Can't get the aspect ratio right on 2nd TV

[timmyt]

Hi, wondering if someone can help.

I recently hooked up a 2nd TV (normal 4:3) in another room to my digibox using the RF2 connection but I can't get the picture to display without appearing squashed up!. I've got a widescreen as the main TV and that's set to 16:9 in the settings, everythings fine with that one and I've got the 2nd picture location set to 4:3 to match my TV in the other room yet it displays it all squashed up. The only way I can get the picture to display correctly is to have the first picture location set to 4:3 which then of course messes up my main widescreen TV's picture! Is it not possible to run a widescreen as your main TV and a 4:3 TV from the RF2? I always assumed you could hence the 2 different location settings in the menu but it seems whatever I set the 1st location to is how it will display on both TV's and setting the 2nd location has no effect on the 2nd TV at all,

Any ideas if you aren't too confused!

 

[PaulR]

You don't say which digibox you've got but I tried to set up my Sony 750 and it behaved the same as yours. I even tried unplugging the digibox in case it needed resetting somehow but no joy.

Must admit though that I find no difficulty watching the widescreen picture on the TV in the kitchen with black bars top and bottom. Perhaps it's just a metter of getting used to it.

Must agree though, it's a puzzler why it doesn't do exactly what it says on the tin.

PaulR

 

[timmyt]

It's a Thomson box, fairly new (about 2 years old). Yeah I did the turning the box off as well, no joy.

I don't get the black bars, the picture just appears as if it's been stretched outwards from the top and bottom, the opposite of what you get when you watch a widescreen that's not been set up right.

I suppose it's not a major problem (although I am easily irritated ) but it does seem odd why the setting the 2nd location aspect ratio doesn't do anything, anyone else got this problem or just a glitch for some boxes?

 

[PaulR]

Ah, I have the main output set to 4:3L rather than 16:9 so that would explain the difference.

Will have to wait and see what others say I think.

PaulR

 

[methos_de]

Hi,

do you have your digibox set up to a 16:9 tv and set at 4:3L? you wanna change that, the resolution is far lower on 4:3L than in correct 16:9. how big is your tv? I set my box up once the same way as I ran a cable downstairs to my dad's flat so that he could watch the footie as well and as he has a 4:3 and I have a 16:9 tv this was a way of comprimising. only did it once tho. the picture was hideous!!!
I have a 42" plasma and at that size you really do need a decent quality signal or its just horrible.
Have you both looked into the manual of your 4:3 tv's? a lot of them cater for 16:9 anamorph signals nowadays and what they do is take the 16:9 picture and practically squeeze it together at the top and bottom.
This then means you are watching the correct aspect ratio and are getting the higher resolution.you do of course have the black bars at the top as opposed to when you have 4:3P/S but at least you would be getting a signal which both tvs can work with and getting the benefit of the extra bucks you invested in your 16:9 tv.

Methos.