SD Recordings Not Full Screen SA 4250HD

[smdl]

I am having a problem with SD recordings originating from my two SA 4250HD boxes, recorded through HD-PVRs. HD recordings automatically size properly for the screen on these STBs, but SD recordings don't use the full screen and have bars at the top, bottom and sides of the screen. The aspect ratio seems fine (the image is just small for the screen), and I can zoom via the HD100/200 to bring it in further, but it is irritating to have to do this for every recording. This is not the case with SD-only SA 3250 box that I have, nor was it an issue with the Pace 551 HD box that I had before I bought my second 4250HD. I have tried turning on and off all of the different resolutions on one of the two STBs (so one only outputs 1080i), but this doesn't seem to make any difference either. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, have you been able to overcome it?

Thanks,
Shaun

[DMT]

I was using a Rogers SA 3250HD, just swapped it out for a SA 4250HD. Using component / optical out to HD-PVR D2 with latest driver.

In both cases SD was / is displayed correctly with bars on the side, not top and bottom. This on a 40" Samsung LCD, HDMI out from SageTV HD-200 extender.

However, I think some broadcasts (movies) could be 'letterbox' SD in which case there will be bars top, bottom, left, right? I only use my SA 4250 for HD channels but I have some recordings (movies) from my SA 3200 in SD that have this (bars all the way around) effect. I don't like it.

[vikingisson]

I see the same thing with an SD sat box via the HD-PVR. Filling the screen vertically plus side bars I think is correct since the SD is 480@4:3. When they letterbox it is also correct to appear to have top and bottom bars. You can tell it is correct when there is a channel logo on the bottom bar.
I'm using a pc to view so I can select "fill screen" but that rarely looks right so I live with a smaller but correct screen. Only thing to do is to do HD with a 16:9 output (for my screen).
(since you're in Canada did you watch the Stanley Cup via OTA on CBC? That looked fantastic and full screen at 1080/16:9,5.1)

[smdl]

Thanks for the replies and sorry to be so late to return -- working a lot.

I should have mentioned that I have a 4:3 HDTV, so 16:9 is letterbox, as expcted, and works very well. SD is the correct aspect ratio for the screen dimensions, and fills the complete screen perfectly when recorded from the 3250 and the previous Pace 551HD. However, when SD is recorded on the 4250HD, I end up with the perfect shape, but just too small for the screen. Basically, I have about a 3" bar, top, bottom, left and right, and I then have to zoom the view to make it take up the whole screen.

I guess this will become less of a problem as HD content becomes more prevalent, but it is irritating that it happens with these boxes when it doesn't with the others.

Cheers,
Shaun