# Aspect Aspect Aspect



## TiVoPony (May 12, 2002)

Hey all,

Looking for some quick feedback on the ASPECT button on your remote. Do you use that button? If so, when do you use it, and how frequently? Remember to include the type of TV you have (16:9 or 4:3).

Thanks!
Pony


----------



## windsurfdog (May 1, 2009)

Don't use it. I leave mine on 1080i and between my Denon 3808ci AVR and Samsung LN46A750 (16:9) the sig gets upscaled to 1080p. If watching one of the annoying channels that insists on stretching for me (which I rarely do), I'll use the TV to control aspect.


----------



## FiosUser (Nov 16, 2007)

I have a 16:9 TV.

I use set it to panel (because my TV has to have a 480i signal changed to 720 or whatever it is).

The HD channels use the whole screen.

The zoom aspect feature is useless to me. Not sure when you're supposed to use that--can't think of a reason to.


----------



## Royster (May 24, 2002)

I have a 16:9 TV and I use it frequently when watching SD channels. Programs filmed in 4:3 I full screen and programs shown letterbox in a 4:3 I zoom in on.

I dislike it immensely when an HD channel shows something letterboxed ina 4:3 window. I can't zoom in there and am stuck with black bars all around. Yes, I know it's the channel's fault for doing something stupid.


----------



## ADG (Aug 20, 2003)

I use it when I copy an SD movie from Tivo to dvd. Have to switch to FULL from PANEL to get the best aspect ratio.


----------



## shady (May 31, 2002)

I use it on SD channels (BBC America mainly) to "zoom" into content that is broadcast in widescreen (or nearly widescreen because some part of the picture top and bottom is lost).

Or I use "panel" for 4x3 content.

I never use "Full" which stretches the picture and makes everything look , well, stretched

I have a 16:9 TV.


----------



## rothbox (Sep 22, 2007)

I have a 16x9 television and use it at least once a week (to Zoom) when I watch the downloaded version of Diggnation. 

One note/wish... If I forget to set it back to full, my Netflix streams will be in the wrong aspect ratio. When this happens, I must exit the Netflix application to fix the aspect. I wish the aspect button worked when I am using the Netflix application

Mike


----------



## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

I have a 16:9 TV and I use it when I'm watching an LD channel that is letterboxing HD content. I hit "Zoom" and that way it fills the entire screen. 
The most recent example is Torchwood on BBCAmerica -- my cable company doesn't carry BBCA HD, so I watch it on the LD channel and zoom it.


----------



## shady (May 31, 2002)

rothbox said:


> One note/wish... If I forget to set it back to full, my Netflix streams will be in the wrong aspect ratio. When this happens, I must exit the Netflix application to fix the aspect. I wish the aspect button worked when I am using the Netflix application
> 
> Mike


Yes, that's really annoying.


----------



## Poochie (Dec 27, 2003)

I have a 16:9 display. I use "native" output from the S3, with "tv aspect ratio" set to 16:9 and "aspect correction mode" set to "full". I always want programs to be OAR - no "fill the panel and make people look short/fat for SD stuff" for me.

Anyway, I never use the "aspect" function of the TiVo itself. In fact I kind-of forgot it even had an "aspect" button - I use a Harmony One rather than the peanut so maybe that's why I forgot about it.

My display is configured to use its 16:9 mode for 1080i/720p signals, and to use its 4:3 mode for 480i and 480p. I do on rare occasions change the aspect *on the display* (not the tivo) :
- when watching a SD channel that has properly letterboxed content, I'll occasionally use my display's "zoom" mode, which preserves OAR
- when watching Netflix streams, it appears to put out 480p and expect 480p to be displayed in a 16:9 aspect, so I use my display's "16:9" mode here. Note, I've only watched about 3-4 streams so far so I'm still new to this.

As Netflix is the only thing (that I use) that is 480p, I might experiment with leaving 480p in "16:9" mode and seeing if this means I never really need to touch even my display's "aspect" button except the occasional zoom.

Cliff notes:
- I don't use the TiVo remote's "Aspect" button (use a Harmony)
- I don't use the TiVo device's "Aspect" function
- I on rare occasion use my remote's "Aspect" "button"
- I on rare occasion use my display's "Aspect" function


----------



## Grey Griffin (May 24, 2007)

I have a 16:9 television. The only time I need to change aspect is on letterboxed SD material and my TV's zoom feature is a little better than Tivo's.


----------



## gonzotek (Sep 24, 2004)

rothbox said:


> I wish the aspect button worked when I am using the Netflix application
> 
> Mike


AGREED! This is a big time annoyance. It should also work for other HME apps (e.g. Tivo's Youtube app and the tivostreamer and streambaby thirdparty products).

I use the aspect ratio button quite frequently for zooming-in letter and pillarboxed sd content. Also on some downloads.


----------



## SCSIRAID (Feb 2, 2003)

I dont use it. TiVo is set to 'panel' and remains in that mode all the time.


----------



## worachj (Oct 14, 2006)

The only time I use the aspect button is to zoom in on Amazon downloads so it fully fills my 16:9 TV, otherwise its left on panel.


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

Use it very rarely to zoom in letterboxed content.

16x9 TV.


----------



## steve101 (Jan 4, 2005)

Both 16:9 displays one set to 1080 fixed the other 720 fixed.
Never use the Tivo Aspect button.


----------



## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

16:9 TV

Leave it on Panel most of the time. (No other choice for HD of course.)

Use Zoom for SD signals that are letterboxed, i.e., have a large black border on all sides in Panel mode.

The only justification I can think of for Full is if you want SD to fill your entire screen even if it means everything is 33% wider than it really is -- never use it. I have noticed that many public places that have flat panels running seem to have it on Full mode displaying wider-than-real SD channels.


----------



## lastdeadcat (Mar 14, 2005)

I use it some. Usually in combination with the simular contol on the 16:9 TV. There is very limited HD on my basic cable. Only PBS station and the Fox station have. The Fox station has a very weird HD format. It is letterboxed on four sides of my screen in the full mode. I zoom it to get to fill the screen, but there is still a bit of spill over. Bypassing the TiVo the picture is the same with info saying it is 720p. They have a SD signal as well in the VHF range. I have my format set to 1800i fixed for this TV. When I had it on the other older 16:9 TV, I used 480p, 720p, 1080i hybrid.

The other local channels are all SD and 4:3. The NBC station uses letterboxed SD and the zoom works well there. The others, ABC and CBS stations, are not and to fill my 16:9 screen I have to use combinations of the two controls to get the best picture with no streching and minimum spill over.

I will be glad when the local stations finally go to HD, but that seems not in the immediate future. They say its too expensive here in Fairbanks, Alaska. Anchorage already has more local HD.


