Picture Format

RangeR

DingDong wrote: »

Watty right I can't comment on everything. All I will say is HD has been up and running on the network for some time and it does look very nice(the standard picture even looks slightly better on the HD box) and the launch isn't too far off from what I'm told.

Quick question, if you can comment. Have UPC fixed the "viewing area" of the HD channels? The SD is dire. There is about an inch or two chopped off all sides on all or most channels.

highdef

That inch or two chopped off is due to overscan which is typical on consumer TVs. Connect a set top box to a professional monitor, select underscan and then you will see every bit of the picture.

RangeR

highdef wrote: »

That inch or two chopped off is due to overscan which is typical on consumer TVs. Connect a set top box to a professional monitor, select underscan and then you will see every bit of the picture.

I'm not interested in it working with a professional monitor. I'm paying for a TV service so I want it working with my TV, ANY standard TV. Sky works, Aerial works, why not UPC?

Sorry, I'm not meaning to rant about the UPC service. I really want to see full picture on my 42" plasma and 21" CRT. It's always been like this with UPC / Chorus. Always pee'd me off.


Why do I not get the full image on ANY channel on my UPC digital service? I have an inch or two chopped off from every side and it always looks like the images is "zoomed".

I've had Sky and Aeriel [rabbit's ears] before and it's perfect, so why doesn't it work with UPC? I don't except the the excuse offered in the link above that it's "overscanned and that if I get a professional monitor and select underscan, that it will work".

Sorry, I purchase a TV service from UPC. I expect it to work with my TV [flat screen or CRT, it shouldn't matter]. If it needs to be "underscanned" then the STB should do this before it comes down the scart.

Can anyone make this clearer for me?

DingDong

RangeR wrote: »

I'm not interested in it working with a professional monitor. I'm paying for a TV service so I want it working with my TV, ANY standard TV. Sky works, Aerial works, why not UPC?

Sorry, I'm not meaning to rant about the UPC service. I really want to see full picture on my 42" plasma and 21" CRT. It's always been like this with UPC / Chorus. Always pee'd me off.


Why do I not get the full image on ANY channel on my UPC digital service? I have an inch or two chopped off from every side and it always looks like the images is "zoomed".

I've had Sky and Aeriel [rabbit's ears] before and it's perfect, so why doesn't it work with UPC? I don't except the the excuse offered in the link above that it's "overscanned and that if I get a professional monitor and select underscan, that it will work".

Sorry, I purchase a TV service from UPC. I expect it to work with my TV [flat screen or CRT, it shouldn't matter]. If it needs to be "underscanned" then the STB should do this before it comes down the scart.

Can anyone make this clearer for me?

What sort of set top box have you got? Can't say I have this problem with my DVR and 40" Sony TV. Is it like the text along the bottom of Sky news or BBC News 24 is missing?. If you have a Thomson DVR did you try change the TV format in setting.

RangeR

Don't have the DVR. I have the old Chorus STB. And yes text is missing from side of credits in movies, bottom of sky news etc

steveon

UPC do indeed broadcast in widescreen, however the problem lies with their boxes not storing the screen size when selected if the box is powered off etc.

Is it the sagem box you have??

If so then you can adjust the screen size by

Press menu

Now highlight installation press ok
Now higlight tv and vcr installation press ok
change screen size to 16:9
Now press ok to save
press exit to return out of menus till you see tv screen...check sky news etc and hopefully all will be good...

this may not be 100% accurate as some boxes vary slightly..but method should be similar

It will stay at the screen size you select unless you plug it out in which you will need to follow the steps above again

Hope that helps...

highdef

Sorry, I didn't realise that you meant that the sides were being chopped off. And as the above poster has said, it simply sounds like you don't have your set top box set up properly. The default format is 4:3. If you have a widescreen TV, you have to tell your set top box that this is the case using the method posted above. Let me know if this solves your issue.

RangeR

steveon wrote: »

UPC do indeed broadcast in widescreen, however the problem lies with their boxes not storing the screen size when selected if the box is powered off etc.

Is it the sagem box you have??

If so then you can adjust the screen size by

Press menu

Now highlight installation press ok
Now higlight tv and vcr installation press ok
change screen size to 16:9
Now press ok to save
press exit to return out of menus till you see tv screen...check sky news etc and hopefully all will be good...

this may not be 100% accurate as some boxes vary slightly..but method should be similar

It will stay at the screen size you select unless you plug it out in which you will need to follow the steps above again

Hope that helps...

Yes, I believe that is my issue. I am almost positive that I have changed this setting many times. I have changed it again on Saturday and seems to have resolved the issue. However, if the STB doesn't save that setting on power cycle, i guess the answer to my initial question is "No, it's still an issue with UPC service".

podgeandrodge

just slightly related:

can someone explain why for instance, with NTL analog (and I think digital) the Sky News clock is exactly at the bottom left of the screen but on another television connected to a freesat box the clock is about 3 inches in with a lot of viewing space to the left of it?

Try as I might adjusting picture settings on my tv (widescreen/letterbox etc) I can't get this "bigger picture" with NTL?

RangeR

podgeandrodge wrote: »

just slightly related:

As far as I know, it's EXACTLY the same thing.

highdef

podgeandrodge, it's only the analogue that is like this. With digital, you can decide what aspect ratio you want by setting it within the set top box menu. You can have 16:9 widescreen (which gives you the bits at the side that you mention and is for viewing on a widescreen TV), 4:3 letterbox (which also has the bits on the side visible but which also has black bars at the top and bottom - This setting is so you can see all the picture information on an old style 4:3 TV) and 4:3 (this truncates the sides of so the image will fill a full 4:3 formatted TV screen, however, you miss information from the sides).

Sky News analogue on ntl is in the last format mentioned above as it's not possible to select different aspect ratios with the analogue service. You need digital if you want to switch it to widescreen. The other formats could be selected for broadcast on analogue but 4:3 was decided upon as a lot of people would complain that they had massive black bars at the top and bottom of their TV screens if ntl were to broadcast the channel in 4:3 letterbox. In any case, Sky News is framed so that you don't miss anything important if you view the channel in 4:3.

I hope this helps

podgeandrodge

Thanks for that info Highdef, that explains things for me!