1. There is no size difference between 1080i/p and 720p. Both are 16:9. All of your HD channels will be in one of these formats, depending on what you have your "video resolution" set to in your STB menu. However, this makes all channels one or another, which isn't exactly accurate. If you had your TV connected directly to the wall, then it would alter the resolution depending on the station was giving you (i.e. CBS broadcasts in 1080i, Fox in 720p -- your STB would upconvert/downconvert both of these to 1080i or 720p depending on your setting).
2. Yes, all SD programming is recorded and broadcast at 4:3, i.e. black bars will be on either side if you are displaying SD video on a 16:9 (modern/HD) TV. Some people like this, because it is displaying the video in its native format and not stretching/distorting it to fill a 16:9 screen.
Other people do not like that. That is what the various settings are for. "SD override" on your STB controls how SD channels (001-499) are displayed if the STB detects you are using a 16:9/HD TV. If you set this to "off," then SD channels will be displayed without any alteration (4:3); this also means that if you are using an HDMI connection, for example, your TV will not change it's resolution from 1080i to 480i, which will speed up the process of switching from an HD to non-HD channel. Both the "480i" and "480p" settings basically give you the same result; SD channels will be displayed in their native 4:3 format, but the STB will force the TV to change its resolution to 480i, which will cause a delay when switching between HD and non-HD channels. The last setting is "stretch," which will stretch all SD channels to fill your 16:9 TV, eliminating the black bars on either side.
3. On HD channels (500+), the majority of video that is broadcast is in 16:9 HD, but there are a good number of programs and local commercials that are SD being broadcast over an HD channel. This means that, say, if you are watching "24" on FOX in HD, which will fill the entire screen since that's its native format, and there is a local commercial that is only 4:3, there will be be black bars on the side, no matter whether you have SD override on or off. These black bars are being broadcast by the station, and not produced by your TV, unlike the situation described in (2). Some channels, like ESPN, replace those black bars with "ESPN" logos on either side.
The "aspect ratio" key on your STB remote is only active for HD channels. So, if you are watching a 4:3 program on an SD channel, for example, you are watching CBS HD but your local CBS affiliate doesn't have an HD news broadcast, there will be black bars on either side. If you press the aspect ratio button on the STB remote, it will stretch the 4:3 portion of the picture to fill the entire screen. Note this will cut off each end of an HD broadcast, so you only want to use this for 4:3 programs on 16:9 channels.
4. The aspect ratio/zoom buttons on your TV just manipulate any of the above scenarios. Your TV is the caboose of the setup, so it's taking whatever video you have and then applying its own settings. So if you have SD override on stretch, and then use zoom or stretch on your TV, then you're essentially stretching the stretched image.
1080i is a higher resolution, and thus a sharper image. If your TV supports it (most larger ones do), then that's your best option.
As far as the picture settings go, I personally prefer everything natural. I have my TV set to "full," which displays the full image being broadcast to it. I have SD override set to 480i, and I have my aspect ratio on the STB set to the fullest setting. I'm not all that concerned with using most of the screen.
The world of digital TV can be confusing at first when we try to juggle TV settings and STB settings - which often get at cross-purposes. There are some basic things to remember - just because a channel is HD doesn't mean the program will show in 16:9 ratio, it may still be the old 4:3, just better looking. You also must consider personal preferences - some people just don't like black bars of any kind, on the sides, or top/bottom. I recommend a very "vanilla" setup to your TV and STB to get used to the way things are presented, then you can adjust from a known starting point for your personal tastes. Here's what I recommend: I have a Samsung 32A550 so it should be similar to yours. Go into the Tv menu and set the TV to Picture Option "16:9". On the Verizon STB I recommend 1080i 16:9, and SD override "off". These initial settings will let you see how things are sent out from the program providers. Go to a channel like the Weather Channel HD, and when it's a live shot, you will see HD in 16:9 (ie it fills the entire screen). Scroll through a few other HD channels, and you will see a mix of 16:9 entire screen programs and others that are 4:3. They are all still HD, just don't all fill the screen. Go to some movie channels, and you will see a variety of presentations - some fill the screen, some have bars top and bottom, some side bars - keep in mind that movies are made in different aspect ratios (1.33, 1.78, 2.35) than the 16:9 "standard" selected by the TV industry (16:9 is kind of a middle ground solution to accomodate the most movie possibilities). So, hopefully that will be a start and you can experiment a little to suit your desires. Thank you.
personally I hate all distortion. I watch mine with the 1080i setting and the SD override set to OFF. This gives me the bars on the left and right on SD programming but there is no distortion. ALL other options give you distortion. The option that is going to give you full screen with as little distortion as possible is to turn off all size alterations on the tv and set the STB to SD override 480i. This will get the pic to fit your screen but there is noticiable distortion. I personally cannot stand this and I prefer to watch with the bars left and right but if you are one of those that prefer size over quality, then the above settings are probably the best you can hope for.
Spacedebris - setting SD override to 480i will not necessarily stretch the picture to fit your screen. "Stretch" will. 480i will only be stretched to fit your screen if your TV zoom function is set to do so.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
