SD & HD duplicate channels...How can I tune to the SD channel?

[Mtlca401]

I have duplicate channels coming from my HD box(which I am sure a lot of people do) and one is HD and the other is SD. When I tune to the HD channel it, of coarse, works fine, but when I tune to the SD channel it tunes to the HD channel instead. Is it possible to tune to the SD duplicate when they have the same channel number? The only reason I ask this is because shows that are not broadcasted in HD are not wide screen and cannot be stretched to wide screen with sage 16x9.

[CyRex]

Originally Posted by Mtlca401

I have duplicate channels coming from my HD box(which I am sure a lot of people do) and one is HD and the other is SD. When I tune to the HD channel it, of coarse, works fine, but when I tune to the SD channel it tunes to the HD channel instead. Is it possible to tune to the SD duplicate when they have the same channel number? The only reason I ask this is because shows that are not broadcasted in HD are not wide screen and cannot be stretched to wide screen with sage 16x9.

Why can't you stretch it to wide screen? Are you saying that you want the 4:3 picture stretched to fill your 16:9 screen? Are you using the HD extender? If so, check out the thread about custom aspect ratios. I created a 'Pillarbox' aspect ratio that will stretch 4:3 content recorded in 16:9 with bars on the side to fill a 16:9 screen.

Custom Aspects/Resolutions on HD Extender

-Dan

[hemicuda]

Did you remap the HD channel to the same number as your SD broadcast? I don't know about yours, but my provider has an analog and digital package that shows up as 2 unique lineups in Sage setup screen. The HD channels I can get are all above 200 on the digital lineup. if this is the case with yours, look for the same 4 call letters but with DT stuck on the end. Those should be your HD broadcasts of the SD stations.

[Mtlca401]

Originally Posted by CyRex

Why can't you stretch it to wide screen? Are you saying that you want the 4:3 picture stretched to fill your 16:9 screen? Are you using the HD extender? If so, check out the thread about custom aspect ratios. I created a 'Pillarbox' aspect ratio that will stretch 4:3 content recorded in 16:9 with bars on the side to fill a 16:9 screen.

Custom Aspects/Resolutions on HD Extender

-Dan

The thing is that on an HD channel, let's say fox local HD, any show that is not HD has the pillar box and when I change the aspect ratio to fill or 16:9 nothing changes, but when I change it to source or 4:3 the picture becomes even more narrow with a wider pillar box. On fox HD channel it says foxHD inside of the pillar box when, for instance, reruns of Seinfeld are on. I am assuming the source is coming in as 16:9 with the pillar box. Even on the DirecTV side I cannot get rid of the pillar box unless I switch to the SD channel.

[carlgar]

I understand what you are trying to say but you are not using very good terms to describe the issue. You have 2 digital stations one broadcast in 16:9 format and the other broadcast in 4:3 format. These should be listed as two different stations if not, that is a problem with your cable company. The stations should have a name like WUXP (4:3) and WUXPDT(16:9). If you are using the HD extender to try to view the problem station then see this FAQ http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...712#post252712 about how to define a custom aspect ratio that will solve your issue. The exxamples shown should be able to resolve your issue.

[Mtlca401]

There are two different channels listed in the guide that have the same channel number(FX - 248 and FXHD - 248). For the local channel 6 one of them is WDSU and the duplicate is WDSUDT. I am not using HD extender. I have both channels enabled in the sage guide and when I tune into either one of them I get the HD channel only. I have DirecTV. That's as clear as I can be.

[CyRex]

Originally Posted by Mtlca401

There are two different channels listed in the guide that have the same channel number(FX - 248 and FXHD - 248). For the local channel 6 one of them is WDSU and the duplicate is WDSUDT. I am not using HD extender. I have both channels enabled in the sage guide and when I tune into either one of them I get the HD channel only. I have DirecTV. That's as clear as I can be.

Ahh, you don't have the HD extender... The solution I was talking about would clip the existing bars from the 16:9 content, and stretch the 4:3 content to fit your screen. But, it only works on the HD extender, I believe.

So you have two channels in your guide data with the same channel number? Was this by default, or did you remap one of the channels? Is there a duplicate channel # for that station in the guide anywhere that you could remap one of the channels to?

-Dan

[carlgar]

If you are using the media MVP to view the station then you probably cannot do anything about the issue. If you are using the client or server, you should be able to stretch the image to fill the screen.
It looks to me like it is a DirecTV issue since they show 2 different station IDs but they map to the same station.

I just saw the reply by Cyrex, does your directTV guide show different channel numbers for FX and FXHD?

[Mtlca401]

Originally Posted by carlgar

I just saw the reply by Cyrex, does your directTV guide show different channel numbers for FX and FXHD?

Nope, same number.

[CyRex]

Originally Posted by Mtlca401

Nope, same number.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this....

So if you are just using your direct TV box directly, how would you select one channel rather than the other? Do they show up as two separate channels in the guide? What if you enter the channel number via the remote? If they are really the same channel # in the Direct TV guide, it doesn't seem like Sage will be able to select a specific one.

Are you using an IR blaster to control the Direct TV box? If so, then unless you can find some way to specify the SD channel via the remote, I think you may be SOL.

-Dan

[BobPhoenix]

Does this thread help any?

[Slipshod]

Originally Posted by BobPhoenix

Does this thread help any?

That sounds like the same issue. Hopefully they will put a setting in to control the map-downs. Dish has one, but it's freaking buried under the local OTA setup. At least it's there though.

It's really annoying when the mapped-down channel isn't a simulcast. Food network and Food Net HD have different programming, but are both mapped down by default. <sigh>

[Mtlca401]

Originally Posted by CyRex

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this....

So if you are just using your direct TV box directly, how would you select one channel rather than the other? Do they show up as two separate channels in the guide? What if you enter the channel number via the remote? If they are really the same channel # in the Direct TV guide, it doesn't seem like Sage will be able to select a specific one.

Are you using an IR blaster to control the Direct TV box? If so, then unless you can find some way to specify the SD channel via the remote, I think you may be SOL.

-Dan

I guess this is rather difficult to understand. On both sage and directv both channels do show up(directv I can set to hide SD duplicates) and on both the pc and receiver the HD & SD channels have the same number. Except for the food channel and HGTV I think. When I enter the channel(through both the pc and receiver) on the remote it goes to the HD channel(I guess because it is listed first in the guide).

There doesn't seem like a direct fix for this so I just went into(through sage) detailed setup -> Multimedia -> aspect ratio settings and changed the horizontal stretch to 140% for the aspect mode "Fill". I can just change the aspect ratio from the remote when needed. I don't use the fill mode so i can live with this for now.