Oddities of automatic aspect ratio switching

[TheLarch]

I have a brand new Bravia KDL-32WD756, and in many ways I'm extremely happy with it, but it seems to have a few problems with automatic aspect ratio switching.

I should point out this is using the built in DVB-T2 tuner. The 4:3 default setting is set to Normal, and auto format is on. Some of the time it seems to get the correct aspect ratio, but sometimes it stretches 4x3 content to 16x9, and other times is squashes 16x9 content to 4x3.

For example Wall Street was shown on Film 4 the other evening, and displayed correctly in 16x9, but the exact same film on Film 4+1 was squeezed down to 4x3. Switching back and forth, it was consistently right on Film 4 and wrong on Film 4+1.

Several other programmes on various channels have also been wrong.

It doesn't seem to be a transmission problem because another television (Samsung) always chose the correct aspect ratio on the same programmes. It's doubly odd because the +1 channel is just the same broadcast, delayed by an hour.

Is anyone else experiencing the same problem? It's frustrating to have to constantly correct the set - it really ought to be able to get it right!

The television is on firmware v8113, as supplied. There is an update to v8114, but it doesn't say anything about fixing aspect ratio problems. As it's a huge download for me, I'd rather avoid updating if it's not going to fix the issue.

[Anonymous]

Hi there

I know you dont want to hear this, but considering your other issue HERE as well, I honestly think its for the best to update the firmware.  Sony are rather useless in regards to detailing the changelog in a firmware update - but there are far far far more issues that get fixed than what they say.

Once you have done the firmware update - factory reset the TV, as this clears any outstanding issues that may be 'stuck' in internal memory.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers

[TheLarch]

Hi Quinnicus, thanks for the reply.

A firmware update has not resolved the issue.

Having spent a fair bit of time flipping through channels, it seems to me that all SD channels on DVB-T2 multiplexes are being treated as 4x3, regardless of the material being broadcast. I'm not certain if the problem has ever manifested itself on DVB-T stations in the past. And of course HD channels would not display the issue, as they have to pillarbox 4x3 material at source.

So it ought to be fairly easy for Sony to fix.

There are also aspect ratio issues with a series 1 TiVo on the SCART input, but that's a separate matter. From the way it switches to 16x9 but not back to 4x3, I'd say it's ignoring line 23 WSS signalling entirely, and is being a bit funny with the pin 8 signal. It's getting frustrating, though - so many things not quite right with this set.

[Anonymous]

Hi there

Thank you for the additional information.  Ive just tested this on my TV (KD-55XD8577) and it works - but then again I have an Android TV and its different to yours.

As you have done everything that I can think of including the screen settings in your first post - I am going to escalate this to Sony Support.  The additional information of the SD Channels on the HD Muxes im sure will help Sony narrow down the problem.

Let me know how you get on with Sony Support, and if I also hear of anything ill post back too.

Cheers

[TheLarch]

Thanks for this Quinnicus, I will let you know what happens.

[TheLarch]

No idea if this is anything to do with it, but I've been looking at the digitalbitrate.com website.

It indicates that the SD multiplexes transmit an aspect ratio of 1.33 (4:3) or 1.77 (16:9) as expected, but the HD multiplexes seem to use 1.37 (136:99) or 1.83 (544:297) for SD channels.  I assume those figures are meant to be for the screen size overall (rather than pixel size, for instance).

So is it reasonable to guess that tellies that display these channels correctly are using the closest aspect ratio they can use (4:3 or 16:9), but the WD75 is saying "does not compute" and defaulting to 16:9?  In which case the telly could be a bit more helpful in its fallback behaviour, particularly if other models (and other manufacturers) do so.

[Anonymous]

Hi there

Has Sony contacted you yet?  As I received a message yesterday that : "I will have a technical agent contact the customer to try and resolve the matter."

I agree on what you say though, the TV should have some type of error trap for slighly different (but similar) resolutions and fall back to the appropriate one. 

Cheers

[TheLarch]

Not yet - no email or private message.  No phone call either, but I've just realised my number wasn't attached to this account (although I had to supply it when signing up...).

It's not even clear to me that those aspect ratios are wrong, as such.  Both are exactly the same amount (3.03%) wider than the screen aspect ratio, and I know that there's a bit of overscan in some PAL and NTSC equivalent modes - non-picture pixels that need to be cut off.  But I'm not up on the details - I just know that anything to do with digital video is complicated, I have sympathy for people trying to get this sort of stuff working nowadays!

[magnavox100]

I just bought a KDL-32WD751 yesterday and I'm having issues with the auto aspect ratio on certian channels. I've tried every permutation in the screen settings and done a full factory resest with the latest software download and all seems to be well on all channels exept Forces TV, Ch96 Freeview. It always shows that as a squashed in picture, and I have to manually set it to normal to get a 4:3 picture. When the adverts come on, it reverts to full screen and back to 4:3 when the programme resumes (if the programme is 4:3) However if you change channel it reverts to how it was and you have to manually set the correct  aspect ratio if it needs to be 4:3 

I have to say I'm really disapointed in this . All my other televisions of various makes autoscale, so this must be a software issue. However I see no reason why this should be my problem.  I was looking to upgrade my main TV in the living room as well, but if this issue can't be fixed then I'm afaid Sony will be off the list, and I'll stick with Panasonic, and this one can go back as faulty under my 30 day Consumer Rights Act rights despite the good picture. My first and last Sony?

[TheLarch]

Hi Magnavox,

Disappointing to see that this is still a problem, but if only that one channel is giving you problems then it looks like they have improved matters significantly.  I notice that Forces TV is a standard definition channel on a DVB-T2 multiplex, though, which is the combination that was giving me problems.

I don't have the Sony set any more so can't tell you how it handles it.  Off the top of my head I can't remember what was happening when the adverts came on, but from reading my original message I suspect it was showing them as 4x3 as well.  And the problem then was that everything showed as 4x3, whereas if I understand you right you are having 4x3 content stretched out to 16x9.

So it sounds to me like you're getting some widescreen switching going on, which is an improvement.  But it seems like the set thinks you want 4x3 content stretched out.  When you override that, it remembers it as a temporary setting until you change channels.  I seem to remember that the Sony had an option in the menus to say that you prefer 4x3 to be shown in 4x3, although it may not have been exactly clear which setting was the one to choose ('Normal' doesn't really say much, does it?).  Have you got that option on your set?

For what it's worth, I replaced the Sony with a Panasonic and have been happy with it.  It has its own set of quirks, but no showstoppers like the Sony had.  And it has speech, which is handy for my father.