HELP PLEASE! Different 4:3 widths from Hi-Def box and DVD player/TiVo (1 Viewer)

[Captain Spaulding]

This problem is driving me nuts! There must be some setting somewhere that I'm overlooking. I've got a Sony 34XBR800. When I watch a 4:3 picture through the component inputs from my high definition receiver, it looks to be the correct aspect ratio and size..that is to say, the 4:3 picture looks correct [with gray bars on the sides].
However, when I watch a 4:3 aspect ratio DVD or watch a 4:3 program recorded on TiVo, there is a difference of about 2 inches in the width of the 4:3 picture [it is narrower on these inputs]. As far as the various options for picture "stretching", the TV locks into the "Full" mode with any signal from my hi-def box, and the "Normal" mode is chosen with 4:3 DVD's and TiVo programming. The somewhat wider 4:3 picture from the high def box looks "more correct" to me. I did adjust overscan in the service menu while the TV was in Full mode. Could this be the cause of the problem? What's going on here???

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Jay,

For the HD receiver, are you only seeing this w/ non-HD channels or also w/ the HD channels?

I recent got digital cable installed w/ an HD receiver, and I actually think all the non-HD channels are stretching the 4x3 image a bit--I think this might be a problem w/ the 1080i upconversion and/or aspect ratio control of the receiver. Basically, I get the same results as you do relative to 4x3 DVDs. Furthermore, I've compared the non-HD output to my TV's RF coax input, and the 4x3 image there is not stretched, ie. same as 4x3 DVDs.

I have the Panny 53wx42 RPTV and use the Scientific Altanta 3100HD cable box.

At this point, I've sort've resolved to not care about the slight stretching since I plan to switch to Directv.

_Man_