Zoom changes when channel changes

@jea5099 - zoom never seems to do what you want, but this is the first report of it changing. Usually, the problem is that it is set for SD & too big on HD. It will never be perfect, but it should have an option for you to specify which channel numbers to apply it to.

 

Another thing to check is the menu or guide. Is that too big? If it is there is a problem with the TV.

 

I know you are saying you are changing the STB, but the TV could have a setting that is trying to compensate - thus changing. Please make sure the TV is set to 16/9 or normal. Or, post your tV model & I will look it up.

 

Maybe you are seeing the zoom change on the STB menu. About all you can do is try a pull the plug reboot.

 

You are on an HD aspect ratio & connected HDMI or component?? yes?

Nope, not the first report at all.

 

Zoom changes for me when (1) I have some zoom level set, then I use LAST and sometimes other methods to change between letter-boxed SD channels.  It zooms IN further than the current zoom setting, and I have to change the zoom setting to put it back.

 

The only fix I know for it is do not use Zoom.

 

Very interesting - I did a search & see we had a similar thread in the past. That discussion included the possibility of different size pictures incoming on different channels.

 

This kind of reinforces a feeling I got about half way through my latest post  - are we talking about the zoom changing or a difference between two channels picture on the screen??

 

If we are talking zoom changing, it is verified by looking at the Zoom menu & seeing that the check moves - does not stay where it was put. The stable check (and an oversize HD channel) has always been the way my zoom has worked.

 

If we are talking about a difference between the picture on two SD channels, they may be different with the same zoom setting because the broadcasters are providing different formats. Same applied to different ends up different.

 

I agree that it is kind of weak, whether it persists or changes. Other than analysing the incoming signal & changing it to fill the screen, the only improvement I can think of would be to allow the customer to set a specific zoom against a channel number to be applied whenever that channel is viewed.

The indicated level (e.g. Zoom 2) does not change.  The way Zoom 2 appears changes upon channel change so that it is "more zoomed" than Zoom 3.  Once it has become more zoomed, you have to change to a different zoom level, then return to the original zoom level, to get it back.  But then it will happen again the next time you change channels.

 

This is most noticable when watching a sports program with graphics around the edges.  I would often find a letter box sports event, use zoom 2 to get the picture almost full size and watch.  When I changed channels and returned to the original channel (i.e. not a difference in how the content is zoomed by the provider, the exact same content is displayed differently), the graphics were off the edge.

 

The same thing happens to Zoom 1 and Zoom 3, I was just using 2 as an example.

So, the bottom line on the zoom feature is that it is a manual activity to allow the viewer to customize the current channel for optimum (not necessarily perfect) size.

 

It does not change when the channel changes. Different channels may have different size pictures provided by the broadcaster. This will cause different size pictures to be presented on the screen, regradless of the zoom setting.

 

HD channels usually fill the screen, but zoom can be applied. It makes for too big a picture when the screen is already full. But, is needed if the broadcaster does not provide a full picture. It would be nice if it was auto set to normal on HD channels because the odds favor a full screen being provided.

 

SD channels are provided in a variety of sizes & each one needs to be manually adjusted if the incoming size is offensive. At one time, odds favored the old 4:3. In order to aid transition, the broadcaster may provide a different size(including letterbox) while on the way to a standard digital size.

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@aviewer wrote:

 

It does not change when the channel changes. Different channels may have different size pictures provided by the broadcaster. This will cause different size pictures to be presented on the screen, regradless of the zoom setting.

 

 

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@aviewer, you misunderstand.  One more time:

 

I will tune to a baseball game on an SD channel, for example, 729.  With no zoom, it is surrounded on all sides by black bars, because it is 16:9 aspect and has been scaled to fit completely in a 4:3 SD area.  To enlarge the picture, I will change to Zoom 2.  At this point there are thin black bars surrounding the picture.  If I change to another SD channel, say 4, then change back to channel 729.  This is the same channel that I originally set the Zoom 2 on, same content, same GAME.  However, the thin black bars are gone, as is a substantial part of the edge of the picture all the way around.  It is more zoomed than when I left it a few seconds previously.

