Can't see full picture on TV

What are you trying to watch? If you are looking at a cable TV box or DVD player through an HDMI input, you will have to adjust the settings in the cable box or DVD menus to match your tv's HDMI input capabilities.

Full screen is a function of the program you're watching. Some programs will never fill the screen completely because of the way the program was originally formatted. Example: You watch an older movie that was formatted for 4:3 aspect ratio. It is impossible to watch the movie full screen in it's native mode. It makes no difference if you're watching the program off a DVD or a cable channel. You can rty filling the screen with the stretch and zoom functioms on the TV, but you will have to live with a distorted picture or loose a lot of the program picture because zoom cuts off a lot.

It depends what you're watching: For regular TV, cable, satellite and DVD then you just need to use the Aspect ratio button. It is the PIX SHAPE button. Make sure all your source boxes have their picture menus set for a 16:9 (widescreen) TV.

If you are watching Blu-ray, then the situation is different. Blu-ray expects that you have a 16:9 TV. If you use a Blu-ray player to watch a DVD, and that DVD is an older 4:3 shape movie, then you'll be stuck with the bars left and right. It's the player that formats the picture in that way. There's nothing you can do with the TV controls because they'll be locked to 16:9 mode.

Depends on what you are doing. Sometimes the "full screen" is dependent on the signal coming into the TV from a cable box. Check the setup or menu function on both the TV and whatever input signal you are using. You didn't say what TV and what source i.e. cable supplier, antenna etc. Remember that an HD tv doesn't always display a non-HD picture in full screen.

Hi Anthony,

You're describing what is called letterbox and pillerbox. Letterboxing is when there are two horizontal bars - one at the top and one at the bottom of the screen with a wide picture between. Pillerbox is when there are two vertical bars - one on the left edge and one on the right edge of the screen with a tall picture between.

The settings on your TV (and on your cable box, satellite box, DVD player, etc.) tell the TV how to display a picture that will not fill the screen completely. If the program source (an older video-taped TV show, non-widescreen version DVD, etc) was not originally "shot" or saved in widescreen format, the TV offers you a choice on how to display the image. They ask if they should stretch or zoom to fill the screen (and you have to deal with the skinny / tall images or lost portions of the picture); or maintain the aspect ratio (not stretching or zooming) by leaving a part of the screen blank (grey or black) by inserting bars left and right or top and bottom of the screen.

Start out by telling the devices that send pictures in a format that matches you TV's screen ratio. I am assuming you've got a wide screen HDTV which would mean it should be set to "16 x 9" (a.k.a. 16:9) ratio display. If you have it set for 4 x 3 (a.k.a. 4:3) you should change it. Look for a setting on your TV that asks about stretching, zooming, etc. as this will be an issue when receiving picture from an off air antenna on your house when a TV station is airing an older, non-wide screen format TV show or movie.

TV signals provided by Cable TV or Satellite provider must be HDTV type signals. If you have the standard TV service (non-HD) no picture sent by them will ever fill the screen. This is because Standard Definition TV (SDTV) is not capable of those types of signals. You will have to bump up your subscription to HDTV service to get full screen pictures.

I hope this helps!

Hi - welcome to Fixya,

There is no advantage in buying a Full HD (1080p) TV if you are only using it for watching TV. Currently, there are no Full HD television broadcasts and there are no plans to introduce any. All UK HD channels currently broadcast in 720p resolution whether they are on Sky, Freeview, or Freesat. Therefore, any TV that is described as 'HD ready' rather than 'Full HD' will display all HD channels at maximum quality or resolution.

The advantage of Full HD is when using them with Blu-ray DVD players, gaming systems, e.g. Sony Playstation, or for playback of media files from your PC. These systems output at 1080p / Full HD (but only when connected with an HDMi cable) and you would need a full HD TV in order to get the best quality / resolution from these systems. However, you don't need a Full HD TV to connect these devices as they can all display their output on a 720p HD Ready TV.

