Troubleshooting

Aspect Ratio / Black Bars / Enlarge Picture

  • Updated

Why do I see black bars on the top or sides of my screen?
How do I stretch the picture to take up the full width of my screen?
How do I change the aspect ratio of my screen?

The aspect ratio of your TV is the relationship between its width and height. Older square TVs display the picture in a 4:3 aspect ratio, while most widescreen rectangular TVs display the picture in 16:9. The shape of the image broadcast by a TV channel may not always match the shape of your TV. Movies shot in a wider theatrical aspect ratio may have black bars at the top and bottom (“letterboxing”). Reruns of older shows originally broadcast as a square picture may have black bars down the left and right side (“pillarboxing”).

You can alter the aspect ratio of your cable box to receive your preferred image, although doing so may cause unwanted image distortion. Please note that you may not be able to remove black bars in all instances. Zooming in may crop the image and cause less of the picture to be seen.

Please note: Changing aspect ratio options as listed below may not alter the appearance of HD channels. In addition to the below, the menu within your TV, accessible using the remote that came with your television set, may provide additional aspect ratio, stretch, or zoom options.

On a TiVo Box:

  1. Press the [TiVo] button and navigate to TiVo Menu Icon Menu > Settings > Audio & Video Settings.
  2. Verify the TV Aspect Ratio option lists the correct shape of your TV set (16:9 for widescreen, 4:3 for classic/square). If necessary, choose your preferred option from the menu.
  3. Select Aspect Correction Mode to choose from available options:
    1. Full: This will stretch the image to the full width of your TV screen.
    2. Panel: This will keep the image in its original shape, which may result in letterboxing or pillarboxing.
    3. Zoom: This will zoom in, potentially cropping off the edges of the picture.

On a DTA Mini Box:

Control of the aspect ratio depends on whether the box is connected to your TV with an HDMI cord or a coaxial cable. If your DTA Mini Box is connected to your TV via an HDMI cord, you will not be able to change the aspect ratio via the cable box. You can use your remote that came with the TV set to look for aspect ratio controls through the TV, or connect the DTA Mini Box with a coaxial cable.

If connected with a coaxial cord, which screws into the cable jack on your TV, follow these steps:

  1. Press the orange [Menu] button on your remote, then navigate to Settings > SD Setup.
  2. Under Aspect Ratio, choose the shape of your TV: 4:3 or 16:9.
  3. Under Screen Format, options include Just Scale, Box, and Pan & Scan. Experiment with what works best for you. Typically, Pan & Scan will zoom or stretch the image. Press [OK] on your chosen setting. Press [Exit] to go back to watching TV.
  4. If you’re still unsatisfied with the image, use your remote that came with the TV set to look for aspect ratio controls through the TV.

On a Cisco or DVR Box:

  1. Press the [Settings] button on your Blue Ridge remote control, then the yellow triangle button [A] for more settings.
  2. Press the [down arrow] button to scroll through the preferences column and highlight Audio/Video. Press the [right arrow] and then press the [down arrow] button to highlight Video Aspect Ratio.
  3. Press the [right arrow] button once and scroll up or down to highlight the correct shape of your TV. If your TV screen is rectangular rather than square, choose Widescreen 16:9, and then press the [right arrow] button once more. Scroll up or down and choose between Stretch, Sidebar, and Zoom. Press [SEL/OK] to confirm settings.
  4. Other options available from this Settings page are:
    1. Widescreen guide: Set to On to stretch the onscreen channel guide across the width of your screen.
    2. Sidebar color: Options include light, medium, and dark gray for pillarbox colors.

On a Scientific Atlanta Non-DVR Box:

  1. Press the [Settings] button on your Blue Ridge remote control, then the yellow triangle button [A] for more settings.
  2. Press the [down arrow] button to scroll through the preferences column and highlight Aspect Ratio.
  3. Press the [right arrow] button once and scroll up or down to highlight the correct shape of your TV. If your TV screen is rectangular rather than square, choose Widescreen 16:9, and then press the [right arrow] button once more. Scroll up or down and choose between Stretch, Sidebar, and Zoom. Press [SEL/OK] to confirm settings.

 

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