My Panasonic Viera 40†TV 40TX600B was installed in February and presents a problem I have never encountered before. Older broadcast material is likely to have a thick black border top and bottom. In Freeview this can be eliminated using the TV remote's Aspect control. Using DVDs it cannot. Neither can it using my Humax PVR, either with material off-air or recorded, except by using the Aspect Zoom control - but this loses part of the picture and part of the subtitles (which are essential to me, being hard of hearing) while the changed perspective is unpleasant.
None of the many settings available via the TV remote's Menu control makes any difference. Other sets have adjusted themselves automatically. Can anyone suggest a remedy please?
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On my Panasonic 40DX600B I can have it set to Auto where old 4:3 media gets displayed as it was broadcast in the right aspect, with unused areas of the screen down left and right, or set to 16:9 where perspective changes - (short fat people) but there is no lost areas (subtitles)
I can have Humax set to 16:9 or 4:3
There is no way round the perspective change, you physically can't fill a 16:9 screen with 4:3 media without changing the aspect somehow.
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The black border top and bottom is referred to as "letterboxing", as in the letter box shape of wide and short. It comes about often when trying to show a fit 16:9 format on a TV of 4:3.
To get rid of it you have two choices, both of which expand the image vertically to remove the black parts:
1) expand maintaining aspect ratio - this crops the wide part of the image off that doesn't fit on the screen. The problem here is that you are losing potentially a big chunk of the picture.
2) maintain viewing of the complete image by altering the aspect ratio.
The problem here is that the picture just looks weird because everything gets vertically elongated.
I personally prefer to put up with the letterboxing.
Re your specific problem. I assume Freeview is the one built into the TV in which case the TV can sort out how to display it with the options you give it.
The external devices will depend on how they are connected. So, for example HDMI assumes all content is HD in 16:9 format and the TV will probably not give you any options to change this. If you did then the normal menus would not be in HD and look terrible. SCART allows for aspect ratio switching.
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Can't locate the model number. Is it a TX-40DX600B, 4K TV?
Edit, I see Z has the same model (probably) so he's your best bet. If you have bars top and bottom or both sides (but not both) it's to do with aspect ratio. Can you change the output from the sources?
Last edited by: Manatee on Thu 25 May 17 at 10:35
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Sorry, yes. In full:
Panasonic Viera 40†TV Model TX-40DX600B. LED, 4K, Ultra HD, Smart, Freeview Play, Built in Wi-Fi.
I can't change the source output.
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>> Sorry, yes. In full:
>>
>> Panasonic Viera 40†TV Model TX-40DX600B. LED, 4K, Ultra HD, Smart, Freeview Play, Built in
>> Wi-Fi.
And a complete bargain. Super TV, very fast menu and tv guide system.
>> I can't change the source output.
You sure, what model Humax do you have? Either way seriously, set the TV aspect ration to "Auto" or 16:9. 16:9 is best you soon get used to the squashed people.
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Comments from John Lewis technical support bear out pervious posts:
"I must advise that any programmes filmed before the 16:9 and wide screen ratio became common place will always have borders, this is due to the cameras that were used to film the programmes or films. As modern televisions are of a different size than what there were previously, if you wish for these programmes to fill the screen, you will either need to distort the image or zoom the image but this will cut off sections of the image. I will also advise that by stretching the image you will also increase the pixel size which in turn makes the image blocky.
Some video studios are 'remastering' their products to accommodate new televisions; however, not all programmes will receive this treatment.
I would advise that this is not a fault with the television. "
On the other hand, I have never encountered the problem before. Strangely, films on oldie Talking Pictures channel (Freesat 306, Freeview 81) fill the screen (but do not have subtitles; it seems these cost about £5000 per film).
I have a Humax Foxsat HD PVR and will take a closer look at its facilities.
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TV screen auto-formatting - Zero
