Set-Top Boxes

GoodGearGuide Staff (Good Gear Guide)
— 20 November, 2007 18:30

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Comments 34

Why does my STB put black bars on my TV?

If you've watched a widescreen-format DVD on your standard format analogue TV you will have noticed the black strips across the top and bottom of the picture. You will get the same thing when using an STB to view widescreen content.

Standard analogue TVs use a 4:3 (four by three) aspect ratio, which means it's a little wider than it is taller. For every four units of width our TV screen has three units of height. This is a hangover from when the film industry standardised on the size of film, and in 1941 the same standards were adopted for television broadcasting. In a bid to attract customers, cinemas later adopted widescreen formats, such as Cinemascope and Vistavision, but until recently TV remained on the old standard.

The most common theatre screen aspect ratio is 16:9 (16 by nine), and digital TV has once again adopted the same format. So, to show the wider picture on a "square" screen, the depth of the picture has to be reduced, leaving black bars top and bottom. This is called letterboxing.

A mixture of programs is being broadcast -- some still in 4:3, others in 16:9 format. Both picture shapes need to coexist for quite a while. Some set-top boxes give you the option of viewing widescreen pictures in this "letterbox" format or "centre cut" full screen format (with the 4:3 section "cut out" of the 16:9 picture).

Some television content is originally produced in 4:3 aspect ratio and will display on a widescreen TV with vertical black bars on each sides of the screen. This is called pillarboxing. Sometimes, on a widescreen, the letterbox and pillarbox effects can even be combined to give you a "postage stamp" effect.

Sometimes, particularly in retailers showcasing many TVs, you will see incorrectly displayed images which have been stretched or squashed horizontally to fit a 16:9 picture on a 4:3 display (giving you extra-tall, skinny people), and 4:3 pictures stretched out to fit widescreen monitors (very short, extremely stocky people). This is, of course, NOT how you are expected to view digital content in your home.

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GoodGearGuide Staff

Good Gear Guide

Comments

taolinr

Thu 27/08/2009 - 18:33

The future of STB

It is really confused me because as we know, the STB is really needed for every families. However, the STB companies are still hard in this era for them. WHY?

Skye

Fri 28/08/2009 - 15:57

set top box

hello, my brother in law gave us his set top box as we brought his hd plasma tv. We live out in the bush (300kms east of perth,wa) so can we recieve the channels now and also, do you have instructions on how to set it up....brother in law lost the instructions...please help!!
thank you x

HOTHIL

Mon 07/09/2009 - 00:30

SET TOP BOX

What brand is the set top box and model number? I've got a User Manual for Thomson DT1500AU set top box if thats any help. Let me know and i'll email you an electronic copy of the book.

alaz

Sun 11/10/2009 - 15:00

manual for STB

I have been looking for a manual can you email it to me please??? DT 1500 AU
alaz@hotmail.com

Stewart

Mon 02/11/2009 - 08:31

Thomson DT1500AU Set Top Box

Hi, Iam looking for a manual to. Can you please tell me if you had any luck and if so can you pass on any information. Thanks for any help, Stewart. PS Do you know what your 12v adapter has as mA and amps. Mine is 100mA 1A.

ondo29

Wed 04/11/2009 - 11:34

Thomson DT1500AU Set Top Box

Hi, I have Thompson DT1500AU but no manual. If you could email me an electronic copy I would be very grateful. Thanks for any help. Regards, Stewart.

ondo29

Thu 05/11/2009 - 10:25

Thomson DT1500AU Set Top Box

I have been looking for a manual can you email it to me please??? DT 1500 AU. Thanks, Stewart. ondo@live.com.au

Anonymous

Wed 25/11/2009 - 19:13

settop box intallation

how to install settop box.
do we need dish for that

Vernon Nolan

Fri 11/12/2009 - 13:48

set top box

I am trying to connect a Centrex CTDTV100 STB to a TCL LCDTV15E75S but the instructions do not seem very clear. The best I can get is a B&W picture and no sound.

If you can give me clear directions, I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Vernon

Karen

Sat 12/12/2009 - 12:18

analogue tvs

Can you turn any analogue tv into digital with a set top box? Does it need to be a "digital SD or HD"?

Shirley

Wed 23/12/2009 - 11:45

no reception

I have a set top box connected. I live in a wheatbelt town in Western Australia I can receive 4 ABC and SBS channels but not GWN or WIN. Could you tell me why?
Ta

Anonymous

Tue 29/12/2009 - 09:52

set top box installation

I have installed a Platinum Twin Tuner SD Set Top Box but I am unable to receive digital TV. What should I do ?

