Auto-Tune to HD doesn’t work

[MikeRubin]

One of our sets has one of the small X1 receiver boxes (not a DVR).   Unfortunately, it doesn't usually switch automatically from SD to HD.

I have set the preferences to auto-tune the box to the highest resolution, which is important because my elderly mother in law can't remember that HD starts in the 700's and sits much of the day in front of a distorted SD image stretched by the TV.   Occasionally, this works but it mostly does not.

This is the third box that I have tried with this TV and each has had this issue.  I therefore assume it has something to do with the signals on the cable rather than defects in any of the boxes.  

We had a low-voltage contractor rewire our house during a remodeling project, so it wasn't Comcast that installed the cable to which the TV is connected.  Could something in the installation have defeated this preference?  It doesn't seem logical to me, but it's the only variable in the equation.

Any thoughts about this?

[RobertWy]

Can you show us what you are seeing?  A link to a screenshot?

[MikeRubin]

I don't see a way to upload a photo of the screen to this forum and I don't have a webpage of my own.

But what do you want to see? The photo would only show an SD picture stretched by the TV using its default "stretch SD to fit 16:9" setting. That distorts the image.

I can defeat that SD stretch default, but then my mother in law would have an SD pic with graybars instead of the stretched image.

In neither case would she have the picture on the HD channel the auto-tune is supposed to show instead.

[Rustyben]

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@MikeRubin wrote:
I don't see a way to upload a photo of the screen to this forum and I don't have a webpage of my own.

But what do you want to see? The photo would only show an SD picture stretched by the TV using its default "stretch SD to fit 16:9" setting. That distorts the image.

I can defeat that SD stretch default, but then my mother in law would have an SD pic with graybars instead of the stretched image.

In neither case would she have the picture on the HD channel the auto-tune is supposed to show instead.

---

do another test. find your local NBC channel in the 2 digit channels numbers using the guide. select that channel. press information button on remote. did it go to that channel or the HD version of the channel? 

[lesmikesell]

Setting 'prefer best available resolution ON'   works the way it is supposed to for me:

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/x1-auto-tune-to-hd-channels

That is, if I select NBC channel 5, it will go to 188 instead which is the HD version in this area.

[MikeRubin]

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@Rustyben wrote:

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@MikeRubin wrote:
I don't see a way to upload a photo of the screen to this forum and I don't have a webpage of my own.

But what do you want to see? The photo would only show an SD picture stretched by the TV using its default "stretch SD to fit 16:9" setting. That distorts the image.

I can defeat that SD stretch default, but then my mother in law would have an SD pic with graybars instead of the stretched image.

In neither case would she have the picture on the HD channel the auto-tune is supposed to show instead.

---

do another test. find your local NBC channel in the 2 digit channels numbers using the guide. select that channel. press information button on remote. did it go to that channel or the HD version of the channel? 

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Sorry, wasn't getting email notice of replies.

I  get the SD version.

[MikeRubin]

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@RobertWy wrote:

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@Jenniferrrr wrote:

I'm having the same problem, on the primary X1 - it started recently. When I use voice remote and say a network name, it's automatically going to SD! So annoying. I have the same setting to select best video output set as "on,l which I've never changed. I've tried rebooting but still defaults to SD. 
would be curious if anyone else has this problem. 

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When you press the Guide button on the remote, what does it show as selected?

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Sorry for late response.  I wasnt getting email notification of replies.

In my case, it shows SD.  That's why I posted my question.  It always shows the SD version  unless the HD channel is selected manually.

[RobertWy]

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@MikeRubin wrote:

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@RobertWy wrote:

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@Jenniferrrr wrote:

I'm having the same problem, on the primary X1 - it started recently. When I use voice remote and say a network name, it's automatically going to SD! So annoying. I have the same setting to select best video output set as "on,l which I've never changed. I've tried rebooting but still defaults to SD. 
would be curious if anyone else has this problem. 

---

When you press the Guide button on the remote, what does it show as selected?

---

Sorry for late response.  I wasnt getting email notification of replies.

In my case, it shows SD.  That's why I posted my question.  It always shows the SD version  unless the HD channel is selected manually.

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Can you select the other options?  Or is there only one?

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/x1-default-guide-view

"Default Guide View options include:

• All Channels
• Free To Me (View channels you're entitled to)
• HD Channels
• Favorites (channels that you've added to your Favorites list)
• Trending (popular programming)
• Movies
• Sports
• Kids"

[RobertWy]

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/x1-default-guide-view

[Rustyben]

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@MikeRubin wrote:

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@Rustyben wrote:

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@MikeRubin wrote:
I don't see a way to upload a photo of the screen to this forum and I don't have a webpage of my own.

But what do you want to see? The photo would only show an SD picture stretched by the TV using its default "stretch SD to fit 16:9" setting. That distorts the image.

I can defeat that SD stretch default, but then my mother in law would have an SD pic with graybars instead of the stretched image.

