Turner Classic Movie (TCM) Picture Size Cropped

[north1457]

To all who are having this problem please file a complaint with Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services. www.ccts-cprst.ca. 

[ensmain]

Back to appropriate format this afternoon, in the middle of Johnny Eager.

[#3]

I originally created this thread back in the beginning of April.

Here is some info that may help someone help me 🙂

I live on Vancouver-island, and receive TCM on channel 35.  I have been watching TCM on shaw since 2016.

For me 9x16 movies were always cropped.

The 4x3 movies were OK.

Then 4x3 movies were cropped for a few month (which is when I posted my question).

Then for no reason the 4x3 were no longer cropped - 9x16 were still cropped.

Well, today, the 4x3 movies are cropped again.

I've been reading other viewers posts.  I notice that some viewers are claiming that the 9x16 movie were never cropped on their end, but recently is being cropped.  Wow!  I have never experienced that,  I'm pretty sure I've been paying for the same service 🙂  If you care, could you please list out the city you live in and the channel you're receiving TCM.  I wonder if this issue is related to the viewer's geographical location.

Some of the viewers on this thread are pretty knowledgeable, I wonder if someone can offer a theory as to what is going on.

As for me, I'm pretty sure I'll stop paying for this service soon...I'm sad about it, because I love TCM...but currently it is not viewable. 

I also think, the slow response to this issue, may not necessarily be the fault of the shaw representatives - I just wish they were able to compile our various comments into a problem that can be addressed by shaw.  May be they just don't have enough technical information to follow this issue up?

Thanks in advance.

[ensmain]

My mistake, 4x3 is cropped.

[#5]

It's happening to me right now on my Gateway system. A smaller square box inside the 4x3 area. It was fine on a recording (4x3) last night and on other recordings recently. 

[lockebryant]

Was watching that movie earlier. My screen went black in the middle of it. Sound still came through but no image. Not sure what’s happening now, had to go to work. Shaw never got back to me today as they said they would. I guess I will switch to Telus tomorrow. Good luck folks.

[romany]

Glad to report TCM HD and TCM Standard definition is fixed on Shaw Direct.
Both channels are displaying there proper format and the gorgeous HD is back on TCM HD.
Watching some really stunning Classic movies in HD again, many thanks Shaw. 

Shaw Cable might need a day or two to put through the fix.

I believe the issue was that TCM HD was sending Shaw a standard definition picture

that was suppose to be an HD format and that caused the aspect ratio to get messed up.

Plus no HD picture quality.

Searching through other forums mostly in the States this was not the first time that this issue with TCM  has come up.

They show great classic restored HD movies, but offer no technical support over there live broadcast.

Baba a little more info on your TV set up would be helpful.

Are there two channels of TCM  on your Shaw Cable channels like my  Shaw Direct (Satellite)

a HD and Standard definition channel ?

Your cable box will have will have a option in the menu for video settings.

Look for the how to display 4:3 programming ,you want it display 4:3 or normal,

it might give you an option to zoom in or stretch, your TV might have the same options too in its menu.

You need to make sure there both set up to display play 4:3 as normal.

Good luck

[north1457]

Finally back to normal, hopefully Shaw's technical people will start to practice quality control by checking off air feeds of their channels to be sure that they are receiving / sending the proper signals. Also that customer service learns from this, the old phrase "the customer is always right", most times, and being lied to by their chat and phone people is not acceptable. Thanks to the one who fixed this.

[#9]

Not back to normal in TCM SD. It was bad for the past 18 hours and right now. Small square in center of 4:3 picture. I don't have access to TCM HD. It's almost like when they fix HD they mess up SD, and vice versa. They should offer HD to everyone.

[catcol]

I agree, the problem is fixed, no more cropping of anything and movie aspect ratios are preserved. Things are back to they way they were pre April 2019.

andyk- I watch in SD too.  Not perfect but acceptable. Way better than the last two months with all that cropping and distorted aspect ratios. Just use the TV zoom to make the picture larger for real time and recordings. This will preserve the correct aspect ratio.