----------



## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

I have a 16:9 TV.

I use zoom whenever watching letterboxed content such as Mad Men and Breaking Bad on AMC (few providers offer AMCHD), as well as the various history channels which deal almost exclusively in SD letterbox content.

You must keep this as a button on the remote *unless* you implement [reliable] autozoom on SD letterbox content. Many customers still watch SD channels, and more and more SD channels are showing their content in letterbox, necessitating the zoom function. Broadcom claims SD "letterbox detection" as a feature in their specs, but I have never seen anyone use / implement it.

*That said*, I do not think the ASPECT button needs to be as prominent on the TiVo remote as it is now. I would much rather have the LIST/SHOWS button in its current spot and have the ASPECT button somewhere else, such as at the bottom of the remote with PIP and SWAP buttons, if you were to add that functionality to a future TiVo. I probably use the ASPECT button 5x per week compared to 50x per week for the LIST button.


----------



## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

16:9 display.

I use it frequently, a couple times a week, mainly to watch letterboxed SD shows. I like to zoom in and fill the screen.


----------



## blacknoi (Jan 23, 2006)

16:9 display, 1080i fixed output.

Use it to zoom in on letterboxed SD content.

Sometimes something was shot in 16:9 aspect ratio, but the channels squeezes it to fit into a 4:3 but everyone looks all tall and skinny. I'll use the aspect button once to strech it out to 16:9 (no zoom) so it fills out the screen correctly. (FULL setting)

I'm very glad my Tivo has this button!

As others said, I think sometimes itd be useful for it to function even on HD content....when the content provider decides to show something in letterbox, DESPITE being on an HD channel (so you end up with black bars on the left/right and top/bottom).


----------



## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

16:9 set. My S3 is set to 720p fixed. I always Zoom on letterboxed SD, and otherwise use Panel. I'm usually switching several times a day. There are also a handful of sources where Full is appropriate -- 16:9 video squeezed to 4:3.

I would be very, very upset if the Aspect button went away.

I second the request for a way to access this from HME.


----------



## FrodoB (Jan 3, 2005)

Like most of the others posting here, I have no need for the "Full" option but I use "Zoom" for letterboxed SD content and "Panel" for all other SD programming to preserve the aspect ratio. With USA-HD coming to Charter Madison in two weeks, I don't think that I will have any Season Passes on stations where this will apply anymore, but there will still be the odd Amazon download or one-off recording where this will apply.

However, I definitely second the person who complained about the aspect button not working on HD content. During storm season, our local affiliates for NBC and FOX (probably ABC and CBS, too, but we don't have any HD season passes on those stations) go to their SD feeds to overlay weather warnings, letterboxing the HD feed and then putting the weather information below the bottom black area, squishing the picture even further. We end up with a craptacular tiny picture on our 37" TV. In those cases, it would be very nice to be able to zoom.


----------



## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Actually the Aspect button _does_ work on HD, but only when you tell the TiVo that you have a 4:3 display. (And then it _doesn't_ work on SD.) What happens then is, with a 16:9 source, Panel letterboxes, and Zoom crops the sides.


----------



## billyjoebob99 (Jan 13, 2007)

16:9 TV

Use Zoom occasionally when watching a letter-boxed 16:9 show on SD.


----------



## Boot (Mar 15, 2000)

I use it to zoom windowboxed content.


----------



## Gavroche (May 27, 2007)

TiVoPony said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Looking for some quick feedback on the ASPECT button on your remote. Do you use that button? If so, when do you use it, and how frequently? Remember to include the type of TV you have (16:9 or 4:3).
> 
> ...


Konka HDTV 16:9 - I use the aspect button CONSTANTLY. It's a royal pain in the you-know-what to change the aspect on the TV, which would normally throw the Tivo menus all out-of-whack (off the screen, whatever).

Yes, actually, it's my favorite button on the remote!!!! I really appreciate the way it works.


----------



## Gavroche (May 27, 2007)

FiosUser said:


> I have a 16:9 TV.
> 
> I use set it to panel (because my TV has to have a 480i signal changed to 720 or whatever it is).
> 
> ...


Maybe you only watch HD material? I use the ZOOM feature CONSTANTLY for letterboxed stuff that's non-HD.


----------



## MichaelK (Jan 10, 2002)

Boot said:


> I use it to zoom windowboxed content.


ditto

16:9 HDTV

My provider still doesn't have discovery channel and the like in HD so I'm have to watch SD versions- many shows like mythbusters are 16:9- letterboxed on SD. So if I watch that on my 16:9 hdtv I get windowboxed. That blows- hence the zoom button.

other then that HD stays HD and 4:3 SD we keep 4:3 with sidebars


----------



## Gavroche (May 27, 2007)

wmcbrine said:


> I would be very, very upset if the Aspect button went away.
> 
> I second the request for a way to access this from HME.


Me too.

Tivo: Pleeeeeease don't remove the Aspect button! I would hate to have to go into the menu to change it. Ugh!

It's really one of the most handy little features of the Tivo. Like most others, I mainly only use it in panel or zoom, but indeed there are occasions where full is useful as well.


----------



## brewman (Jun 29, 2003)

Never use it


----------



## Kenji (Jun 29, 2003)

I have a 16:9 TV and I never touch the Aspect button.


----------



## Gavroche (May 27, 2007)

It would be AWESOME if the aspect button could also ZOOM HD content.

Why? You ask?

Well, MANY channels are still broadcasting 4:3 letterboxed material in 16:9, so you just get this small window in the middle of the screen that you can't zoom.

I'd really like to see this added to the "aspect" functionality of the Tivo.

I remember one day I was all excited that "Blade Runner" was going to be on in HD, and it turned out to be letterboxed in 4:3 so it was just this tiny box in the middle of the screen. I didn't bother watching it. How annoying!


----------



## davidwadesmith (Nov 28, 2007)

I would love if the aspect button would allow you to zoom HD content, for the same reasons everyone has already noted.

But what I would really like is some way to configure (step down) the amount of stretch (primarily vertical, but horizontal would be nice too) that the zoom function provides.


----------



## Gavroche (May 27, 2007)

davidwadesmith said:


> I would love if the aspect button would allow you to zoom HD content, for the same reasons everyone has already noted.
> 
> But what I would really like is some way to configure (step down) the amount of stretch (primarily vertical, but horizontal would be nice too) that the zoom function provides.


I didn't think it stretched the image at all... does it?


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

Gavroche said:


> I didn't think it stretched the image at all... does it?


Not from what I've noticed.


----------



## davidwadesmith (Nov 28, 2007)

Zoom doesn't stretch? Maybe there is a better term for it?

