Cable box doesn't make image on TV fit right

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SpongeBob

The Contraceptive Under the Sea
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Jan 15, 2011
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So I have a digitmate 26" LCD TV. I have a "cable box" from MTS a Canadian phone/tv provider. My cable actually comes from the phone line or cat5. The cable box itself is a motorolla something or other. It is both my Internet modem and cable box.

Not sure if any of this is the reason.

I have my TV hooked up to my box via the old school style "cable cord" which also has this antenna thing that lets me change channels on it. I switched to the red white yellow cords and didn't see a difference I don't think. The downside of this is I'll have to figure out the codes or a way to change channels with the stupid remote without the antenna thing. It really is a sorta stupid setup. F

For instance It fits it width but not height wise too well. The A&E symbol at the bottom of the screen I can only see half of the A&E logo.

I have a wintv tv tuner kickin around here, I never used it what can this thing do? Will my computers graphics card handle the TV image going out despite the cable signal coming in?
 
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you shouldnt need the computer at all to get a proper picture on the tv. if anything, that wintv tuner will make the picture look worse quality wise. i would simply go back to using the "cable cord" to hook up to your tv. youre not going to see any difference between a standard cable input and your yellow cable.
 
Is your cable box HD? Sounds like it's only SD. Is there a component video or HDMI or even DVI output on it?
 
valve1138 said:
Is your cable box HD? Sounds like it's only SD. Is there a component video or HDMI or even DVI output on it?
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Seems standard my options:
the white, yellow, red
Oldschool cable for only TV to Box not (cable company to box)
S-video
 
Then it's a standard def box. Thats why you're having an issue. Nothing you can do that won't look like ass, unless they have HD boxes available.
 
SpongeBob said:
I have my TV hooked up to my box via the old school style "cable cord" which also has this antenna thing that lets me change channels on it. I switched to the red white yellow cords and didn't see a difference I don't think. The downside of this is I'll have to figure out the codes or a way to change channels with the stupid remote without the antenna thing. It really is a sorta stupid setup. F
Click to expand...

This is the Hardforum btw.
 
Verge said:
This is the Hardforum btw.
Click to expand...

Ooooooh right I missed the sign saying this forum was for pro HTPC users. Pretty interesting seeing as there is only a small section dedicated to HTPCs on here. I mean I know there are highly populated websites with very active forums talking about HTPCs, and home entertainment. But still Hardocp is the cream of the crop in terms of HTPCs. Those other forums must not have a clue. Cleaaaaaarly everyone here is an expert. I mean the internet should even pay Hardforum for its HTPC section, the innovation its pouring out into cyberspace is just so imense it's almost certain to never be fully understood. We must thank our lucky stars we have the likes of Verge to show us the way, so much time and effort shine through his posts to make the world a better place. Thank you Verge, thank you. No room for questions here we'll only get in the way of his genius. Thank you Verge for reminding. This is hardforum.

Verge in the future if I have any questions on the use of douchebags I'll just PM you, I'd hate to clutter up the forum with questions.
 
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lol you dear sir have earned a beer. :D
beermug.jpg
 
SpongeBob said:
Ooooooh right I missed the sign saying this forum was for pro HTPC users. Pretty interesting seeing as there is only a small section dedicated to HTPCs on here. I mean I know there are highly populated websites with very active forums talking about HTPCs, and home entertainment. But still Hardocp is the cream of the crop in terms of HTPCs. Those other forums must not have a clue. Cleaaaaaarly everyone here is an expert. I mean the internet should even pay Hardforum for its HTPC section, the innovation its pouring out into cyberspace is just so imense it's almost certain to never be fully understood. We must thank our lucky stars we have the likes of Verge to show us the way, so much time and effort shine through his posts to make the world a better place. Thank you Verge, thank you. No room for questions here we'll only get in the way of his genius. Thank you Verge for reminding. This is hardforum.

Verge in the future if I have any questions on the use of douchebags I'll just PM you, I'd hate to clutter up the forum with questions.
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Glad you use HTPC 5 times in your post. Do you know what one is? As your post has nothing to do with them.


Not sure why i'm trying, but have you hit this button?

 
Verge said:
Glad you use HTPC 5 times in your post. Do you know what one is? As your post has nothing to do with them.


Not sure why i'm trying, but have you hit this button?

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Neither my Cable or TV both do not have this option, the folks above seem to nail it. I believe it is a non digital box issue. If I hook a computer up to the TV the picture looks f'ing great. Just gonna stick it out with the regular box.
 
I'm sure it's a non digital box issue. That is the only picture I could find for your television. You need to fiddle with the settings on both. If there is a widescreen setting, turn it on.

If it was a CRT, it would probably be overscan, which i could definitely help you with.
 
It's on the widescreen mode, I can choose 4:3 which looks like scrunched crap or 16:9. Certain channels seem to fit better than others to ironically. But leaning digital still considering. I believe the native resolution is 15:9 on this thing so not surprised the computer makes this thing look so much better I can fit everything perfectly. Plus regular TV looks like crap to me these days. Watching Archer on the comp vs. regular TV is night and day. I think the fact that we're forced to have digital boxes or whatever we should get HD channels at normal rates.
 
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I'm not sure about your provider but I've worked for several cable companies in the US and I would try the following.

Turn on the tv and the cable box. Now turn off the cable box and hit the menu button on the cable box remote control. If it's the same type of dct, DVR or dta we use in the US then it should give you a diagnostics screen where you can edit the box setting. These include:
TV type: 16:9 4:3 letterbox or 4:3 pan scan
Output: 480i 480p 720p 1080i
4:3 override: off 480i 480p stretch
Closed caption: disable enable
And a bunch of other settings you can't change.

If you have that menu then play around with it and see what looks good on your tv. To save any changes you make just hit the menu button again and power back on the box. If you don't have that menu then I would simply swap out that box for an HD box. Not sure how they charge up there but here no cable provider charges for HD service only the rental of the HD equipment which is usually only a few bucks more a month than a SD box.

Good Luck
 
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