Troubleshooting
What is HDTV?
I cannot get a picture on HD channels. What could be wrong?
I am tuning to a listed HD channel on my TV, why don't I see the picture?
I am tuned to an HD channel and the picture is not displayed in full screen. What is
wrong?
The HD channel seems to take a long time to display. Is this normal?
How do I fix the picture colors?
Why is the aspect ratio of different programs inconsistent?
Why are there black or gray bars surrounding the picture?
How do I avoid screen burn- in?
Why does picture quality vary across different channels of HD programming? Some
programming appears to be "stretched."
What is 4:3, 16:9, widescreen, and pan-and-scan?
What is HDTV?
High-definition television (HDTV) is a high-resolution digital TV format. An HDTV
signal has twice the color resolution and imparts a picture that is six times sharper than
that provided by a traditional analog TV set. The HDTV signal can also carry enhanced
audio, such as Dolby Digital 5.1.
HDTVs must be capable of displaying at least 720 horizontal lines of resolution or
higher. The pixels in HDTV screens are square, smaller, and spaced more closely
together than standard-definition TVs.
HDTV screens are typically rectangular with an aspect ratio of 16:9 to support
widescreen content, compared with the 4:3 aspect ratio utilized by traditional analog TV
sets. However, there are some HDTVs that only have a 4:3 screen. Not all widescreen
broadcasts are high definition; DVD's, for example, can display widescreen formats even
though the content is 480i or 480p, which is not high-definition.
I have connected my HD digital set-top box and my HDTV set, and after double-
checking the connections, I still cannot get any picture on HD channels. What could be
wrong?
Make sure you have tuned to a HD channel available in your area.
Ensure connections are correct.
Have a Suddenlink customer support representative confirm that your account is properly
balanced and service is authorized on the account.
If you have a Scientific-Atlanta set-top box, make sure that your HDTV set has YPbPr
(as opposed to RGB) inputs - if your set has RGB inputs, you will need to obtain a
YPbPr-to-RGB adapter module and adapter cables from Suddenlink.
I am tuning to a HD channel on my TV - why don't I see the picture?
Make sure you are tuning to the channel through the HD-enabled set-top box and that you
are subscribed to the Suddenlink HD service.
I am tuned to a HD channel, however the picture is not displayed in full screen. What is
wrong?
Not every show currently broadcast by a HD station is in HD format. You can assume
that if you are getting a picture on the HD channel, then your equipment is functioning
properly. You may want to check your HD settings to "stretch" or "zoom" the picture to
fill the screen area.
When I tune to a HD channel, the picture seems to take a long time to display. Is this
normal?
Yes, it may take up to five seconds for a HD picture to first display. This occurs because
there are many more pixels to be created, thus, more time is required.
I have connected my HD set-top box to my HDTV set, and although I am getting a clear
picture, the colors are not right.
Check that your component video cables are connected correctly. Make sure the Y is
connected to Y, Pb is connected to Pb, and Pr is connected to Pr. Crossing these cables
will mix up the picture colors.
Make sure the connections are secure; that the RCA plugs are pushed completely into the
ports
Adjust the convergence and luminance settings on your television set.
Adjust the color, contrast, brightness, and tint.
Why is the aspect ratio of different programs inconsistent?
Roughly half of prime time TV programs of the major networks is available in the (16:9)
HD format. The other half is broadcast in the standard 4:3 format.
The aspect ratio of the content is controlled by the content providers, including HBO and
Showtime. You can go to the HBO website at www.hbo.com or the Showtime website at
http://www.sho.com/ and see which programming is released in the 16:9 HDTV format.
Whether the HD signal is in the 4:3 or 16:9 format, the HD picture quality will still be
better than an analog or standard digital signal. The reason is that up to five times more
information, or data, can be displayed with the HD broadcast than with the standard
digital broadcast, regardless of the aspect ratio.
Why are there black or gray bars surrounding the picture?
When a standard-definition (4:3 aspect ratio) program is viewed on a widescreen (16:9
aspect ratio) HDTV, the HDTV centers the image on the screen with black or gray bars
on either side (known as sidebars).
Widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) content on a 4:3 aspect ratio HDTV will typically have
black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. This is called letterboxing.
How do I avoid burn- in?
Viewing standard-definition (4:3 aspect ratio) programming on a widescreen (16:9 aspect
ratio) HDTV - - resulting in sidebars - - over very long periods of time may prevent your
HDTV from displaying colors evenly across the screen. Similarly, constant viewing of
16:9 widescreen content on a 4:3 aspect ratio HDTV - - resulting in letterbox bars - - can
cause the same problem.
Burn- in affects direct-view CRT or plasma flat-panel and CRT-based rear-projection TV
displays and usually is not covered by the warranty.
To avoid burn-in, use the "stretch" and "zoom" HD settings to fill the TV screen area
with the image. In some cases you can substitute gray bars for black bars to minimize
burn in. You can also try turning contrast down to 50 percent or lower.
Burn- in does not affect LCD, DLP, or LCoS TVs.
Why does picture quality vary across different channels of HD programming? Some
programming even appears to be "stretched."
The picture quality of the HD programming you receive is determined by the content
provider. If you are receiving video on an HD channel, you should assume that your HD
service is functioning properly.
What is 4:3, 16:9, widescreen, and pan-and-scan?
The 4:3 aspect ratio is the shape of the standard television monitor: squarish. The 16:9
aspect ratio is the is the shape of most HDTV monitors: rectangular. HDTVs have been
manufactured in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios.
Widescreen is a term used for the 16:9 aspect ratio. Most HDTV sets are easy to identify
because of their widescreens.
Pan-and-scan is a Hollywood technique for creating 4:3 content from a 16:9 master by
selectively cropping the rectangular image (16:9) into the squared (4:3) format.