Want to learn how to use the Support Forums?
Read the forum guidelines
After having to exchange my contour 2 recording box, a lot of commercials and moves are no longer showing full screen like they used to. Is cox no longer sending a 1080p signal which I have it set to? I have changed nothing on Sony TV (would not think a new Contour box would do anything with TV settings) and the device setting on Cox is set to default the set up selected as 1080p.
OldBob2 said:if I connect to another HDMI source
Another HDMI source, such as a Blu-ray player? You connected another video source and got the same letter-boxing (top/bottom black bars)? This means your TV is altering the aspect ratio. Unless you meant you connected Contour to another HDMI port on your TV. Perhaps swap the HDMI cable.
There is no "Reset" on Contour. Did you Restart or Refresh?
"Prefer Best Available Resolution" is the number of horizontal and vertical pixels on a screen. This should be "On."
Cox didn't go 720p. The networks decide the format of their programming. Some networks are SD, 720p or 1080i. Contour "de-interlaces" 1080i to 1080p. If it's an HD program, however, the aspect ratio is 16:9.
Commercials don't letter-box...unless they're being crafty to get your attention. I haven't seen this, yet.
I think the issue is with your TV. Check its setting for Closed Caption or Extended Data Services (XDS) being enabled. Again, try another HDMI cable.
What's the make/model of your TV?
Changing my HDMI source was to try a different HDMI port on the TV.. We did replace the cable too. "Prefer Best Available Resolution" was off and now is on. Thank you for clarifying the 720 1080I issue for me. It seems now this panoramic (black bars on top and bottom) are on movies on HBO channels and Netflix. With my old box I did sometimes have this panoramic view but now it is all the time on these movies and I have not changed any setting on my TV. Puzzling.. I have a Sony Bravia TV about years old..beautiful picture..changed the hdmi cord and it is the same..and closed caption is off...cant find the XDS setting you mentioned to check