On my 16:9 TV, the aspect button stretches the image when it zooms SD content, so that a 4:3 letterboxed image fills the entire screen. In my case, one of my TVs overscans too much, and I would love to see a configurable setting that would enable the TiVo to reduce the amount of stretch I get when I use zoom.


----------



## rocko (Oct 29, 2002)

16:9 TV(s) x 2

Use it all the time for 4:3 SD content and to zoom letterboxed stuff on SD channels. Very important since my TV does a crappy job of stretching 4:3 content. I'd rather the TiVo does the aspect switching than my TV.


----------



## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

I have a 16:9 television. The only time I need to change aspect is on letterboxed SD material. And for that the button on the TiVo's remote is way more convient that digging out my seldom used TV remote.

(Although I wouldn't mind if the zoom was dialed back _slightly_, it seems to over-zoom a tad. But still looks better that watching without zooming)


----------



## gplonowski (Nov 6, 2006)

I have a 16:9 display and occasionally use it to Zoom a show that's letterboxed on a SD channel.

However, what I really use it for the most is to switch between Panel and Full. The bedroom TiVo is connected by HDMI to a 16:9 TV, but I have the composite video out on the same TiVo connected to a RF modulator that sends the signal to a 4:3 TV in the next room, primarily a workout room. 

To watch anything in SD on the 4:3 TV and have it look right I have to set the aspect on the TiVo to Full and set it back to Panel when I go back to the 16:9 TV in the bedroom. 

Greg


----------



## msrolla (Feb 11, 2004)

I have a 16:9 display. I use the aspect button mostly for video podcasts transferred to the TiVo.

Plus, there are two local (non-major network) stations that can't make up their minds on how they want to present the old TV shows. They require the aspect button when presenting a letterboxed show.


----------



## sinanju (Jan 3, 2005)

I have a 16:9 TV and the aspect ratio on my TiVo is set for 4:3 smart. I use the aspect button every other day or so, mostly on BBCA, which we do not yet have in HD -- zooming into 16:9 content in a postage-stamp. Specifically, Primeval, Torchwood, (Dr. Who we get from SciFiHD), Graham Norton, and the Saturday guilty pleasure, How Not To Decorate.


----------



## notting (Dec 15, 2005)

I have a S3 set up to use 1080i fixed. I use the aspect button, as many others on this thread, for zooming in letterboxed programs on SD channels.


----------



## aindik (Jan 23, 2002)

I used to have my output set to 1080i fixed. When I did, I used "aspect" a lot to zoom in on letterboxed SD content as others said. When watching music videos, I'd use it to switch from Zoom to Panel from one video to the next.

Then I discovered that TiVo absolutely murders the 480i resolution on "Native" when you tell it you have a 16:9 TV and put it in panel mode, by replacing some of the horizontal resolution with black bars. I also discovered that when you tell the TiVo you have a "4:3 Smart Screen" TV it sends the actual 480i program in its full 4:3 480i resolution, trusting the TV to create its own black bars. I also discovered that such real-native resolution looks better on my TV than does TiVo's upconvert of 480i to 1080i when you use 1080i fixed.

Once I discovered these things, I've started using my TV's Aspect function rather than TiVo's. Which is mildly annoying only because my TV's zoom seems to zoom for 1.85:1 movies rather than 1.78:1 TV shows. But I live with it because the PQ is better, and also because I can't stand to look at TiVo menus all stretched out as they are in 1080i fixed.


----------



## TishTash (Jan 24, 2008)

I use "Panel" for all content (including 480i SD), except:

o "Zoom" for SD letterboxed content, and
o "Full" for the _very_ rare "horizontally compressed" video.
("Full" stretches this to the appropriate aspect ratio.)

For those complaining about not being able to zoom into _HD_ letterboxed content: You can! Just use your _television's_ aspect/view (not TiVo's) mode to zoom into any HD letterboxed show.

(Now, as far as the _appropriateness_ of letterboxing HD content is concerned, that's a whole other story....)


----------



## aindik (Jan 23, 2002)

TishTash said:


> For those complaining about not being able to zoom into _HD_ letterboxed content: You can! Just use your _television's_ aspect/view mode to zoom into any HD letterboxed show (not TiVo's).


My TV won't zoom on HD content, either.


----------



## Stormspace (Apr 13, 2004)

I have a 16:9 set, but I use a harmony remote. I do use the aspect feature on the TV quite a bit, but I'm not entirely pleased with the zoom features on the HD.


----------



## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

I have 4:3 sets and use it constantly. I prefer the OAR when I can so I tend to find what looks the best on my tv for that show. Sometimes I use Native and others I use zoom. I never use stretch.

I was actually confused the other day because I accidentally set a recording on a SD station and kept hitting aspect. Of course it didn't do anything since the recording was centercut.


----------



## Royster (May 24, 2002)

TishTash said:


> For those complaining about not being able to zoom into _HD_ letterboxed content: You can! Just use your _television's_ aspect/view (not TiVo's) mode to zoom into any HD letterboxed show.


My TV can't zoom 1080i content.


----------



## Sy- (Sep 29, 2005)

The only time I use it is when i rent videos from Amazon. Why is it that Netflix can stream videos fine but Amazon videos are windowboxed? Hate having to zoom in because it makes everything all blurry. I'm an OAR fanatic so I'm ok watching 4x3 sd programming pillar boxed on my 16x9 tv.


----------



## Rick313 (Mar 29, 2009)

Gavroche said:


> It would be AWESOME if the aspect button could also ZOOM HD content.


Ditto! I have a 32" HDTV and use the aspect button very frequently (at least a couple times per day) to zoom or expand SDTV, podcasts, and TiVoCasts. It would be great to be able to zoom HD content as well. My TV has a feature to do this, but the TiVo aspect(zoom) works much better than my TV's own zoom feature.


----------



## moonscape (Jul 3, 2004)

16:9 - use zoom - frequency varies, enough that i would not want to lose it


----------



## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

billyjoebob99 said:


> 16:9 TV
> 
> Use Zoom occasionally when watching a letter-boxed 16:9 show on SD.


Like When Bravo HD shows The West Wing SD letterboxed at 1080i. 

Like it's not bad enough that you have to hear loud ads for The Real Housewives of Poughkeepsie every 7 minutes.

Bravo! Watch What Happens! _Watch me switch channels._


----------



## SandDune (Apr 7, 2007)

On my 16x9 TV set to 1080i fixed, I use it all the time on SD content (broadcast and download). I only wish it worked with Netflix (as others have stated). On my 4x3 TV which I have set to Native, everything just works the way I want it EXCEPT some Netflix streams, and unfortunately again the button is dead in this scenario.