The main disadvantage of any HDTV (1080 or 720) is when watching standard definition (SD) broadcasts. Full HD TVs have 1080 horizontal display lines, but SD broadcasts only have 540 horizontal lines. When watching SD channels on an HD TV, the other 540 lines, i,e half of the picture, are being created by software within the TV - known as 'Upscaling'. Upscaling requires processing by the TV which takes time and fast motion can seem blurred or blocky/pixellated as a result. Higher end TVs have faster response times (0.5ms or less) which minimises the pixellation so this specification is important when selecting an HD TV for purchase.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
BElectric

Hello
Most of the telivision transmissions are comes at an aspect ratio of 4:3. Wide aspect ratio is 16:9. If you try to see a picture with aspect ratio 4:3 to wide 16:9, it will look like stretched. it is not the fault of the tv. Most DVD recording have the aspect ratio of 16:9 [Wide]. This aspect ratio will be displayed correctly when your tv is also set to wide mode. If you select normal mode at this condition, the picture will be displayed elongated. Ok Your Tv has no probelm.

You could try pressing the source button on the remote to see if that brings it up.

Also the TV may have got itself in a muddle. There will be a way to reset it to factory setting. If you can get into the TV's setup menu there ought to be an option buried somewhere to do that.

Hi!

Found some relevant info on how to adjust your video settings... You might want to give it a try!

Thanks! =)

4.12 PC Input Picture Adjustment
The Picture Adjust menu operates in the same
way for the PC Input as for the DTV / TV input in
section 4.2 for Backlight, Contrast, Brightness and
Color Temperature.
4.12.1 Auto Adjust
When the MENU button is pressed, the On Screen
Display (OSD) appears on the PICTURE ADJUST
page. Press the button to highlight the Auto
Adjust selection.
Press the button for the LCD HDTV to adjust to
the PC signal timing automatically.
4.12.2 H-SIZE
Press the button to highlight the H-Size selection.
Press the button to start adjusting the horizontal size of the picture. Use the or button to adjust
the horizontal size.
4.12.3 Horizontal Shift
Press the button to highlight the Horizontal Shift selection.
Press the button to start adjusting the horizontal position of the picture. Use the or button to
adjust the horizontal position.
4.12.4 Vertical Shift
Press the button to highlight the Vertical Shift selection.
Press the button to start adjusting the vertical position of the picture. Use the or button to adjust
the vertical position.
4.12.5 Fine Tune
Press the button to highlight the Fine Tune selection.
Press the button to start tuning the to the PC signal. Use the or button to adjust the tuning

4.14.1 Understanding Viewing Features
Your LCD HDTV features four viewing modes and Picture-In-Picture (PIP)/Picture-by-Picture (POP) mode.
You can switch viewing modes using the remote control.
4.14.2 Viewing Modes
Normal Mode
The original 4:3 aspect ratio (1.33:1 source) is preserved, so black bars are
added to the left and right of the display image. Standard TV broadcasts are
displayed with a 4:3 Aspect Ratio. Movies in 4:3 Aspect Ratio may be referred
to as pan-and-scan or full frame. These movies were originally filmed in 16:9
(widescreen), and then modified to fit a traditional TV screen (4:3).
Wide Mode
When watching a standard broadcast or full-frame movie in this mode,
the display image is stretched proportionately to fill the TV screen.
When watching a widescreen (1.78:1 source) program or movie, the
display image fills the TV screen. If you are watching a widescreen
(1.85:1 or 2.35:1 source) program or movie, there will still be black
bars at the top and bottom.
Zoom Mode
When watching a widescreen (1.78:1, 1.85:1, or 2.35:1 source)
program or movie, the display image is zoomed proportionally to fill the
width of the screen. The top and bottom are cut off to remove most of
the source material’s black bars. This mode is good for programs or
movies with sub-titles.
Panoramic Mode
When watching a standard broadcast or full frame movie in this mode,
the 4:3 Aspect Ratio (1.33:1 source) display image is stretched
horizontally on the left and right sides to fill the TV screen. The center
of the image is not stretched.

Note: Viewing modes are saved based on input. For example, you lasted watched a DVD in widescreen
mode and then watched TV in standard mode. When you switch back to DVD input, the viewing mode
will return to widescreen.

I have a Toshiba 50HP15 PLasma flat screen TV. Its been working tone for 2 years now. All of a sudden without warningm the right 1/3 of tghe picture is missing and is black, where as the other 2/3rd of the picture is great picture and in HD. When I press DISPLAY on the remote control is says FULL 720p. When I press the Picture Size button on the remote the message NOT AVAILABLE come on. Anyone with suggestions. Thanks

scotto