Will TWC's HD DVR box still have black bars?

[neomaxi]

The HD box I currently have will not allow me to strech the screen when watching regular cable.  

Will the new TWC HD DVR box allow me to stretch the screen when watching regular cable channels???

Thanks!

[The Law]

What HD box do you have?  The new SA box, I believe, will have the aspect ratio options you wish.

[summerfun]

Currently the TWC pioneer 3150 HD box will allow you to stretch SD 4:3 channels if you have it set up correctly. I'm not sure about the SA box, but you can swap out and get the 3150 if you ask.

[Snard]

Originally posted by summerfun
Currently the TWC pioneer 3150 HD box will allow you to stretch SD 4:3 channels if you have it set up correctly. I'm not sure about the SA box, but you can swap out and get the 3150 if you ask.

This feature does work nicely, on all channels except for channel 506 (Fox), which is "standard definition" (640x480), but for some reason the box thinks it's high definition, hence it won't let me change the stretch mode.  I've even tried taking away all of the output formats except for 480i, but it still won't let me change the mode.

My guess is that Fox's signal is being broadcast in "wide" mode for all broadcasts, with the black sidebars as part of the data, so the Pioneer box won't squish the screen down.

If anyone has figured out a way to do this for Fox 506, please let me know.

[summerfun]

Originally posted by Snard
This feature does work nicely, on all channels except for channel 506 (Fox), which is "standard definition" (640x480), but for some reason the box thinks it's high definition, hence it won't let me change the stretch mode.  I've even tried taking away all of the output formats except for 480i, but it still won't let me change the mode.

My guess is that Fox's signal is being broadcast in "wide" mode for all broadcasts, with the black sidebars as part of the data, so the Pioneer box won't squish the screen down.

If anyone has figured out a way to do this for Fox 506, please let me know.

TWC channel 506 is real goofy. The real Fox 6 signal is being broadcast at 480p, but the TWC box does not see it that way. It thinks it is 480i.

There are several threads about this and I have spoken to the engineers at FOX and TWC and nobody can explain why.

I guess we just wait for Fox 720p this fall.

[Millmann]

I have the Pioneer 3150HD Box and I use the bypass button to change the aspect ratio on the HD channels when the picture is 4:3.

[Marc G]

Originally posted by Snard
This feature does work nicely, on all channels except for channel 506 (Fox), which is "standard definition" (640x480), but for some reason the box thinks it's high definition, hence it won't let me change the stretch mode.  I've even tried taking away all of the output formats except for 480i, but it still won't let me change the mode.

My guess is that Fox's signal is being broadcast in "wide" mode for all broadcasts, with the black sidebars as part of the data, so the Pioneer box won't squish the screen down.

If anyone has figured out a way to do this for Fox 506, please let me know.

It's a pain if you're surfing channels, but if you're gonna watch a whole show then go to the advanced settings and tell your cable box that your tv is 4:3. Then you can have the box "zoom" in to eliminate the windowboxing.