So on one set I use it a lot and the other I never use it. If my 16x9 did a better job of auto scaling on its own, I would let it, but since it doesn't I leave it on unscaled and rely on the TiVo handling the job for me.

Would I miss the button? Probably. That is unless the TiVo did as good a job as my Sony 36" 4x3 at figuring out what was supposed to be displayed and auto scaling.


----------



## sinanju (Jan 3, 2005)

netringer said:


> Like When Bravo HD shows The West Wing SD letterboxed at 1080i.
> 
> Like it's not bad enough that you have to hear loud ads for The Real Housewives of Poughkeepsie every 7 minutes.
> 
> Bravo! Watch What Happens! _Watch me switch channels._


TNT HD is much the same --- lets distort the aspect ratio of content recorded in HD as if it was recorded in SD on an HD channel.


----------



## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Aspect? Never use it. 98% of what I watch is HD, and I stick to Panel. I would have no problem with this feature being relegated to a menu, instead of its own button. Figure out what the most commonly used 'menu-only' feature is, and make it the Aspect button. I'm thinking Closed Captions? Or use it for some hot, new feature...like FSI. 



bkdtv said:


> That said, I do not think the ASPECT button needs to be as prominent on the TiVo remote as it is now. I would much rather have the LIST/SHOWS button in its current spot and have the ASPECT button somewhere else, such as at the bottom of the remote with PIP and SWAP buttons, if you were to add that functionality to a future TiVo. I probably use the ASPECT button 5x per week compared to 50x per week for the LIST button.


If by LIST you mean the Now Playing screen, I vote no on the dedicated button. TiVo TiVo is way too easy & simple; no need to waste a button on that. Same for To-Do (TiVo 2) and SPs (TiVo 1).


----------



## kdmorse (Jan 29, 2001)

16:9 TV - And my Tivo's stay in Panel mode all the time. I won't miss it if it vanishes.

But.... Many other tivo users I know do use it heavily, flipping through the modes on a SD show by show basis. Some they stretch, some they panel, and some they zoom (and we're not talking about windowboxed content). I think they would be very upset if that button were to vanish from future models. 

(Although after watching TV with one such person in particular at length, I am starting to feel like we should take the button away from them for their own good).

-Ken


----------



## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

netringer said:


> ...Like it's not bad enough that you have to hear loud ads for The Real Housewives of Poughkeepsie every 7 minutes.
> 
> Bravo! Watch What Happens! _Watch me switch channels._


You have a problem with Poughkeepsie?


----------



## fallingwater (Dec 29, 2007)

I use the *Aspect* button frequently with S3 as the source for both a 16x9 hi-def monitor and a DVD recorder, to get the image which best fits the screen.


----------



## mxfanatic (Jan 20, 2007)

16x9 TV.

I definitely use the aspect button. It stays in panel but I use full for some SD programs that I can deal with stretched. I rarely use zoom. I'm not a fan of cutting off any content.

I also agree with the other posters about being able to use the aspect button in Netflix.


----------



## BigInJapan (Aug 10, 2008)

4:3 and never.


----------



## blacknoi (Jan 23, 2006)

Is the aspect button being considered for removal from a Series 4 or something? I'm wondering why the question was asked in the first place.

With that being said, I would hope it remains on future models.


----------



## GreenMonkey (May 28, 2008)

Like others we use it for zooming letterboxed SD fairly regularly and preserving 4:3 once in a while (I HATE stretchy-vision).

It would be nice if you could use aspect control on HD stations. Some HD stations are worthless to me - TNT-HD, TBS-HD, etc - because they stretch 4:3. Ugh.


----------



## bankshot (May 28, 2009)

We use it all the time (well, ok, _I_ use it all the time; the wife rarely does, and never seems to mind - or notice - when the picture is stretched a bit. Drives me nuts!). For our unusual situation, the fact that I have to use this button at all is one of the few major annoyances since switching to TiVo.

Our TiVo is hooked up to 2 TVs - 16:9 in the family room and 4:3 in the bedroom. The TiVo is too dumb to realize that HD outputs should assume a 16:9 display and SD outputs should assume a 4:3 display, and letterbox content appropriately on both. Our crappy old Time Warner DVR did this so you never had to think about it.

Instead, when I go to the bedroom, I have to set Aspect to Panel. When I go back to the family room, I have to set it to Full. Back and forth, all the time. Additionally, in the family room, I have to change my TV's aspect ratio to 4:3 when watching a SD channel. The old TW DVR did all of this perfectly - I never had to change a setting once.

I've tried every combination of settings for TV Aspect Ratio and Video Output Format, hoping to find one that would Do The Right Thing. Sadly, none does. The best I have is 4:3 TV Aspect Ratio and 1080i Fixed Video Output Format.

When we eventually get a flat panel in the bedroom, all of this should go away. We'll either setup the TiVo for a 16:9 display and be done with it, or who knows - maybe we'll get a second TiVo at that time too. Probably a few years off. For now, the Aspect button gets a daily workout.


----------



## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

blacknoi said:


> Is the aspect button being considered for removal from a Series 4 or something? ....


Magic 8 Ball say "Yes."

There's needs to be another power button for the AV receiver or a macro capability.


----------



## naranja (Jan 7, 2005)

16:9. Use it every day to zoom analog cable channels.


----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

16:9 Television. Don't use the button (it's set to "Panel").

HD programs show up full screen (the way they're supposed to). SD programs show up with pillarboxes (the way they're supposed to). Don't understand why anyone would do things differently.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

davidwadesmith said:


> Zoom doesn't stretch? Maybe there is a better term for it?
> 
> On my 16:9 TV, the aspect button stretches the image when it zooms SD content, so that a 4:3 letterboxed image fills the entire screen.


That's not stretch, that's zoom. Stretch is when a regular 4:3 image fills a 16:9 screen--i.e., it stretches horizontally but not vertically.


Amnesia said:


> 16:9 Television. Don't use the button (it's set to "Panel").
> 
> HD programs show up full screen (the way they're supposed to). SD programs show up with pillarboxes (the way they're supposed to). Don't understand why anyone would do things differently.


Because sometimes you get a 4:3 letterboxed program.


----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Because sometimes you get a 4:3 letterboxed program.


That sentence doesn't make any sense.

I assume you're talking about windowboxing, not letterboxing. The only programs you get letterboxed on a 16:9 TV are ones shown in 2.35:1 (not 4:3).


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Amnesia said:


> That sentence doesn't make any sense.
> 
> I assume you're talking about windowboxing, not letterboxing. The only programs you get letterboxed on a 16:9 TV are ones shown in 2.35:1 (not 4:3).