Ian bowles

Wed 06/01/2010 - 20:19

picture breaking up after one year of use

I have had a set top box connected to my TV for about 1 1/2 years. For the last tree days the picture has been breaking up like you get with a lighting storm or you are playing a bad DVD. I live in Newcastle can you help.
Thanks Ian

Peter

Sun 31/01/2010 - 12:23

digital tv reception problems

Have just installed a digital set top box.

Occasionally picture breaks up, but no more often than we experienced with trhe analogue signal.

However picture and sound frequently stall, stutter and skip - as in a faulty DVD.

Signal level is reported as 60% on average, quality 90% and greater.

Where do we start looking for a solution?

Sagem set top box

Fri 12/02/2010 - 18:48

Set top box

I just bought a sagem digital set top box and I'm really pleased. Highly recommended

www.sagemdigital.co.uk

Looked at a humax too but decided against

Tone

Sun 14/02/2010 - 14:37

STB

We have a motel in Bundaberg Qld with 11 rooms and 13 TV's off one airiel. No cable, no dish. At present we are only running on analogue but we are going on for 20 minutes off for 20minutes whats happening? We have been told switch off is in 12 months time. Do I need 1 STB for the main ariel or do I need one for each TV.

Anonymous

Mon 15/02/2010 - 23:15

restore channels

HI
i wrongly press factory reset button on my TEAC HDB820 now i don't know how to restore all channels back please help THANKS

Anonymous

Mon 22/02/2010 - 20:47

The same thing happened to me after a similar timeframe. As Dick Smith sells Std definition set top boxes (currently for $37) although I bought 3 @ $27 each. I'd just replace your set top box.

AVICKInonymous

Wed 24/02/2010 - 12:12

set top box SD or HD?

HOW DO I FIND OUT IF I NEED A SD OR A HD SET TOP BOX. I DON'T KNOW IF THE TV IS DIGITAL OR ANALOGUE!!!!!!!

Jeannie

Sat 27/02/2010 - 23:24

my Tivo set top box was working fine with my TV but since last night it's been 'stuck ' on Channel 7 (I live in Adelaide). I can get only 7, 71, 7HD, 72 and 73. My remote signals all channels, which initially show up on the TV monitor, but they default to 7 on the set top box display. Can anyone figure out what's happening and how I might fix this problem?
Thanks

Kellyann

Wed 10/03/2010 - 16:37

Hi. Can I reprogram a Strong brand remote to work on another set top box?

MICHELLE

Mon 22/03/2010 - 23:59

I've got a set top box which used to work perfectly when i lived in london, now i live in Calton ng4 1gp and it keeps saying no signal. What do i do?

Sanyuan Tang

Mon 29/03/2010 - 13:49

Hello, we are the Chinese manufacturer of TV set top box, We including HD DVB-T, SD DVB-T, HD ISDB-T ect.

Games86

Sat 05/06/2010 - 13:20

Can I get a manual sent for the DT1500AU too pls?
games86@live.com.au

lina

Wed 07/07/2010 - 12:29

We, Shenzhen Colorbal Technology Co.Ltd, are professional in manufacturing,developing and marketing digital satellite products for nearly 6 years,with covering SD/HD DVB-S FTA/CI, SD/HD DVB-C with Conax CA , SD/HD DVB-T FTA/CI and ect. Hope to establish business relationship with you.

greg

Sat 07/08/2010 - 17:31

Hi hothil

I would apreciate a copy of the Thomson STB dt1500 manual if you could supply

Greg

kevin

Sun 15/08/2010 - 09:42

hi there i have a thomson dti 1500 could anyone email me a user and instruction manual for this please

thanks kev

Harinder

Sat 23/10/2010 - 12:06

Hi, I am new to the country and do not know if a set top box is required for free channels... can anyone advise please?

Bruce

Tue 26/10/2010 - 12:43

Can I connect a set top box to a HD digital TV, that does not have an audio out of any kind, by using the aerial in and out of the set top box and then use the audio out of a set top box for head phones or speakers? Will this connection cause any disruption to the TV operation?

Ara Markarian

Tue 16/11/2010 - 11:00

I need a manual for thomson dti1500 HD

HOTHIL

Fri 24/12/2010 - 20:51

re THOMSON 1500 SET TOP BOX: To all of you who want an electronic copy of this manual, please email me on hilaryliz@gmail.com, and provide your email address so i can send one to you. If you dont provide your email address on here, i cannot send one to you. Or contact me via my own website: http://www.hothil.com.au. Merry Xmas & Happy New Year.