Full Screen on HD channels

[Viewer]

Fios TV was installed (NY) last week.  Haven't been able to resolve the black side bars on HD channels if the broadcast is not 1080i.  Previously, with Cablevision, there was a remote button that would stretch such broadcasts to full screen.  The TV is set to "wide" and the set-top box (DVR) is set to "stretch" but this doesn't help.  Verizon support doesn't seem to have a fix.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Ron

[Justin]

I don't think you are going to be able to do what you want, at least via settings on the Verizon DVR. But FWIW, I much prefer watching the SD stuff, on an HD channel or SD channel, in the original 4:3 format, I cannot stand stretching it out. That's just me I guess...but maybe if you just watch it that way for a couple of weeks you will suddenly realize you really don't mind the bars...

The reality is, when you watch an HD channel, they are broadcasting in HD, 1080i or 720p, even if the picture happens to be 4:3 SD. Go to ESPN for example, when they broadcast an SD program the bars on the side say HD. And some of our local HD channels in the DFW area broacast light-colored bars just to fill the picture for an SD program.

I believe the "stretch" in the STB applies only to SD channels on a 16:9 TV.

Now, if I really want to (which I don't), I can use my TV to stretch the 4:3 SD picture on an HD channel. I have a Sony LCD, the Wide button has several settings:

- Full, which has the bars on the side

- Zoom, which stretches the picture and eliminates the bars on the side, but also cuts off the top of the picture

- Wide Zoom, which stretches the picture but reduces the vertical size so it fits on the screen.

Both of the last two settings distort the picture or lose part of it, which is why I don't use them.

You did not indicate what kind of TV you have, but are you sure you have tried all of the wide settings on the TV itself when you are watching an SD program on an HD channel?