The final effect is windowboxing. But the image is a 4:3 letterboxed image, with bars only on the top and bottom. When you watch it on a 16:9 screen in panel mode, the TV (or TiVo) adds bars to the sides.

So the sentence makes perfect sense, if you read it carefully.


----------



## bsd (Sep 30, 2002)

16x9 TV. Set to 720P or 1080i fixed (depending on TV).

I leave on Zoom for SD content, but I use aspect to look at a crawl on the bottom of the screen for SD content or if details are at the very top or bottom of the screen. I wouldn't be happy if there wasn't a button for changing on the fly.

-Brett


----------



## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

16:9 TV. I never use the Aspect button, my TV has an Automatic setting that adjust the picture size and fills the screen. When I do press the Aspect button, nothing changes on screen.


----------



## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

I very rarely use the TiVo's ASPECT button as I prefer to use my TV's zoom/aspect button to change aspect since it does a better job of scaling and it also can zoom HD content.

Every now and then I'll use the TiVo's Zoom functionality instead of my TV's, but the TV's is still better.

I have a 16:9 TV which, prior to 11.0, would display the TiVo's 480i/p SD content at 4:3. Because of a change in 11.0, the TiVo now outputs all 480i/p content at 16:9, presumably to make it easier to use the TiVo's ASPECT button. This forced me to manually set my TV to always display 480i/p content from the TiVo at 4:3, so I can continue to use the TV's zoom/aspect.


----------



## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

bkdtv said:


> You must keep this as a button on the remote *unless* you implement [reliable] autozoom on SD letterbox content.


I do not want any kind of automatic zooming feature. If one is added, there *must* be a way of disabling it.

As of 11.0, the TiVo is already overriding the aspect for SD programs by always outputting 480i/p content at 16:9 (with black bars depending on the aspect setting). I can at least work around this by manually setting my TV back to 4:3 mode, there would be no work around if the TiVo started automatically zooming SD content.


----------



## fallingwater (Dec 29, 2007)

The present button works and isn't broken. Therefore the only reliable way for TiVo to fix this outrageous situation is apply for a government grant from the stimulous package to hire at least 50 software engineers to research all possibilities for improving ASPECT functionality, including *AUTOMATIC ZOOMING* and *AUTOMATIC ZOOMING OVERRIDE*.

TiVo is significantly better right now than Moxi is regarding ASPECT and ZOOMING, and they've gotta' stay competitive!


----------



## retired_guy (Aug 27, 2004)

I frequently zoom letterboxed programs on my 65" 9x16 set; use panel otherwise to avoid "full's" distortion and "zoom's" loss of top/bottom edges of picture. By the way, this is a LasorVue Mits set and the picture quality is really great.

I use "full" for SD non-letterboxed programs on my 32" 9x16 set. Using the full screen improves visibility for the smaller screen TV and makes up for the distortion.


----------



## wdave (Jul 16, 2000)

astrohip said:


> Aspect? Never use it. 98% of what I watch is HD, and I stick to Panel.


This. The only time I've tried to use the Aspect button, it didn't do what I wanted it to do. I want to be able to un-stretch HD content that was filmed in 4:3 and they're stretching it to fill the screen for me. Ugh. I'd rather have it look like Panel, windowboxed. So I'd like to squeeze it back to 4:3. But I can't do that.


----------



## rocko (Oct 29, 2002)

wdave said:


> This. The only time I've tried to use the Aspect button, it didn't do what I wanted it to do. I want to be able to un-stretch HD content that was filmed in 4:3 and they're stretching it to fill the screen for me. Ugh. I'd rather have it look like Panel, windowboxed. So I'd like to squeeze it back to 4:3. But I can't do that.


You can use your TV's aspect/size button to do that. As you've discovered, TiVo's aspect button does nothing on HD channels.


----------



## wdave (Jul 16, 2000)

rocko said:


> You can use your TV's aspect/size button to do that. As you've discovered, TiVo's aspect button does nothing on HD channels.


My TV won't un-stretch HD content and squeeze it back to 4:3. Are there really TVs that will? I'm skeptical.


----------



## rocko (Oct 29, 2002)

wdave said:


> My TV won't un-stretch HD content and squeeze it back to 4:3. Are there really TVs that will? I'm skeptical.


I set the TV to display Panel (or whatever puts up the sidebars) to squeeze the crappy stretched SD stuff like A&E and TNT HD use.


----------



## aindik (Jan 23, 2002)

wdave said:


> My TV won't un-stretch HD content and squeeze it back to 4:3. Are there really TVs that will? I'm skeptical.


The HD aspect modes on my TV are "Just Scan," "16:9," "4:3" and another one I'm forgetting. So yeah, my TV can squeeze HD content into 4:3. Problem with that is that the channels that stretch don't stretch linearly, but my TV squeezes linearly. So, most of the time it looks normal but there are weird affects when a camera pans on an object from a side of the screen to the center.

But when an HD channel is showing stretched out 4:3 programming, I usually just watch the show on the SD channel. It looks better. Easier to do live than recorded, but it's what I do.

What my TV can't do is zoom in on an HD signal showing windowboxed content.


----------



## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

I though of this thread last night as I was watching a history of Disney special on A&E, which I only get in SD. But the special was filmed in 16:9, and showed many clips from the early Disney movies which were 4:3.

So I had a 16:9 TV, pillarboxing in a 4:3 signal, with a 16:9 image letterboxed inside it, with occasional 4:3 shots pillarboxed into that. (And because all the blank space was amusing me this time, I left the TiVo in 'Panel' mode. Go double pillarboxing! )


----------



## OHSam2008 (Nov 5, 2008)

I use my Aspect button ALL the time. Have a regular old tube 4:3 television with digital antenna and a perfect picture. 

I use Panel on channels broadcasting a program in widescreen. Zoom on programs broadcast in Full Screen to avoid black bars on all four sides. And I use Full when a channel broadcasts those stupid weather alerts at the bottom for closings and delays. Around here they squash the picture so everyone is short and fat. For some reason Full fixes the squash and makes everyone look normal again. I like that!


----------



## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

TiVoPony said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Looking for some quick feedback on the ASPECT button on your remote. Do you use that button? If so, when do you use it, and how frequently? Remember to include the type of TV you have (16:9 or 4:3).
> 
> ...


Shouldn't this be a poll? The forum software allows for that, you know.


----------



## b3ar (Dec 2, 2005)

I never use the Aspect Ratio button. The video processing in the TiVo isn't really good enough to make me prefer it to what I have in my TV or my receiver (Gennum or Reon) for letterbox content. I'd love a higher-end TiVo with better video processing, especially deinterlacing and noise reduction (Anchor Bay is the best of the "cheap" chips, though QDEO shows promise). There is a LOT of combing and other artifacts when I try to let the TiVo do anything beyond just pass the native resolution of the program down the chain.


