverts to 4:3 when the programme starts again.

    We had an older Sony Bravia tv which handled the Humax input correctly, converting 4:3 to 16:9. The essence is that I unplugged the Humax's HDMI lead from the 20" Bravia and plugged it into the 32" Bravia and the way the pictue is displayed is different.

    If I change the TV screen format from Normal to Full then the picture is displayed as I want it to be. So the TV is quite capable of showing the desired aspect ratio, it's just that it won't keep that setting. I get 15 minutes, the adverts come on, and it's back to 4:3.

    My gut feeling is that it's the TV, but perhaps someone here can help.

    | Sun 20 Oct 2019 11:58:22 #1 |
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    A1944

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    Why do you want the 4:3 programmes displayed in 16:9 anyway? Surely all that does is to deform everything and make people look fat.

    | Sun 20 Oct 2019 12:07:03 #2 |
  3. Trev

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    I wondered that as well. Perhaps OP does not want to waste screen pixels. Or is there some sort of zoom where you can cut off the top and bottom whilst maintaining the aspect ratio?

    | Sun 20 Oct 2019 13:05:55 #3 |
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    kes

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    The 16:9 display is shown as wide zoom, which does not show much signs of distortion at all and does not have the old 'wide people' problem. Perhaps there is some cropping, but I accept that. More relevant though is that both TV and Humax are capable of showing the picture is 16:9, so why should I not choose that if I wish?

    It is true I could give in and watch in 4:3 format, but another peculiarity is that if I switch from a 4:3 display to say BBC News HD the 4:3 aspect ratio is maintained, ruining the picture. I have to swap to channel 5 HD (for instance) for the picture to swap back to 16:9. This just can't be right.

    | Sun 20 Oct 2019 13:51:21 #4 |
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    Luke

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    What have you set the 'Display Format' on the HDR-FOX T2 menu to?

    kes - 1 hour ago  » 
    The 16:9 display is shown as wide zoom, which does not show much signs of distortion at all and does not hav

    There are 2 different type of picture manipulations of getting a 4:3 broadcast to use all a 16:9 screen. One is to distorte it by stretching its width, and the other is to zoom in so that the left and right edges touch the side of the TV screen but keeping the same aspect ratio which results in the top and boptto being cut off as the screen won't be tall enough.
    From what you are describing it is the 'zoom' result you want, and that type of manipulation is supported by the HDR-FOX T2.

    What have you set the 'Display Format' on the HDR-FOX T2 menu to?
    For what I think you are describing the Screen Ratio should be set to 16:9 and the Display Format should be set to 'Zoom'.
    MENU >> Settings >> Preferences >> Video, then make sure that the Screen Ratio is set to 16:9 and the Display Format is set to 'Zoom'.

    | Sun 20 Oct 2019 15:49:44 #5 |
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    kes

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    On the Humax the Screen Ratio is set to 16:9 and the Display Format set to Auto. I have tried setting it to Zoom and it distorts the 4:3 picture far too much. It appears to stretch the picture to the l/r edges and chops the top/bottom. The Wide Zoom feature (on the TV) gives a far more acceptable zoom and I think keeps the centre of the picture pretty much as is and zooms the sides. It gives a better picture than I have described.

    When watching the TV natively, with the RF lead passing through the Humax and onto the TV, the Wide Zoom is invoked and works well. When watching via the Humax's tuners through the HDMI lead it won't invoke the TV's Wide Zoom setting. It's as if there's something in the signal that overrides the TV's setting. Indeed the TV picture setting of Full is actually altered dynamically to Normal when a 4:3 picture is shown, and changes back to Full during the adverts - then back to Normal again.

    Furthermore if I switch to some another (16:9) channels from a 4:3 picture the 4:3 ratio is still shown, with nonsensical results. Puzzling, and annoying.

    | Tue 22 Oct 2019 15:27:42 #6 |

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