Philips 37" Aspect Ratio Issue

costello2s

I recently purchased a 37" Philips LCD and i have it connected to a ntl stb, my issue is when i switch to channels such as uktv gold, discoveries etc or any channel not broadcast in wide screen, the tv automatically switches from widescreen to Movie Expand 16:9 ratio. While this is normal enough it causes the issue of not being able to see see the ntl info upper bar or lower bar.

I have changed the settings on the stb to 4:3 and letterbox and also on the tv to superzoom which gives a compromised view of the ntl info bar. But it always switches back to Movie Expand 16:9.

My question is there any setting on the stb or tv to avoid this switching as the afore mentioned channels look perfectly adequeate in 16:9 ratio. At the moment i have to change the aspect ratio manually for each channel change.

thanks in advance

Sad Professor

This happens on my tv too usually after I've been watching a non-anamorphic dvd for which I set 16:9 expand. But usually once you set it back to 4:3 or 16:9 (or whatever your preferred setting is) then the tv should remember it for all non-widescreen signals. Or at least that's how it's been on all my tvs, including my current Philips lcd 26". You may need to turn the digital box off and back on first.

mollser

Yep, same problem on my Philips 26" LCD. It seems to be a problem with Philips tele's only, and I don't think there is a solution to it unfortunately. Drives me mad - I hate that 16:9 setting.

As a tip, when it flicks to 16:9, I would often switch it straight away to Superwide. It will usually remember this setting for those channels, until the tele is turned off and on again. Superwide generally works well for those channels mentioned

loyatemu

its a Philips problem - if its not coming through in anamorphic widescreen, it tends to flip to the zoom 16:9 setting, and you then lose the top and bottom of the screen.

manually changing to superwide will improve the picture, but this also turns off the automatic switching, so when you change back to a widescreen channel on your STB you'll have to change the ratio manually again. Its a pain.

costello2s

Is this an issue too with other providers too like sky or magnet.
Its dam annoying constantly changing ratios between channels....

patrickmooney

Same issue here with my philips and ntl. I personally think it's an ntl thing, that they are sending out the wrong/non switching signal. I usually flick to a widescreen channel and yellow button back to resolve.

loyatemu

I suspect NTL are sending the signal for widescreen on the widescreen channels, but sending no signal on the 4:3 channels. So its then a question of what setting the TV defaults to and the Philips is getting it wrong.

belmulletman

ok, i'm confused here...
i have a 32" Philips LCD (32pf9830).. I have my NTL box set as 16x9, and the TV set to Widescreen...
everything appears to be displaying correctly, and has done for the past year.
i don't notice any obvious stretching on the Non Widescreen channels...
i don't get why it's switching!
i know on my TV, i can have different aspects set up for different inputs (e.g. EXT1 = Widescreen, EXT2= Superwide etc...) i've never seen the picture switch without me pressing a button and i've never used, or seen my tv change into, that Movie expand mode! (oh, i never use the auto mode either!)

costello2s

Belmullet Man as you, those are the same settings I initally used but the switching happens regardless.

There is no auto option on my 37" tv but I am interested to know how you set the ratios for each ext1/2 etc because I have not come across this option on mine or in the manual.

belmulletman

I suppose it depends on the TV you have.
do you know what the model number is?
my one, when i bought it last year, was the top of the range 32" philips had available. (e.g. it even has USB and Memory card reader on the side that i can play Divx files straight through or MP3's or photos... they also allow me to upgrade the firmware on the TV if any bugs are found in the software. i know I've upgraded the firmware 5-6 times last year)

features like setting different ratios for different EXT's.. and even as afar as different color settings for different EXT... are usually dropped as the model status drops. as far as i'm aware, and to the best of my knowledge, all the 9xxx series models have these features, but i'm not so sure about the 7xxx, or 5xxx models having these features.


currently my settings are - NTL Digibox set to - Wide screen... Philips TV set to Wide screen... going from the TV out scart on the NTL box to the EXT1 input on the TV with RGB on (RGB shouldn't affect the picture ration, just improve the overall pic quality).
Don't know if that helps at all, but it's just the way it's always worked for me.

costello2s

Belmullet Man my model is a 37PF5521D, it has the software upgrade option and a usb connection too.

My set up is exactly the same as yours, but currently I have the stb set to Letterbox and tv to widescreen, this appears to have stopped the switching some what but of course the picture ratios are completely off. Too wide and dogs etc missing or halved.

To my knowledge the option to set the independent ratios for each ext. doesnt appear to be on my model but if anyone has additional solutions it would be much appreciated