----------



## michael new (Jan 13, 2006)

I use it frequently but reading this I may not be using it properly?
I have a 16x9 set and the S3 is set to 720p Fixed and I normally use Full, now there in lies the issue what is the differance between Full and Panel?


----------



## aindik (Jan 23, 2002)

michael new said:


> I use it frequently but reading this I may not be using it properly?
> I have a 16x9 set and the S3 is set to 720p Fixed and I normally use Full, now there in lies the issue what is the differance between Full and Panel?


On HD content, the button doesn't do anything.

On SD content:
Panel = inserts black bars on the left and right to display 4:3 content as 4:3.

Full = stretches out the 4:3 picture to 16:9

Zoom = cuts off the top and bottom of the 4:3 picture to create a 16:9 picture, then makes it bigger.


----------



## proudx (Sep 16, 2008)

bankshot said:


> We use it all the time (well, ok, _I_ use it all the time; the wife rarely does, and never seems to mind - or notice - when the picture is stretched a bit. Drives me nuts!). For our unusual situation, the fact that I have to use this button at all is one of the few major annoyances since switching to TiVo.
> 
> Our TiVo is hooked up to 2 TVs - 16:9 in the family room and 4:3 in the bedroom. The TiVo is too dumb to realize that HD outputs should assume a 16:9 display and SD outputs should assume a 4:3 display, and letterbox content appropriately on both. Our crappy old Time Warner DVR did this so you never had to think about it.
> 
> ...


Yes, me too, I have the composite video output to a modulator problem is aspect ratio doesn't fix 16x9 on the 4x3 480i tv.

so would be nice if it could add letterbox bars to the 4x3 480i output and leave the 16x9 native.


----------



## burdellgp (Mar 28, 2008)

I use the Aspect button for a couple of reasons. First, I have my TiVo HD hooked up to both a 16:9 TV and a couple of 4:3 TVs, so when watching SD 4:3 content, I use "panel" on the 16:9 TV and "full" on the 4:3 TVs (a minor annoyance is that I can't letterbox 16:9 content for the 4:3 TVs unless I reconfigure the TiVo).

I also use the "zoom" mode on the 16:9 TV to watch SD 4:3 content that contains a 16:9 letterboxed image.

It would be nice if the "panel" mode could be applied to HD content as well, since some HD channels are stupid (see TBS and TNT for example) and stretch 4:3 content to fill the 16:9 display, distorting it. My 16:9 TV cannot change aspect ratios for HD signals, so I just have to watch the stretch-o-vision.


----------



## nrc (Nov 17, 1999)

16:9
1080i fixed
Panel mode

The only time I ever use the Aspect button is to switch it back to Panel when the dog steps on the remote and switches it to something else.

[stir]Maybe they're thinking about relabelling it "Window" and changing the purpose. [/stir]


----------



## jlib (Nov 22, 2002)

Never use it. I only want the Tivo to output in Native-Smart Screen-Panel mode. I do not want any modification to the signal at all. I'll take care of all the processing externally, thanks.


----------



## jlib (Nov 22, 2002)

aindik said:


> ...On SD content:
> Panel = inserts black bars on the left and right to display 4:3 content as 4:3...


Except in Native-Smart Screen mode when it inserts nothing to SD content.


----------



## jlib (Nov 22, 2002)

morac said:


> ...As of 11.0, the TiVo is already overriding the aspect for SD programs by always outputting 480i/p content at 16:9 (with black bars depending on the aspect setting).


Mine doesn't override the aspect of SD programs. It really depends upon the interaction of the 3 TiVO settings you select that affect output. Your claim is only true for your particular combination of settings.


----------



## FAlfani81 (Jul 1, 2009)

lol sadly it seems I'm one of the few left stuck with a 4:3 CRT TV So I'm constantly using this button depending on what it is that I'm watching. 90&#37; of the time I have mine on zoom. There are alot of shows on HD channels that have a 4:3 ratio. Having a 4:3 set on one of those programs would be VERY annoying if it wasn't for that button. (Bars on top bottom and sides)

In some cases it's even useful when watching programs that don't really matter to me if there widescreen or not. Like the News or Talk Shows even most sitcoms or some movies.


----------



## Squeege96 (May 1, 2006)

TP,

While I keep my Tivo's set to panel most of the time, I always use the aspect button for SD programing.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I never use it since I run through an external scaler. But my girlfriend has a TiVo on an SD set and she uses zoom on everything she gets OTA so it fills the screen.


----------



## aindik (Jan 23, 2002)

jlib said:


> Except in Native-Smart Screen mode when it inserts nothing to SD content.


In Native-Smart Screen mode, with 480i content, I'm not sure the Aspect button does anything at all.

As for TiVo in 16:9 mode sending 4:3 content as 16:9 with bars added and horizontal resolution reduced (intending the TV to be in a mode that stretches it out), that's not new. My TiVoHD has done that since I got it more than 18 months ago.


----------



## flip123 (Feb 11, 2003)

16x9
I use when watching SD content to chose between Zoom and Panel


----------



## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

jlib said:


> Mine doesn't override the aspect of SD programs. It really depends upon the interaction of the 3 TiVO settings you select that affect output. Your claim is only true for your particular combination of settings.


Technically it's just one setting, the TV aspect ratio, which needs to be set to 16:9 for the problem to occur. That and you need to actually be outputting at a SD resolution (either native or 480i/p fixed).

Since the instructions say to set it to 16:9 for wide screen TVs and the menus are only in "HD" when set to 16:9, it's the most obvious choice for users of wide screen TV's. The problem doesn't apply to people who use 4:3 TVs.


----------



## aindik (Jan 23, 2002)

morac said:


> Since the instructions say to set it to 16:9 for wide screen TVs and the menus are only in "HD" when set to 16:9, it's the most obvious choice for users of wide screen TV's. The problem doesn't apply to people who use 4:3 TVs.


Except the menus aren't actually in HD ever, and the fonts look much better when the menus are sent in 4:3. In 16:9, they're stretched out.

That is, except for the new TiVo Search, which looks great in 720p HD 16:9.


----------



## Lenonn (May 31, 2004)

Of the three TiVo's: 

our series 3 (connected to a 1080p 16:9 television, TiVo set to native output) - never use the aspect ratio button

our HD #1 (connected to a 1024x768 16:9 television, TiVo set to native output) - with HD/widescreen programs, we don't use the aspect ratio; sometimes we used it was SD/non-widescreen programs, although my father has the habit of using the television's aspect ratio button; I wouldn't say we use it with any regularity

our HD #2 (connected to a 4:3 old CRT, TiVo set to 480i fixed output) - never use the aspect ratio button


----------



## tootal2 (Oct 14, 2005)

TiVoPony said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Looking for some quick feedback on the ASPECT button on your remote. Do you use that button? If so, when do you use it, and how frequently? Remember to include the type of TV you have (16:9 or 4:3).
> 
> ...


