sky aspect ratio

[dcanham001]

Morning all and happy xmas (eve)

I've got my parents a new sky + plus box for xmas (which is actually a sky HD box just without the HD channels activated) and the aspect ratio keeps changing. It'll be 16.9 and then automatically change to 4.3 (and other picture sizes) during the adverts and you have to manually change it back when the programme starts again.

The box is connected via scart to an old toshiba CRT tv

Are there any settings I can change on the box to stop it changing all the time?

Thanks

 

[professorhat]

It's your TV's aspect ratio you need to change - at the moment it's on Auto so it's changing to whatever is being broadcast. To prevent this, there should be a Wide or 16:9 mode which will keep it in that ratio, no matter what signal it's receiving.

 

[Anonymous]

On the skybox there should be a menu item on the services/screen set up (I think), where you can set the box up for 4:3 or 16:9. Also on the tv there might be a menu for auto wide somewhere. This allows the tv to read the signal from pin 7 on the scart lead which will tell the tv switch to 16:9 automatically. You could then set the tv on the remote to an aspect ratio you like for watching 4:3 images. Say zoom or 4:3 with black bars either side. Then when watching a 16:9 broadcast the tv should switch back and forth automatically. This is what we did with our old crt. It's been a while so my memory on it is a little vague.

 

[Anonymous]

professorhat:

It's your TV's aspect ratio you need to change - at the moment it's on Auto so it's changing to whatever is being broadcast. To prevent this, there should be a Wide or 16:9 mode which will keep it in that ratio, no matter what signal it's receiving.

That's if you don't mind the image being vertically compressed on 4:3 images. We had ours on a zoom mode where some of the top and bottom of the image was missing on 4:3. The wife liked that more. I wasn't botherd as all my dvd were widescreen via component which didnt have auto changing.

I suppose it's best to try and see which your parents prefer.

 

[dcanham001]

Thanks for the replies everyone - we got it fixed and it no longer changes aspect ratio.

Unfortunately my parents laptop (which I was using to post) died and wouldn't restart so I couldn't thank you all sooner