 

If I go back to the zoom menu, it still shows that Zoom 2 is checked.  However, this is not how it looked when I selected Zoom 2.  If I change the zoom level to 3, the picture instantly changes (zooms out) so that the picture completely fills the screen without any loss of the edge of the actual picture content.  To reiterate, Zoom 3 is less zoomed than the altered (by channel change) Zoom 2 was.  I can then return to Zoom 2 and the zoom returns to where it was when I originally selected Zoom 2 (a thin black frame around the picture).  I can exit the zoom menu and it'll stay there.  Until I change channels again.

 

It most certainly does change when I change channels.  This is a FLAW, a BUG, an ERROR.  The amount of zoom on a given content should stay constant when you come back to the same channel after having left it. This did not always happen. I think it snuck in on the last major STB firmware revision.

 

The current work around is to not ever use Zoom.

 

@JefferMC - I understand what you are saying. I am saying the same thing with different words. There is no reality, just your perspective & mine.

 

You have set zoom to correct a channel picture.

When you change to a different channel the picture is not corrected the same.

The difference is not caused by the zoom changing. It is caused by the channel changing size.

The zoom feature is a one time setting for correctness. If you change channels you may have to change it again to correct the new picture properly.

The zoom setting does not change when the channel is changed.

 

Instead of looking at a zoomed picture, look at the normal setting. It never changes. As you tune channels the picture may be correct, or not. May be various different sizes. Same thing happens with all settings.

 

It does show that it is set by the customer for each case. Not set it & forget it.

You are saying that what is happening is acceptable and expected.  I am not saying that at all.

 

Each zoom setting should be a fixed factor of increase of the picture, it could be (for example) 10%, 20% and 30% respectively.  While what that looks like may differ between something produced for 4:3 and 16:9, each setting should consistantly display the same content the same way, no matter how many times I press the LAST button.

 

I got an acknowledgement back from AT&T when I first reported it (in July 2015) that the behavior I observed was unintended and that they would work to resolve it.  But no timeline was given.

@JefferMC - I do not intend to give the impression that it is accepable. I was just trying to answer the OP that said it was changing when the channel is changed.

 

I was just trying to explain how it does function. I tried to refrain from complicating it with my usual fault finding & recommending.

@aviewer   Maybe Frontier's does not do the same as Uverse's does, then it apples and oranges, you can't help us and we can't help you.

 

More and more things keep changing between the 2 systems.

 

Chris
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@JefferMC  Is that on the DVR or STB?  I only have a DVR and followed your directions above, but my size stayed exactly the same size when switching back to 1st SD channel. 

 

No change in size from Tigers on 737 on zoom 2 to 4 Rachel Ray then back to 737 and it was the same as when I left.

 

Edit:  First one above was 2 small 16x9 SD channels.  Just now tried 737 on zoom 2 got to 136 MeTV 4x3, went back to 737 and was the same size too.

 

Chris
__________________________________________________________

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? PM ATT Uverse Care (all service problems)
ATT Customer Care(billing and all other problems)
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

The one I notice it on is an STB.  I think if it were happening on the DVR my wife would be letting me know.  Since my upgrade to U450, I've been using the feature less.

 

I'm a premises technician, and for years, I've set zooms and changed channels to show how some SD channels are better with zoom and some aren't. I demo this for my customers even when they have hd in case a channel doesn't have an HD version. I found this thread because I just saw this problem for the first time. Every responder on all these threads believes it is a setting on the box or tv if anything at all, but I checked all that. I tried factory resetting the box and swapping it out. This was the first customer I had seen that had the U-basic package so I wonder if it's related to that. It seems strange a package selection may be related, but that particular package also deactivates the dvr functions and on demand (even when the box is a dvr), and who knows what else it might do. Can anyone who's having this problem tell me if they also have U-basic?

I've seen this problem occur on U-300 and U-450.  I think it's a firmware flaw in the box that has nothing to do with package.  It may be limited to a certain brand or model of STB.

 

We have same issue:

The indicated level (e.g. Zoom 2) does not change.  The way Zoom 2 appears changes upon channel change so that it is "more zoomed" than Zoom 3.  Once it has become more zoomed, you have to change to a different zoom level, then return to the original zoom level, to get it back.  But then it will happen again the next time you change channels..

ex. Watch CNN set zoom to 2 to read bottom line, now switch to another channel, ex discovery, now go back to CNN either direct entry or LAST. Picture is different, zoom still indicates 2 but go to 1 and back to 2 and it is where i left it before switching channels.  Neighbors set does not do it. But they have higher package. I suspect it is a package thing.