Weird cable issue

Pvt.Partz

I have an odd problem with my Sony KV36XBR250. I know this is not a digital set but am running out of people to ask, so I thought I would see if anyone can solve this one. If I directly connect my TW cable to my tv, I get a typical 4:3 picture. When I connect the Scientific Atlantic 3250 cable box, every channel shows in 16:9. There are no zoom or stretch settings on the tv that I can find. TW blames my tv, and even switched boxes.

Loves2Watch

There are settings in the Scientific Atlanta box that control the picture size. You should start there. Somewhere in the settings...

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BrianO

There is nothing weird about it at all. That Sony TV's internal NTSC tuner can only handle analogue broadcasts (OTA and cable). The TV does not have a digital tuner of any type.

The reason he is getting "full screen" 4:3 images when he connects the cable directly to the TV's RF input is because the internal NTSC tuner is only processing the analogue channels that are included in TW's basic service. These channels are usually broadcast with a 4:3 aspect ratio because that is the analogue broadcast standard. Even if TW includes digital locals in its basic service, the TV's internal tuner can only accept the analogue signals.

OTOH, when the OP is using a set top box, then the box is the tuner in use and the TV's internal tuner is not being used. In this case, if the TV is sent a 16:9 image by the set top box it will be letterboxed by the TV because that is the only way it can show a full, undistorted, unclipped, 16:9 image on its 4:3 screen. If the OP wants a "full screen" picture he needs to change the settings of the set top box so that it sends a 4:3 image to the TV.

In short, the TV is working the way it was designed to work. The OP's "problem" is in his set top box settings.

cornflakesla

I came across this post researching the same exact problem.

Our KV-36XBR250 has been working fine until the cable box one day started to malfunction (would not load the guide). We switched the box with the cable company and they gave us a box with the same model number: Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3100.

Most every channel is now showing up in letterbox format. The picture is squished/compressed vertically. Most channels are affected but some Chinese channels are ok.

The cable provider is Charter Communications in San Gabriel, CA.

A few observations and notes:

1. The picture is in proper SD format when you initially tune to the channel, but about 1 second later, the picture compresses.

2. Everything is compressed, including the program guide.

3. This is happening on S-Video and Coaxial outputs.

4. Plugging in SD DVD player, the picture is fine

5. We have another cable box elsewhere. We switched with that cable box, and the same thing is happening.

6. We've exchanged the cable box with the cable company a second time, and they gave us an Explorer 3200, but the same problem is still there.

7. We don't subscribe to any HD packages.

8. I've gone through the cable box's settings and there's nothing that talks about output format, aspect ratios, widescreen, none of that.

I really don't know why this is happening? Any suggestions? Thank you!

cvroxanne

don't they have auto-scanned? according to your tv size

Sykotic

Thier should be a series of button presses that changes the output from the box to a 4:3 from 16:9. The 3250 is a high definition receiver. On a motorola its [cable] [power] [menu] gl