TV resolution

Are you seeing this on the HD channels (channels 1000 - 1999) or the SD channels (channel 02 - 999)?

TG asks a good question - More questions-

Is the HD tech package turned on?

Is aspect under menu/options set to 1080?

What does it look like when the guide is up? When the STB is OFF?

There is a u-verse channel that should have full screen, but I do not know what number.

Any of the HD channels (1000+) should be full screen IF they are broadcasting an HD program, all of the settings are correct and you are receiving HD programming (U450 or HD add on).

I don't think there's a 'test' screen anymore.

And, finally, what kind of cable do you have the TV connected to the U-verse receiver with?  Coax, Composite, Component or HDMI?

Ok, Yes we ordered HD package, yes the TV can display 1080.  The channles below 1000 all appear with a letterbox around the picture with  no zoom on the reciever.  Channles above 1000 in HD appear correct and fill the screen.  I have tried every setting in the reciever box to no avail.  The only thing that works, as many others have stated on the fourms, is to use the zoom feature on the reciever box to fill the screen.  It is connected via HDMI to the TV.  This is a reciever box issue as the TV is a 1 month old Samsung smart UHD TV. (dont have the model number handy)  Again, no zoom, box set to HD 16:9 and highest resolution (1080 or 720) the HD works fine. It is the non HD channles that are the issue with letterboxing all the way around (that means top and bottom).  

I have seen other posts on this forum, that suggested there was an update to the firmware in the box that has caused this issue to occur.  I would believe that as previously this was not an issue and the 1-999 channles filled the screen appropriately.  Now, that is not the case.  I believe it is a scaling issue between UHD TV and the box, but cannot be sure.  In the family is a simliar TV with Xfinity and it scales/works fine (no letterboxing at all). 

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@JFforbes wrote:

Ok, Yes we ordered HD package, yes the TV can display 1080.  The channles below 1000 all appear with a letterbox around the picture with  no zoom on the reciever.  Channles above 1000 in HD appear correct and fill the screen.  I have tried every setting in the reciever box to no avail.  The only thing that works, as many others have stated on the fourms, is to use the zoom feature on the reciever box to fill the screen.  It is connected via HDMI to the TV.  This is a reciever box issue as the TV is a 1 month old Samsung smart UHD TV. (dont have the model number handy)  Again, no zoom, box set to HD 16:9 and highest resolution (1080 or 720) the HD works fine. It is the non HD channles that are the issue with letterboxing all the way around (that means top and bottom).  

 

I have seen other posts on this forum, that suggested there was an update to the firmware in the box that has caused this issue to occur.  I would believe that as previously this was not an issue and the 1-999 channles filled the screen appropriately.  Now, that is not the case.  I believe it is a scaling issue between UHD TV and the box, but cannot be sure.  In the family is a simliar TV with Xfinity and it scales/works fine (no letterboxing at all). 

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That's how it's supposed to work.  SD channels will either be 4:3 OR have a black frame around the picture.  Only HD broadcasts will fill your screen. 

AFAIK it's always been that way (8+ years).

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@JFforbes wrote:

Ok, Yes we ordered HD package, yes the TV can display 1080.  The channles below 1000 all appear with a letterbox around the picture with  no zoom on the reciever.  Channles above 1000 in HD appear correct and fill the screen.  I have tried every setting in the reciever box to no avail.  The only thing that works, as many others have stated on the fourms, is to use the zoom feature on the reciever box to fill the screen.  It is connected via HDMI to the TV.  This is a reciever box issue as the TV is a 1 month old Samsung smart UHD TV. (dont have the model number handy)  Again, no zoom, box set to HD 16:9 and highest resolution (1080 or 720) the HD works fine. It is the non HD channles that are the issue with letterboxing all the way around (that means top and bottom).  

 

I have seen other posts on this forum, that suggested there was an update to the firmware in the box that has caused this issue to occur.  I would believe that as previously this was not an issue and the 1-999 channles filled the screen appropriately.  Now, that is not the case.  I believe it is a scaling issue between UHD TV and the box, but cannot be sure.  In the family is a simliar TV with Xfinity and it scales/works fine (no letterboxing at all). 

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The part of your post @JFforbes that I "bolded" is how U-Verse Standard Definition (SD) channels appear on a HD set.  When my U-Verse was first installed in October 2008, the SD channels had a box around them.  The HD channel were perfect.  That is how it works.  If you pay the HD fee (little blue light on the boxes), the unit outputs at 16:9.  Since SD is not 16:9, it's actually 4:3, the SD channels will not display correctly.  When I questioned the tech about it, 7 years ago, he said "let's do this."  He changed the zoom setting one time and I have never had to mess with it again.  Set it and forget it.  It will not change the display of the HD channels.  

This most recent firmware change, nor any, made this behavior happen.  It's always done it.  Firmware changes may have changed the output in some situations but not the SD issue.

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@JFforbes wrote:

Ok, Yes we ordered HD package, yes the TV can display 1080.  The channles below 1000 all appear with a letterbox around the picture with  no zoom on the reciever.  Channles above 1000 in HD appear correct and fill the screen.  I have tried every setting in the reciever box to no avail.  The only thing that works, as many others have stated on the fourms, is to use the zoom feature on the reciever box to fill the screen.  It is connected via HDMI to the TV.  This is a reciever box issue as the TV is a 1 month old Samsung smart UHD TV. (dont have the model number handy)  Again, no zoom, box set to HD 16:9 and highest resolution (1080 or 720) the HD works fine. It is the non HD channles that are the issue with letterboxing all the way around (that means top and bottom).  

 

I have seen other posts on this forum, that suggested there was an update to the firmware in the box that has caused this issue to occur.  I would believe that as previously this was not an issue and the 1-999 channles filled the screen appropriately.  Now, that is not the case.  I believe it is a scaling issue between UHD TV and the box, but cannot be sure.  In the family is a simliar TV with Xfinity and it scales/works fine (no letterboxing at all). 

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I would say Comcrap is zooming the comparable channels below 1000. 

On the more than 7 years I've had Uverse, channels below 1000 have come in on 4x3 or recently a small 16x9 image floating w/black all around on my 16x9 Panasonic plasma.

Just now connected a coax cable and on TV channel 3 getting full screen 4/3 images on 578 (actually larger than 16x9, cozi logo cut off partly to right), but the floating 16x9 SD images still have black top/bottom.

Now back on component, same channel and full screen on zoom Stretch setting, on 578 Cozi logo proper.  But this will leave small floating 16x9 (the way 16x9 HD delivers SD now) will deliver black top/bottom.

On my TV have a Zoom format pretty much fills up the whole screen from the small 16x9 SD 231.  On Uverse,  zoom 3 does the same thing.

There is no way for Comcrap to deliver everything full screen w/o zooming some channels.;)

Chris
__________________________________________________________

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? PM ATT Uverse Care (all service problems)
ATT Customer Care(billing and all other problems)
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

I have found that zooming on the SD channels (in order to fill the screen) causes the picture to be grainy so I'll put up with the black box...but then again I try not to watch SD.  😉

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@skeeterintexas wrote:

I have found that zooming on the SD channels (in order to fill the screen) causes the picture to be grainy so I'll put up with the black box...but then again I try not to watch SD.  😉

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It all depends on the quality of the image being zoomed, if not good, it's not gonna get better.

But if it starts w/a good SD image, zooming is not bad at all.  Just went to Hogan's Heroes on 136 and it looked good zoomed, 4x3 looked good. 😉

Chris
__________________________________________________________

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? PM ATT Uverse Care (all service problems)
ATT Customer Care(billing and all other problems)
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more