SKY HD Box - scart/hdmi/teletext queries ??

Widescreen

Guys,

Recently got a SKY HD box,mainly for Sky plus initially as I don't intend to subscribe to HD Channels yet. Previously had normal digiboxes. Have actually only had it for a week or so and don't know how I survived without Sky Plus before! However, I have noticed a couple of scenarios which I would appreciate feedback on ...

1.When watching through the HDMI cable, every channel comes through as "Widescreen" not just the normal widescreen channels and I cannot access telextext on any channel .Even the inset screen for text doesn't kick in.

2.However, if I watch through the normal av scart cable I can access the text as normal but the signal on the TV that "widescreen" is selected doesn't pop up on screen even though the picture format is then what it should be, ie 4-3 or 16-9 dependant on channel.

I have the box set up with scart control on etc... Hope I've explained this clearly enough and if anyone could check out I'd appreciate.. cheers

byte

Analogue teletext doesn't work via HDMI. Only via analogue means like Scart or RF.

Use the digital text from Sky, BBCi or ITV (Teletext)

Widescreen

byte wrote: »

Analogue teletext doesn't work via HDMI. Only via analogue means like Scart or RF.

Use the digital text from Sky, BBCi or ITV (Teletext)

Yes,thanks will just use the Irish text through the coax connection or the aerial...

fat-tony

Widescreen wrote: »

1.When watching through the HDMI cable, every channel comes through as "Widescreen" not just the normal widescreen channels and I cannot access telextext on any channel .Even the inset screen for text doesn't kick in.

I see you got your analogue teletext question answered - only through SCART or RF I'm afraid!

As regards the aspect ratio over HDMI... if you set your TV to 14:9 or 4:3, then the channels not broadcasting in widescreen will look ok, but you will get black bars on the left and right of picture. Channels which transmit in widescreen (RTE, TV3, TG4, BBC, SKY 1, SKY News, Nat Geo, CH4, E4 etc.) will be automatically stretched (my Panasonic displays 576P when these channels are on) by the SKY HD box. You probably have your screen set to "auto" which will force stretch 4:3 or 14:9 pictures across the full width of the screen.

Widescreen

fat-tony wrote: »

I see you got your analogue teletext question answered - only through SCART or RF I'm afraid!

As regards the aspect ratio over HDMI... if you set your TV to 14:9 or 4:3, then the channels not broadcasting in widescreen will look ok, but you will get black bars on the left and right of picture. Channels which transmit in widescreen (RTE, TV3, TG4, BBC, SKY 1, SKY News, Nat Geo, CH4, E4 etc.) will be automatically stretched (my Panasonic displays 576P when these channels are on) by the SKY HD box. You probably have your screen set to "auto" which will force stretch 4:3 or 14:9 pictures across the full width of the screen.

thanks for that.. what I did was set the HD Resolution to Automatic and everything then operates as per a normal digibox....(apart from text of course!) cheers

Brian68GT

Yeah, with my dads HD, if he sets the box to 'Auto' and his Bravia to 'Smart' for 4:3 it all works out fine, but you do get a blank screen for a moment when the box is switching from 1080i to 576.

However if you set the box to '1080i', eveything comes in as widescreen, so 4:3 images are scretched horizontally.

fat-tony

OK - I misunderstood original poster. I thought it was his tv setting which was stretching the 4:3 channels - which it will if it's set to "automatic". When you set the SKY HD box to 720p or 1080i instead of automatic, then it will send everything in 16:9 format as that is the HD standard. It's only when you set the SKY box to "automatic" that it sends the widescreen signal to the tv when it's on a true 16:9 SD channel - all HD channels are 16:9 by definition. When you're on a 4:3 channel, the widescreen signal is turned off and it's up to the tv to process the signal according to its own settings.