I use zoom on 4x3 letter box stuff so it takes up the screen.


----------



## lrhorer (Aug 31, 2003)

FiosUser said:


> The zoom aspect feature is useless to me. Not sure when you're supposed to use that--can't think of a reason to.


Then you aren't thinking very hard. There are a number of situations where the Aspect button comes in handy. The most obvious is windowboxed content. Why live with blank bars on the side and top of your video when you can have it fill the screen? Full screen is useful if the content provider has decided to present widescreen material in horizontally comnpressed format.

I have two 16:9 TVs, and I frequently use the Aspect button on windowboxed SD content. I occasionally use it on pillarboxed SD content.


----------



## tron1977 (Jan 15, 2009)

worachj said:


> The only time I use the aspect button is to zoom in on Amazon downloads so it fully fills my 16:9 TV, otherwise its left on panel.


ditto


----------



## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

ferrumpneuma said:


> Did TiVoPony ever explain why he needs this info? Does not TiVo report all button presses back to the TiVo mothership?


It seems obvious to me. TiVo is evaluating their existing remote design to set the requirements for a new remote. They are trying to determine what buttons are unnecessary and/or what functions they can remove (if any) to make room for other functions.

If it were me, and I were charged with creating a new, backward-compatible TiVo remote, then I would take the current TiVo GLO remote layout and make the following changes:


Add RF capability with a USB dongle, like U-Verse did for their DVR. The remote would retain IR capability, but the TiVo would only respond to RF commands when the USB RF dongle is connected.

Remove the backlighting (to cut costs)

Depending on the cost savings, I might also remove the glossy finish.

Add the word "Delete" under the Clear button, much like the word "Last" is specified under the Enter button.

I find that many TiVo users are still surprised to learn that they can delete recordings with the CLEAR button.

 Add the word "Replay" on/below the replay button (this helps first-time DVR users).

Add the word "Skip" on/below the skip forward button (this helps first-time DVR users).

Add a "Mute with Closed Captions" mode

In this mode, the mute button would send a new IR code to mute the audio on the TiVo's analog/digital outputs *and* enable closed captions.

To set the TiVo to control mute with CC, press and hold the MUTE and THUMBS UP buttons until the red light blinks three times. To set the TV/Receiver to control mute, press and hold the MUTE and the THUMBS DOWN buttons until the red light blinks three times.

 Add a new "Remote" setting under Messages & Settings -> Settings. Under this Remote settings menu, add the options:

TiVo (tivo icon) button

- TiVo menu, two clicks for Now Playing List (default)
- Now Playing list, two clicks for TiVo menu

_This represents an alternative to a separate LIST button._

Skip (skip icon) button

- Default _<-- Not sure how to describe this with a word_
- 15sec skip
- 30sec skip
- 60sec skip
- 2min skip
- 3min skip
- 5min skip

 If TiVo plans to use the BCM7420 to add "no compromise" PIP support to a next-generation TiVo, then add the following three buttons to the bottom of the remote, surrounded by a rectangular border with the word PIP:

On/Off

 Size (toggles between two sizes and split screen)

 Swap (performs tuner swap and PIP swap)

These buttons need to "feel" very different from the 12 above. For example, TiVo might combine a recessed oval or rectangular area with shorter buttons, similar to Record on the standard TiVo remote.

If TiVo wants to reclaim an existing top button for a new function (ex: widget banner), then I think the most logical choice is the LiveTV button. TiVo could eliminate the LiveTV button, with the word "LiveTV" specified below the Guide button.

The tuner swap function could be moved to either the down arrow (as on existing DirecTiVo DVRs) or the select button.


----------



## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

bkdtv said:


> If TiVo really needs to reclaim an existing top button for a new function (ex: widget banner), then I think the most logical choice is the Guide button. To do that, TiVo could rename the existing LiveTV button to Guide, with the word "LiveTV" specified below. The existing Guide button could be renamed to whatever new function TiVo wants.


This won't work because the guide and LiveTV buttons do not perform the same function. If you remove the guide button there will be no way to bring the guide up while playing back recordings.

Also I don't think TiVo is completely redesigning the remote, they just want to see how often the aspect button is used. Setting the aspect is also available via the settings menu so if most people use the aspect button infrequently, it can simply be removed.

Personally I'd replace the aspect button with a close captioning toggle button.


----------



## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

morac said:


> This won't work because the guide and LiveTV buttons do not perform the same function. If you remove the guide button there will be no way to bring the guide up while playing back recordings.


I think you misinterpreted what I wrote. I said to move the Guide button to the current position of the LiveTV button, and list the LiveTV text below the Guide button. I clarified.



morac said:


> Personally I'd replace the aspect button with a close captioning toggle button.


No offense to the hearing impaired, but the vast majority of TV and DVR users never use the CC function. The CC function is already more accessible on the TiVo than on any other cable/satellite DVR I've seen. Roughly 2/3 of cable DVRs require you to turn off the box to enable CC through a hidden menu, and then force you turn it off again to disable CC.

If TiVo wants to better support hearing impaired customers, then it should implement a built-in mute function (using the mute button) that enables closed captions. I've updated my previous post to reflect this suggestion.


----------



## FrodoB (Jan 3, 2005)

bkdtv said:


> I think you misinterpreted what I wrote. I said to move the Guide button to current position of the LiveTV button, and list the LiveTV text below the Guide button. I clarified.


I'm still not sure, after the clarification, how that makes sense. The Guide button no longer takes you to LiveTV in a recorded program (at least on the Series 3 line); it simply overlays the Guide over top of the recorded program. How would you propose getting to LiveTV in this scenario? (If you had to press Down arrow or something like that to do the tuner swap, I would have no problem, especially if we could get a separate IR code for it so that my Harmony could have a soft-button for it.  )


----------



## fallingwater (Dec 29, 2007)

bkdtv said:


> It seems obvious to me. TiVo is evaluating their existing remote design to set the requirements for a new remote. They are trying to determine what buttons are unnecessary and/or what functions they can remove (if any) to make room for other functions.


If you're right, it seems obvious to me there's gonna' be an S4 next year. Of course TiVo's evaluation may lead them to conclude that; 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it!'


----------



## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

FrodoB said:


> I'm still not sure, after the clarification, how that makes sense. The Guide button no longer takes you to LiveTV in a recorded program (at least on the Series 3 line); it simply overlays the Guide over top of the recorded program. How would you propose getting to LiveTV in this scenario?


