Letterbox format with standard (non-hd) stb?

[stevekon1]

We want to get a new TV for our kitchen. We are using a non-hd STB with our old (square picture) TV, and want to make sure the new TV will display programs in letterbox format - rather than merely expanding the picture to fill the letterbox screen, because that produces a distorted, squat and fat looking picture. The new TV will of course be an HDTV, but we don't feel we want to pay the additional monthly fee for the HD STB for our kitchen since we only watch basic channels there anyway so we don't need the "HD Experience".

[matcarl]

You're buying a new HDTV, but want to keep watching SD channels and keep the SD box to save $4 a month?? Just keep what you have now then.

[Hubrisnxs]

the standard box has 4 formats

so one is off, meaning native which means that you get the broadcast how the broadcaster sends it to you.  so its variable.  you may get side bars, no bars etc..

there is 480i and also 480 p but that is similiar to the above as far as how it will be displayed on the tv.

then there is stretch which is what you said you don't want.

so if you want letterbox formatting then it's one of two things, the TV will have picture mode settings where it can stretch, crop etc.... or the HD box so you can get additional video formats.

but even with HD it's not garunteed to do letterbox all the time, it's primarily dependant on how the broadcaster sends the signal.    there are some hd stations that have black bars on the side, and some that are letterbox  

so your big winner is making sure your TV in the kitchen can do those picture formats, zoom, wide etc..

[ekem015]

Your new TV will give you no added benefit over your old TV, other than perhaps size, given the setup you say you want. I don't understand why you are buying a new TV in that case...

[matcarl]

Hubrisnxs,

What are you talking about? The SD box has no such video choices.

[Hubrisnxs]

oh wow you're right!   I Thought they were just like the HD boxes that have a standard def setting.    sorry my bad.

so you couldn't even stretch it using the box if you wanted too could you?

[stevekon1]

Well, the new TV will be a 19" flat screen mounted flat on the wall below a cabinet, freeing up some much needed counterspace. Also, the SD STB is really an analog - digital box, which is a real small box that gives us all the channels our package allows in a very small footprint that takes up very little space in our small kitchen. It lacks the guide and most of the other nice features, but we only use that TV for news, and a few other channels and it meets our needs - if we can view a new TV without picture distortion.

[ekem015]

Yes, the SD STB and the digital converter will maintain a windowboxed 4:3 format - you will have black bars on either side; the only way around is this to A) Watch HD 16:9 programming with an HD STB or B) Stretch the 4:3 and distort it. That is the natural and default setting; they are not capable of anything else. The only way you'd even be able to distort your picture is by using the stretch settings on your HDTV.

I think you confused us by saying "letterboxed." You actually mean "windowboxed." Letterboxing 4:3 would really, really be distorting it. It's natural setting is windowboxed.

[lasagna]

Do one of your other HD STB's -- perhaps one you don't use at the same time as the one in the kitchen or which you don't mind always having tuned to the same channel --  have an RF out on them?  Can you possibly get a piece of Coax (seperate from the Coax being used to carry the FiOS signals to your STB -- it has to be a completely isolated run) from that RF out to the TV in the kitchen?

If so, you can deliver the HD "shaped" 16:9 image of an HD channel (but in 480i) to the TV in the kitchen an you can then  stretch that image to fill the screen using the TV's controls (I do this this for my TV in the kitchen off the RF output from the TV in the living room).