Hooked up a new HDTV...

I have seen those, at best buy and walmart, and the like. So that is a one-cable option for a hookup? I currently have 3 and 2, and so I think you were saying it's the three outlet one that may not be made for this. That's quite likely.

But then this one cable will replace all 5? Or just the 3 for picture?

I'll drive you nuts, now: the three-outlet cable is actually plugged into the side of the t.v. It was the way it was hooked up for me, I should say. When the horrors of this week are over, and I'm enjoying Thanksgiving weekend, I will definitely get on this.

AFTER black Friday, if I need the new cable.

Yes, HDMI carries both picture and audio. At least get one for your DVD player, but don't get it at Mallwart, or Best Buy, they charge 10x as much as www,monoprice.com. They are quick, and cheap, and reliable quality.

If the "3 and 2" is three component video, and two audio, coming from your cable box to your TV, you should be getting HD. You can replace those with HDMI, if you like, but it is not really necessary. It is odd that the plugs are on the side of the TV - unless you have a flat screen? I think you do - so, if the plugs were on the back, you couldn't mount it flat to the wall. But, I would expect them to be on the bottom of the TV.

I could scroll back in that thread and look, but I'll just look it over with someone another day.

I just keep wondering how this could happen, if it's a hookup problem:

We get two primary HBO channels. One is HD, the older one is not HD. When I'm watching t.v. or a DVR recording of a show on their HD channel there are no problems. It fills the screen automatically.

If I watch the same show on their original channel, it's back to this problem. So somehow the cables are transmitting one kind of signal with no problem, and the other kind it's not going to fit right? Or is the HD HBO channel actually not coming through normally, it just looks like it to my untrained eye?

HD channels should fill the screen. SD channels leave black bars on the sides, that is normal. SD channels are in a 4x3 aspect ratio, and HD channels are in a 16x9 aspect ratio.

If a letterboxed film is shown on a SD channel, and there are black bars on all four sides, you should be able to zoom the picture to fill the screen, and eliminate the black bars. The exception is, if the film in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, you should still see thinner black bars top and bottom, but not on the sides.

Most TVs have other screen size settings, so that you can stretch a 4x3 picture to fill a screen, or stretch a 2.35:1 picture to fill a screen. Those both distort the picture, of course, but some people just can't stand black bars.

Sindatur said:

fisheggs said:

And Sindatur. Hows it going?

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Haven't had a chance to do anything, will see this weekend.

Mine's a 32", and the only place I have side bars is "Normal" setting, which is 4/3. All the other setting are full screen across, and sometimes bars across the top and bottom for widescreen. First step is probably calling to check out getting an HD Cable Box from Cable Company (Don't know if there's a bigger charge even)

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Hope that worked out for you, Sindatur.