You'd select the channel from the guide? 

The Guide and LiveTV buttons don't perform the exact same function, so you have to give up something if you are going to eliminate LiveTV and settle for the Guide button. But so long as the tuner swap function is moved to another button (such as the down arrow, as on DirecTiVo DVRs), I think you give up the least with this change.

I'm not advocating this particular change. I'm just suggesting it as a solution if TiVo needs to free up a top-button for a new function.


----------



## FrodoB (Jan 3, 2005)

bkdtv said:


> The Guide and LiveTV buttons don't perform the exact same function, so you have to give up something if you are going to eliminate LiveTV and settle for the Guide button. But so long as the tuner swap function is moved to another button (such as the down arrow, as on DirecTiVo DVRs), I think you give up the least with this change.


Fair enough. I read the original statement and the clarification as implying that you'd get something for nothing this way. You're just saying that LiveTV is relatively unimportant as a 1-click button and selecting a channel from the guide is a potential replacement without adding too many clicks in order to free up a button. That makes sense to me.


----------



## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

The LiveTV button can go, as far as I'm concerned. :up:


----------



## aindik (Jan 23, 2002)

I use the LiveTV button all the time to switch between one live buffer and the other one.


----------



## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

ferrumpneuma said:


> Does the TiVo log all remote keystrokes?


TiVo has the _capability_ of logging all remote keystrokes, but logging is normally disabled on TiVo boxes. That's why the TiVo employees who post here request your TSN when you have a problem, so they can enable logging on your TiVo box.

Some things are logged all the time unless you specifically call and opt-out. That's how TiVo gets their statistics such as most watched programs, most instant replayed event, etc.


----------



## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

wmcbrine said:


> The LiveTV button can go, as far as I'm concerned. :up:


I use the LiveTV button way more often than I use the aspect button.

If TiVo wants to be clever they can have "programmable" buttons. The functionality for those button could be chosen via a settings menu. Make the aspect button "programmable" and then have a bunch of choices what it can do.

So, for example, if someone wants to use the Aspect button as a CC on/off button or as a PiP button they could do so.


----------



## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

morac said:


> I use the LiveTV button way more often than I use the aspect button.


I do too, but 95% of the time it is to swap tuners. If that function was provided elsewere, I'd have no need for it.

_Edit:

On second thought, I do see a problem with moving the tuner swap function. The most obvious alternatives for the swap function are up, down, and select. But the new "pause menu" renders all of those buttons useless. People like to pause and swap tuners, and now those buttons are limited to pause menu navigation.

This almost forces TiVo to keep the somewhat redundant LiveTV button, unless they add a new button (such as PIP Swap for integrated PIP capability) elsewhere to serve the same purpose._



morac said:


> If TiVo wants to be clever they can have "programmable" buttons. The functionality for those button could be chosen via a settings menu. Make the aspect button "programmable" and then have a bunch of choices what it can do.
> 
> So, for example, if someone wants to use the Aspect button as a CC on/off button or as a PiP button they could do so.


I agree too, although I only think this makes sense for certain buttons.

I don't know how TiVo will handle picture-in-guide with a next-generation DVR, but if they don't provide the settings option to automatically hide (black out) the picture window on recordings-in-progress, then I'd certainly want an easy way to disable/hide that window.


----------



## windsurfdog (May 1, 2009)

I'm stickin' with my Harmony One..."We don' need no stinkin' aspect button"


----------



## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

bkdtv said:


> I do too, but 95% of the time it is to swap tuners. If that function was provided elsewere, I'd have no need for it.


It is provided elsewhere, although not quite as straightforwardly: Info, Down, Select.

P.S. It's also possible to get Enter (in its "Last" alias mode) to do it. Tune to one channel, switch tuners, and select your second channel. Then enter the number of the first channel. It should switch by changing to the other tuner, rather than changing the current tuner's channel; after that, Enter will toggle between them.

I know all this because I normally use a universal remote that doesn't have a "LiveTV" button assigned.

P.P.S. When I say "enter the number", you don't necessarily have to type it; you could just as well use the guide. The important thing is to do it in one step, so you don't create a new "last" channel.


----------



## nrc (Nov 17, 1999)

They need to go old school and put tuner switch back on the down button where it belongs. Then I can go back to using my favorite S1 remote. 

Drifting off topic, but on the subject of remote functions, I'd love to see an option to always go to TiVo Central or Now Playing when the TV Power button is pressed. Right now I automatically use the spoiler-proofing sequence of TiVo Button then Power.


----------



## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

I've never used it. In fact, I never even mapped it to my universal remote. That's how useless it is to me. Feel free to use the button for something else more useful.


----------



## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

nrc said:


> *They need to go old school and put tuner switch back on the down button where it belongs.*


YES!!! Please!!! There was no good reason to take that away in the first place.


----------



## Ink Noise (Jan 11, 2005)

I use it all the time. Zoom is great for letterboxed 16:9 content broadcast on digital channels without an HD simulcast. Stretch works for content that I don't care about maintaining the aspect ratio but want to fill the screen to prevent any possible burn-in on my Plasma display.

One thing I wish the aspect ratio key did was to allow stretching for HD channels (for 4:3 programming on networks, or SD 16:9 framed programming). Also, if you could incorporate 'panorama' mode (where only the sides of a 4:3 picture gets stretched and the center remains in its proper aspect ratio), I'd be a very happy camper.

I haven't read through all the posts in this thread so I don't know if this has been addressed, but please do not remove the aspect button.


----------



## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

nrc said:


> They need to go old school and put tuner switch back on the down button where it belongs. Then I can go back to using my favorite S1 remote.





bareyb said:


> YES!!! Please!!! There was no good reason to take that away in the first place.


The most obvious alternatives for the swap function are up, down, and select. But the new "pause menu" renders all of those buttons useless. People like to pause and swap tuners, and now those buttons are limited to pause menu navigation. This almost forces TiVo to keep a mostly redundant LiveTV button, unless they add a new button elsewhere to serve the same purpose.

The implementation of the pause menu also makes it difficult for TiVo to implement other features, such as jump to timecode (select -> enter timecode), again because the select/up/down buttons are devoted to the pause menu.


----------



## spocko (Feb 4, 2009)

That's easy to fix. Just get rid of the pause menu. TiVo doesn't need to ask us what we think of that, they already know the answer. Oh wait, that's another thread, sorry. 

I have a 16:9 TV, use panel mode, and I rarely use the Aspect button. 

On the subject of the remote, I'd like the next gen Tivo to have a power button on the remote that disables live TV buffering and puts the box into some sort of low power state.


----------

