HDTV Forum

Help with D52W20 RCA

I re-arranged some of the cables on the back of the set. Using a DVI cable for the input, I ended up getting those pesky bars along the sides of the non HD channels on the set.

Is there any way for me to remove those? When I had the picture coming through comp1, I didn't have this issue, but I do now.

I checked the instruction manual and it tells me nothing. Its not a major annoyance, but I'm concerned about the bars burning into the screen or is this something I should worry myself about.

Thanks for any help.

The only alternative to the bars (they're called pillar boxes) is to distort the 4:3 picture by stretching it. Some displays can't stretch a HD signal - check the TV manual to see if it's possible. Otherwise you'd have to downconvert the input to the TV to SD so the TV can stretch it. As long as you have your contrast turned down and watch a mix of HD and SD shows burn-in should not be a problem.

Thanks. I do a mix of both viewing HD and SD programming. Ill adjust the contrast. But Im glad you understand my concern about the burn in.

What puzzles me is before I had the DVI installed, I had no problem, now with it, Im getting the pillar boxes (Thanks)

The HD signal is stretched to fill the screen, but the Sd signals have the pillar boxes.


I was playing around with the display and sizing last night and I couldnt locate my book. I downloaded one from RCA's site, I'll check that out about resizing it.

That just means that the component video input allows a 4:3 HD program to be stretched and the DVI input does not. Or the component input was really coming in at 480 and now you have DVI at 720 or 1080. You must either zoom and crop the 4:3 picture or stretch it to make it fit a 16:9 display. Some prefer the undistorted, uncropped pillar box format.

DOH! Boy, do I feel stupid. Just looked through your TV owner's manual (not very helpful, is it?) and realized that this is most likely coming from your set top box that is feeding the picture to the TV and not the TV itself. The receiver will have different output settings for displaying 4:3 content over DVI versus component. You need to change the DVI settings if possible to pillar box 4/3 content. It may not be possible.

What type of set top box are you using?

I'm using a Motorola HD DVR box from Comcast. The older version of it. I can check the model number. So this has to do with the settings on that and not with the television itself?

Thanks.


I appreciate your help. I was away over the weekend and not able to check this board.

It could be either one but I don't see where your TV has that type of setting, so I think it's the cable box. Go into the menu on the cable box and look for a setting that tells it whether to pillar box or stretch or zoom 4:3 content.

I checked the cable box and there is no setting for this on the box itself in teh set up mode. Its a motorola dvr. Im going to have the tv still checked as it might be a problem with the comp 1 port.

THe other modes are widescreen though.

Thanks.

a rep from the place I bought the set from was out yesterday. Said that its not an issue with the set.

Had no clue as to why Im seeing the pillar boxes on the SD signals through comp 1 and its stretched via vid 1

I might be something Im stuck with, but would like to know what i did.

I may get Comcast back out since it looks to be a box issue/

It is all setup...

viewtopic.php?t=4515

Your SD has side bars because it is setup for an HD scan rate when viewing SD content.