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no zoom1-2 feature on samsung 50" plasma tv

post #1 of 15
1/6/09 at 9:59am
Thread Starter 
I have a new samsung 720 plasma TV, And am for the most part amazed with the picture. The aspect ratio has 16:9, 4:3, just scan,. No zoom 1, or zoom2 when using my comcast cable box connected thru HDMI. I do get the scan features when hooked up just cable without the box, and using the tv tuner. how to get the zoom feature back when hooked up this way, samsung doesn't seem to know. Their suggestion was to use the HD zoom feature on the comcast remote. any help would be appreciated. JD
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post #2 of 15
1/6/09 at 10:10am
Samsungs picture size settings differ depending on the resolution being received.
What resolution are you sending to the TV from the cable box?
You can find out using the Info button on the Samsung remote.
Is your cable STB set to provide output to a 16:9 display and not a 4:3 display?
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post #3 of 15
1/6/09 at 10:14am
I would hazard a guess that your cable stb is set up to upconvert SD to HD resolutions and your samsung doesn't allow zooming of HD resolutions.

Your cable stb would have to be set up to pass SD resolutions to the samsung in order to circumvent this limitation.
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post #4 of 15
1/6/09 at 10:39am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the replys. Everything seems to be set up right. Samsung said I would have to use my cable box to effect the zoom feature in the hdmi cable mode. Thanks JD
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post #5 of 15
1/6/09 at 11:43am
What Samsung meant by setting up the zoom on the STB is that either you had to do that or you have to set up the STB using a resolution on an inteterface from the STB that supports the zoom picture size option on their end.
Why do want to zoom a properly proportioned display from your STB since all that will do is remove part of the video content?
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post #6 of 15
1/6/09 at 12:13pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by walford View Post

What Samsung meant by setting up the zoom on the STB is that either you had to do that or you have to set up the STB using a resolution on an inteterface from the STB that supports the zoom picture size option on their end.
Why do want to zoom a properly proportioned display from your STB since all that will do is remove part of the video content?

Thanks for the comeback walford. I need to remove black bars top and bottom from some programs, so as not to damage the plasma tv. Other than that it doesn't bother me to watch the picture as is. Useing straight cable in to the tv tumer it works, I get zoom 1 and 2. Useing the cable box for a tuner it doesn't work, I can't get the zoom feature at all. Samsung says that's the way it's supposed to be, but it doesn't make sense to me. JD
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post #7 of 15
1/6/09 at 12:34pm
If you are getting black bars on top and bottom that means that 16;9 resolution programns are being sent to your TV in letterbox mode.
And this means that your cable box settings are set to your TV being a 4:3 aspect ratio display and not a 16:9 aspect ratio display therefore you have the settings in your STB set incorrectly.
As I stated before you can find out what resolution your STB is sending by using the Info button on your Samsung remote.
What make/model of STB do you have from Comcast? Some Comcast locations supply Motorola STBs and other supply SA or Cisco STBs
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post #8 of 15
1/6/09 at 2:20pm
What channel are you watching when this happens? Some programs have been broadcast before as 4:3 letterboxed down to 16:9. Then there are channels that are so stupid about the way they stretch everything they actually stretch this 4:3 letterboxed show and send it out as 16:9 with the letterbox bars still in place (instead of just zooming in on their end, or sending windowboxed and letting us zoom in ourselves).

Maybe this is what is happening to you.
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post #9 of 15
1/7/09 at 8:18am
Thread Starter 
Thank for everybodys help. I guess I should have been clearer in my post, I don't have any trouble with the HI DEF channels, and very rarely with any other channel. I only need to zoom something that is NOT in HI DEF, such as the old movie channels and the encore movie channels that are not HI DEF channels, and only then very, very rarely if the aspect ratio is long and narrow where I have black bars top and bottom. When I was useing the on board tuner with basic cable the zoom feature was there. now that I have switched up the hi def box, I have lost the zoom 1-2 feature. I called Samsung and they said it was supposed to be that way, and that I should be able to zoom it with my cable box. JD
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post #10 of 15
1/7/09 at 8:23am
What cable box do you have? The model number should be on the front of the unit.
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post #11 of 15
1/7/09 at 8:42am
Buying a new TV nowadays can be full of "gotchas" if not careful.

On any future potential TV purchase, make sure the TV's zoom feature is always functional, regardless of the input resolution.
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post #12 of 15
1/7/09 at 9:17am
Thread Starter 
Beerstalker, thanks for the reply. My cable box is a Motorola number DCH3200 JD
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post #13 of 15
1/7/09 at 10:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by john duve View Post

Beerstalker, thanks for the reply. My cable box is a Motorola number DCH3200 JD

Check out this page: Motorola STB Setup. I recommend you set it for TV Type = 16:9,HDMI/YPbPr OUTPUT = 720P or 1080i (whichever looks best), 4:3 Override = 480i

I suspect that it is currently setup for TV Type = 4:3 and/or 4:3 Override = OFF or STRETCH
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post #14 of 15
1/7/09 at 10:26am
It appears that your Motorola STB is set to output 4:3 aspect ratio programs in either 720p or 1080i. You need to use the settings button to overide the 4:3 output to 480i or 480p.
Use the Info button on the Samsung remote to confirm what resolution it is receving when watching a SD channel.
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post #15 of 15
1/11/09 at 9:48am
Thread Starter 
Hey folks, thanks for all the info. Thanks to you folks It's all set up and working fine. I'm an old technically challenged dude, a little thick between the ears at times, when it comes to this stuff. Thanks again for all the help, it is appreciated. JD
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