Incorrect Aspect Ratio on many channels

>>Sometimes movies are shot with such an extremely wide screen aspect ratio that there are STILL the top/bottom bars, even on widescreen tv's

Yes. I understand the cinematic aspect ratio. If you were able to see the pic, you would see what I mean.

I made the pic smaller... hopefully you can see it.

Sample 

Thanks, ken

The best thing to do is use your TV remote and test each version of Aspect ratios available: Auto, Normal, Wide (somtimes more than one), Cinema. Alot depends on the signal the provider uploaded to Comcast system: 420p, 720p, or 1080i.

Movies produced for wide-screen, Omni, etc., theators will end up with black horizontal borders. The vast majority of 3D, or 4K, movies end up that way on my Samsung curved 3D UHD television. I can change aspect to fill screen, but that means loosing part of the picture on left or right seen at the theators. It is really best to watch movies (streaming) over high-speed broadband. The copy supplied is usually 1080p (Blue Ray quality).

I am sorry to report that I can confirm what you are seeing. I cycled through all lower channels (1 to 200). Except for very few exceptions (about 5 channels), all SD channels appear like you showed. Some with smaller picture with 4 borders (black).

I also found a bigger problem: ON DEMAND (channel 1) no longer works and shows error CL14. It started a week ago with ON DEMAND. I never watch lower channels so reason I did not notice it. I did find out I could "full screen" those channels by using the "ZOOM" setting on my tv, but you loose part of original picture doing that.

It seems Comcast has done some update to their computer system for sending out the Video/Audio to our boxes. It happened here about a week ago. I am in the Bloomington MN service area.

This is a localized transmission problem. Not our problem. I will "Escalate" this post and hope they can fix the issue.

Hello, kmanson5727. 

I appreciate you reaching out to us here with your concerns about the SD aspect ratio experience you are having. 

I totally agree with you, the incorrect aspect ratio is pretty awful! We have this awesome guide here that gives you some more information about what it is, why it happens, and some tips, tricks, and guides to adjust it so you can experience the best channel view possible. https://comca.st/3i8w6Hc

For the most part, newer TV's can detect the quality of the video and automatically adjust it but this isn't always the case, so you will need to do it manually.

Please give that guide a try and let me know if you are able to find the right setting for that TV and channel. 🙂

What do we do if we are using a computer? Will have to cancel my service soon if these errors can't be fixed. It's unwatchable for sports events.

With all due respect, this has taken Comcast far too long. Tivo has this resolved many many years ago with even their early generation of HD boxes. It just detects SD programs automatically and send correct 16x9 resolution to the TV. None of these questions are to do with how to fiddle with the users TV, but how inadequate the X1 box is on this very basic configuration. For the money Comcast charges, one expects better than such smoke screen responses. 

Hello,

The guide does not correct the problem.

I am using an HDTV through HDMI.

The problem is with Comcast, not my TV. I shouldn't have to adjust my tv settings everytime I go to a downconverted channel.

As someone has pointed out in the thread, you have a video setting called Zoom in the Video settings section. You have two options Zoom: None and Zoom: Full

None will show a postage stamp view of a downconverted channel.

Zoom will show a STRETCHED out picture horizontally of the downcoverted channel. In essence stretching out a 16x9 signal.

You need to make the ZOOM setting to stretch vertically as well.

To go one step further, the Zoom feture doesn't even work on true SD channels (such as OTA secondary channels like OTA 10.2 or 216 in Miami)

Lastly. Why do we even need this option? Aren't we all living in a 16x9 world now. Why is Comcast still downconverting channels? Especially Premium channels like HBO Family and Comedy. 

Ken

I have non-X1 boxes and this problem has been going on for a while. I do plan to update the equipment but seeing that even "newer" equipment doesn't work either, I think I'll wait.

My HD channels look like they're zoomed; the vertical & horizontal edges are both off the screen so only the center of the picture displays.

I've gone through all of the settings on the TV and HD Cable box and nothing actually helps. I can get SD channel settings (which look like the picture in the OP's post) to zoom to full 16:9 but the picture gets so fuzzy it's hard to watch. Nothing I do to the HD channels brings the picture to its proper format.

Like others have mentioned, other sources display perfectly. Some channels and programs occationally do display correctly but it's not so regular that I can say which ones or when.

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@my-screen-name wrote:

I have non-X1 boxes and this problem has been going on for a while. I do plan to update the equipment but seeing that even "newer" equipment doesn't work either, I think I'll wait.

My HD channels look like they're zoomed; the vertical & horizontal edges are both off the screen so only the center of the picture displays.

I've gone through all of the settings on the TV and HD Cable box and nothing actually helps. I can get SD channel settings (which look like the picture in the OP's post) to zoom to full 16:9 but the picture gets so fuzzy it's hard to watch. Nothing I do to the HD channels brings the picture to its proper format.

Like others have mentioned, other sources display perfectly. Some channels and programs occationally do display correctly but it's not so regular that I can say which ones or when.

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That would be expected. the SD channels are only 420p. To synthesize pixals to fill a 2160p screen, only about 5% pixals are real. The rest are signal averaged off those few real pixals.

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@MNtundraRET wrote:

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That would be expected. the SD channels are only 420p. To synthesize pixals to fill a 2160p screen, only about 5% pixals are real. The rest are signal averaged off those few real pixals.

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I don't expect zoomed to be as clear as non-zoomed but I expect a 16:9 broadcast to fill a 16:9 screen. I'm not using a 4K TV or 4K service. Is 4K being sent out on regular HD channels now?

I have the same Aspect problem. X1 boxes. 
Has anyone noticed that while activating rewind or ff, the aspect ratio is correct?

This should be top priority...once they get the constant loss of service under control. Wish there were other good options. 

Unless I am mistaken, Xfinity X1 transmits HD channel in 720p, i.e. 1280x720, so we are all wasting our money on the UHD 4k TV's. Even worse, their non-HD channels are sent in 1280x720 but with two vertical black areas to fit a 4:3 screen then the actual program is transmited within that 4:3 box. So if the program is an old film in 4:3 format, then you will see the correct aspect ratio but with two black vertical bars. On the other hand, if the program is in 16:9 like many of them are, then you are out of luck, as now you will see additiional black bar above and below the program being shown, hence resulting in a much smaller picture on your TV. 

For those mathematically minded, your HD program on a 65-inch HD or UHD TV will measure approximately 56.6-in horizonal x 31.8-in vertical. but for non-HD channels, like some of the HBO or Showtime channels, old 4x3 shows will measure 42.4-in widex31.8in tall, but supposedly HD programs shown in Xfinity non-HD channels will only measure 42.4-in widex23.85-in tall. X1 box allows you to stretch the screen so that the picture will now measure 56.6-inch wide but it is still 23.85-inch tall (this explains why pictures are squeezed and peope are short and fat!). Now, this means that we spent all that money to buy a 65-inch TV, but we are only using a fraction of its screen when watching premium non-HD channels from Xfinity! ABSURD. 

It should be relatively easy to fix this problem as a small piece of software can be written for the X1 box to ajust the signal, but it has taken Comcast, now Xfinity, over 10 years to NOT having done it.  Tivo has. FRUSTRATING!

Besides, why are we paying such high premium for 720p transmissions? No wonder why Netflix and Hulu are so popular these days!