TV programming on a Dish Network satellite TV system enables you to watch programs in various screen sizes depending on the display. If you wish to view a movie that was captured using a widescreen cinema format or watch SD content on an HDTV, this is quite possible via Dish Network satellite receiver and the screen size can be altered easily. Below are the steps that will help to make the necessary changes to the screen size on a Dish Network satellite TV.
Determine your Television Set’s native resolution
There are certain guidelines that one has to follow before deciding on which screen size to set on the Dish Network receiver and one of them is to assess what resolution your television is compatible with. Most new HDTVs come with a native resolution of 1920 X 1080 pixels, or 1080p. Some of the earlier HDTV models can be limited to a native resolution of 720p or 1080i. Standard definition CRT TVs and the first-generation flat screen TVs often have a native resolution of 480i.
Configuring your Dish receiver to output the native resolution of your TV allows you to view the picture in its best quality. So, if you are going to adjust the screen size of your television, it is best to refer to the TV manual or the settings to determine the television’s native resolution.
Proceed to the Aspect Ratio Settings
As for aspect ratios, they define the screen size and dimensions that the video content will be displayed in. Entertainment such as TV programs and movies are shot in different aspect ratios depending on the intended presentation and theater screens.
In order to alter the screen size on a Dish Network receiver, there is a need to adjust the aspect ratio. The exact sequence of access to these settings may differ depending on the model of your receiver, but as a rule, you press the Menu button on the remote control, go to the Settings section, Display or Video, and select the Aspect Ratio option.
Choose the Aspect Ratio
In the Aspect Ratio settings menu, you’ll find options indicating the current dimensions of the screen. Common aspect ratios you’ll see include:
- 16:9 - This is the aspect ratio used with most HDTV programs and newer movies. This will make your widescreen movies and programs fill the entire width of your HDTV screen by setting your receiver to 16:9. For standard definition 4:3 material there can be horizontal black stripes on the top and at the bottom of the image.
- 480i or 480p - These standard definition screen settings are used to display 4:3 contents without distortion at all. Blank stripes will appear at the left and right edges of widescreen 16:9 materials.
- Stretch – This setting adjusts the aspect ratio of 4:3 standard definition content to fit a 16:9 wide screen. Distortion may be seen where the images appear enlarged or widened in some way.
- Stretch - Zoom slightly changes the aspect ratio of the content it displays, cropping the top and bottom more to fill more of a 16:9 screen than it does with the Stretch option.
- Gray Bars - Presents regular 4:3 images in the middle of a 16:9 screen with gray thick margins instead of black bars.
Experiment with different aspect ratio settings while watching both the standard and high-definition channels to determine which display mode is most appropriate for the television. Using the 16:9 Widescreen is advised most of the time to display the content in its original format if any. You can toggle through various options such as Zoom and Gray Bars to minimize the appearance of black bars on SD channels.
Adjust Video Resolution
Aside from aspect ratio, there are other video output resolutions in your Dish receiver that can enhance the quality and size display on your television. As with the TV’s native resolution, it helps to match the receiver’s output resolution to avoid video needing up conversion that could decrease its quality.
In order to change video resolution, go to the settings menu on your Dish receiver, go to Display/Video and then select TV resolution. Standard options you are likely to encounter are 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i or 1080p. Select the display mode that corresponds to the native resolution of your television as you determined it above.
Set up the screen formatting for each of the programs that will be employed in the project.
If you discover that some of the SD programs are still not well displayed even after managing the aspect ratio and the video resolution, it is advisable to consult the Dish Network receivers in that they have a screen formatting option for certain channels.
To access the Screen Format menu, go to the specific program and press the * button. You can then choose Stretch, Zoom, Partial Zoom, Horizontal Stretch or Vertical Stretch to make programs open as desired. This will not impact other channels.
Change Settings for Shared TVs
If you have more than one Dish Network receiver in your house, you should change the screen size settings when moving between rooms. It is recommended that aspect ratio, resolutions, zoom modes and screen formatting options should be set according to the television.
Just remember that you will have to switch these options again if you are going back to another TV. Instead of this, consider including HD receivers in other rooms so that programmes are correctly displayed on all the sets.
Troubleshooting Screen Size Issues
In case other choices like resolution, aspect ratio, zooming modes and other options for size adjustments do not solve discomforting picture twisting or black bar problems then try to restore all the settings to its default. There is a possibility of a display setting issue, which leads to issues with the right screen sizes. Resetting clears options like the aspect ratio and the resolution to the default settings.
Also make sure the physical A/V connections of your receiver is not improperly connected or have dirty contacts as cables may slip off. The following measures should be taken if screen display problems still persist after the above measures When contacting Dish support, investigate other issues that may hinder correct formatting of content on the screen. You must be ready to explain all the actions you took for trouble-shooting as well as any strange occurrences you noticed while watching programmes.
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