SD on HDTV question

[QueBert]

MY GF got a 42" LCD, I think the SD channels look good enough in HD stretch mode, but she doesn't. So she runs it in 4:3 mode, I don't have a lot of LCD experience, the bars on the SD channels are a bright gray and very distracting when I'm watching shows. She has a Westinghouse, why and the hell would they go with such a distracting color? black bars would be much better. I looked thru the setup and didn't see anything, but is there any way I can get rid of the gray and just have black there?

 

[shabby]

Dont think so, stretch away.

 

[azzameae]

The problem may be that the brightness is all the way up. Are the black levels on other things kind of gray as well? I have the 37" westinghouse and after I made all of my adjustments and lowered the brightness, the sidebars were black for SDTV.

 

[kedlav]

Fudge with brightness and backlight.

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: azzameae
The problem may be that the brightness is all the way up. Are the black levels on other things kind of gray as well? I have the 37" westinghouse and after I made all of my adjustments and lowered the brightness, the sidebars were black for SDTV.

the tv doesn't look overly bright, the picture is pretty mellow, I will try turning the brightness down and see what happens.

 

[merlocka]

If they are bright gray, it's not contrast/brightness. Most TV's have options for the sidebars (gray or black).

 

[n7]

Originally posted by: QueBert
I think the SD channels look good enough in HD stretch mode, but she doesn't. So she runs it in 4:3 mode...

She's right about it looking like ass when it's stretched.
I finding any kind of stretching horrible.

As for the black, err, gray bars, no idea, but good luck anyway :thumbsup:

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: n7

Originally posted by: QueBert
I think the SD channels look good enough in HD stretch mode, but she doesn't. So she runs it in 4:3 mode...

She's right about it looking like ass when it's stretched.
I finding any kind of stretching horrible.

As for the black, err, gray bars, no idea, but good luck anyway :thumbsup:

well it has 2 stretch modes, one of them I think it just chops off part of the top and bottom, so the aspect looks normal you just loose a little of the scene.

 

[cpacini]

What type of video source is the TV connected to? If its a cable box or satellite receiver, there is probably a way to change the color of the bars in the box's settings. My cable box has three options, black or two different shades of gray.