In neither case would she have the picture on the HD channel the auto-tune is supposed to show instead.

---

do another test. find your local NBC channel in the 2 digit channels numbers using the guide. select that channel. press information button on remote. did it go to that channel or the HD version of the channel? 

---

Sorry, wasn't getting email notice of replies.

I  get the SD version.

---

I have escalated your issue to the Comcast Team available to these forums. Check back often for a reply in this thread from a Comcast Official Employee.

[MikeRubin]

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@Rustyben wrote:

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@MikeRubin wrote:

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@Rustyben wrote:

---

@MikeRubin wrote:
I don't see a way to upload a photo of the screen to this forum and I don't have a webpage of my own.

But what do you want to see? The photo would only show an SD picture stretched by the TV using its default "stretch SD to fit 16:9" setting. That distorts the image.

I can defeat that SD stretch default, but then my mother in law would have an SD pic with graybars instead of the stretched image.

In neither case would she have the picture on the HD channel the auto-tune is supposed to show instead.

---

do another test. find your local NBC channel in the 2 digit channels numbers using the guide. select that channel. press information button on remote. did it go to that channel or the HD version of the channel? 

---

Sorry, wasn't getting email notice of replies.

I  get the SD version.

---

I have escalated your issue to the Comcast Team available to these forums. Check back often for a reply in this thread from a Comcast Official Employee.

---

Thank you.

[MikeRubin]

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@RobertWy wrote:

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/x1-default-guide-view

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Thanks, I appreciate the input, but that won't solve this particular issue.  My mother in law doesn't use the Guide as she still lives in a world in which the six or eight available channels had single or double digits and she watches the same shows at the same time every day.  She doesn't even know how to look for thing's in the Guide.  

She id 91 years old snd has no interest in learning new ways to watch TV.   If one of her shows is on NBC, she wants to watch Channel 3,  not Channel 703.  And, in fact, I don't even think she minds the stretched Channel 3 SD image, because I am the one who notes that the TV hasn't defaulted to Channel 703 instead. 

My simple question remains this:  why doesn't the TV default to HD when I have set the preference to choose the highest definition automatically?  

The best solution might just be to get an over-the-air antenna  for her set.  Then she can just tune to 3 or 5 or whatever snd be done with it.

[ComcastChe]

Hi @MikeRubin, 

Thank you for posting to the Xfinity Forums. I can understand why this would concern you. I'd like to help investigate further to help determine why her channels won't automatically tune to the HD channel instead of the SD channel. Can you please follow the steps provided in this link, https://comca.st/2EMOIKt to determine whether or not the setting on the box are correct? 

If they are, Can you please send a private message with your first and last name and your mother's first and last name as it appears on your account? To send a private message, click on "ComcastChe” and then click “send a message". 

[MikeRubin]

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@RobertWy wrote:

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@MikeRubin wrote:

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@RobertWy wrote:

---

@Jenniferrrr wrote:

I'm having the same problem, on the primary X1 - it started recently. When I use voice remote and say a network name, it's automatically going to SD! So annoying. I have the same setting to select best video output set as "on,l which I've never changed. I've tried rebooting but still defaults to SD. 
would be curious if anyone else has this problem. 

---

When you press the Guide button on the remote, what does it show as selected?

---

Sorry for late response.  I wasnt getting email notification of replies.

In my case, it shows SD.  That's why I posted my question.  It always shows the SD version  unless the HD channel is selected manually.

---

Can you select the other options?  Or is there only one?

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/x1-default-guide-view

"Default Guide View options include:

• All Channels
• Free To Me (View channels you're entitled to)
• HD Channels
• Favorites (channels that you've added to your Favorites list)
• Trending (popular programming)
• Movies
• Sports
• Kids"

---

No problem using any of the guides or selecting HD manually.  The only thing not working is the "use highest resolution automatically" setting.

[MikeRubin]

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@ComcastChe wrote:

Hi @MikeRubin, 

Thank you for posting to the Xfinity Forums. I can understand why this would concern you. I'd like to help investigate further to help determine why her channels won't automatically tune to the HD channel instead of the SD channel. Can you please follow the steps provided in this link, https://comca.st/2EMOIKt to determine whether or not the setting on the box are correct? 

If they are, Can you please send a private message with your first and last name and your mother's first and last name as it appears on your account? To send a private message, click on "ComcastChe” and then click “send a message". 

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I am certain this is the case, but I will double check on Thursday.  Thank you.

[ComcastTambrey]

Thanks for taking the time to check your settings, we look forward to your update! 

[MikeRubin]

I did check the settings and they were correct.  I communicated via message with ComcastChe and informed him or her that, for whatever reason, the problem had gone away for the moment.  I will monitor it and will request a service call if/when the problem recurs. 

Thanks for the follow-up. 

[ComcastMorgan]

That sounds good. Thank you for letting us know! Glad it's working for you. 🙂