Panny plasma Vs Comcast HDTV, HELP



Hey folks. Need some help here

I got myself a Panasonic 42in plasma, model # TH-42PD50U
I have 2 ways i have been trying to watch the TV

Currently, i have the HD box set up passing HD through the component (comcast HD boxes DO pass 1080I through component)to the plasma. Also, i have the COAX from the HD box connected to the COAX input on the Plasma.

When watching the source through the COAX input, i am unable to get the HD (as expected). When watching standard definition programming i can use the aspect button to switch from Full, Just, 4:3, and ZOOM to find the best way to view the program. on the 4:3 there are grey bars on the sides, and the other 3 methods will stretch the pic in different ways so i can select which is the most desireable.
However, NONE of the menu's will be displayed, i cannot get the channel guide to show up through the COAX input.

When watching the source through COMPONENT, i am able to recieve 1080I signals, everything looks crisp and lush, however, on standard definition channels the picture is broadcast 4:3 aspect to the TV. This results in the black bars on the left and right side.
The TV has an ASPECT button, however, when watching through COMPONENT the ASPECT button DOES NOT WORK. The TV will not go into Zoom, Full, Just, or 4:3 mode.
When watching the HD channels it WILL go 16:9, the 4:3 HD signals will show the grey bars on the side, or some wierd moving pattern with channel logo's and stuff depending on the channel. When watching 16:9 aspect the entire screen is used and works as it should, and i should also add, it looks SPECTACULAR. The channel guide and menu's from the cable box WILL show up.
The biggest pain in the ass is that the SD WILL NOT fill the whole screen, and the ASPECT controls do not work, meaning that if i get a wide-screen movie on demand, then i have black bars on the TOP, BOTTOM, LEFT, AND RIGHT of the screen!!!

So, as a work around, when i am watching an HD channel i watch through the component, and when watching SD i watch through the coax so i can use the aspect mode to fill the screen. When searching the channel guide i have to flip back to the COMPONENT input

My buddy has a Panasonic CRT HDTV with the same box, he uses the HDMI and his TV will broadcast widescreen in widescreen, and his Aspect control WORKS with the SD. He doesent seem to have this problem.

Does anyone have this TV? Have you used it with HDMI?
Im thinking that i might need an HDMI-to-DVI cable in order to be able to use the ASPECT button with the SD in order to fill the screen.

Ugh, i hope this isnt too confusing, but it is complicated to explain.

Basically

Watching from COMPONENT
ASPECT button WILL NOT WORK, SD is broadcast with black bars, without the use of the Aspect i fear i might get burn-in.
The cable guide DOES DISPLAY

Watching from COAX
ASPECT button DOES work, HD does not, and the channel guide DOES NOT SHOW UP.

Is there any way i can have my cake and eat it too? Should i get the HDMI cable? I really dont want to blow another 100 bucks just to find out that doesent work either.

Ugh... why cant i just have 1 input that will show the cable guide, have full use of the aspect button, and get HD?

ALSO, My denon 2900 connects to the Denon 3805 via COMPONENT, then to the TV via component, the aspect does NOT work with the DVD player either.... im starting to think the aspect function will work with coax but NOT COMPONENT, maybe it will work with HDMI?
slappy
Cinematic, im sure sooner or later even a bright guy like yourself will figure out why you have no friends.

I know it is ED. christ. that was never the point. I dont know what kind of psycholigical blind spot you have, but you are one irritating person.

Let me break this down so that even a 6 year old can understand....

My roomates CRT panasonic accepts a constant 1080i signal from comcast, -ALL- broadcasting is send over as 1080I. When he flips to an SD channel, it is still sent over a 1080I signal, even though it is only SD Quality. His TV can still stretch out 1080i, which gives him the ability to watch SD quality programs over 1080i, and while he CAN watch it with the bars, he can also zoom and stretch etc.

MY TV, set to the SAME type of box, ALSO accepts 1080I signals, but downconvers to 480p. When i recieve 1080i all the aspect controls are gone.

That is where the difference lies, because my buddys TV retains the aspect controls. probably just some type of logic processor or something that can figure it out, or maybe as the HD box sends it out over 1080i it sends a flag to mark it as SD so his tv enables the aspect controls. That is just a guess, i really dont care how his TV lets him watch SD quality over 1080i and allows him to use aspect.

this has nothing to do with filling where there is no information, this has to do with zoom/stretch features, basically, it expands the pixel from 1, to 2, or 3. thats it. Saying you cannot stretch or zoom a HD signal? that is absolutly retarded. Sure, mine cannot, but the concept of being able to is sound and solid, it works the same was as a digital zoom on a digital camera, it is just slightly more sophisticated. And THAT is the POINT of aspect controls, to fill the screen where no information is being sent.

Either way, the FIX was not in the tv, it was a HIDDEN menu on the COMCAST BOX that you cannot access while the comcast box is turned ON, it can only be access by hitting menu when the box is OFF, and it takes you to a menu that is not otherwise available. All i needed to know was where the hell that freakin menu was hidden, and presto i had it.

The problem here, is my set is not designed to stretch SD broadcast over 1080I, and his is. Plain and simple.

It had --nothing-- to do with an inability to correctly set up the TV, the TV was correctly set up, it is the fact that there was no literature with the comcast box that showed where the hidden menu was located. In FACT, i talked with 3 different Comcast service reps before one of them knew that there was a hidden menu.

So once again cinematic, you are unable to grasp the concept of the question, you run off some other unrelated concept and pat yourself on the back for being such a smart guy. The entire question was obviously over your head.
Well, enjoy it, i certainly dont see anybody else sitting here patting you on the back, if anything, i see people getting tired of your arrogance.

But let me just get this one thing straight, according to you, you cannot stretch/zoom an 1080i signal. So everyone with Comcast digital cable needs to use 2 seperate video inputs? They cannot watch HD then flip to an SD broadcast which is send over a 1080i singal and have aspect controls?
Because guess what? Comcast HDbox ONLY sends 1080i over component if you have 1080I setup, it will NOT send 1080i and later on send 720p or 480p or 480i. it simply sends the highest resolution, which is the resolution you select on the hidden menu, and it will send SD quality over 1080i

I verified this myself a few days back when i had my buddy put on an SD station and checked the TV's OSD which said it was recieving 1080i... even tho it was only sd quality... and guess what? HIS FREAKIN ASPECT CONTROLS WORKED>

So nice try, too bad, so sad. Why dont you go do some research before you start running your mouth.

moron.
Slappy, I am glad you perhaps shoved him off of his soap-box...or maybe his mom wont let him on the computer anymore, anyway happy HD, music and peace.
You guys are quite a crew,

So none of you understood my posts? That's brilliant, I had two goner's read my posts and they understood. But they have +100 IQ's so maybe it was an unfair sampling.

I did make one mistake I forgot a question mark after Panasonic because Desilva had the manual, I wanted to know. I didn't know if they removed this feature, but on older Panasonics it was there on the 42 HD's.

But if you read my post you'll see that your final explanation is regurgitating back to me what I already told you. But I'm the Moron?
How do you respond to someone who is incapable of understanding what you write.

Clearly I made every attempt to talk as far down to you as I could but I simply need to find an 89 to translate what i'm saying.

As for my friends, let me add I don't have any "stupid" friends. Clearly this is why we don't get along.

"That is where the difference lies, because my buddys TV retains the aspect controls. probably just some type of logic processor or something that can figure it out, or maybe as the HD box sends it out over 1080i it sends a flag to mark it as SD so his tv enables the aspect controls. That is just a guess, i really dont care how his TV lets him watch SD quality over 1080i and allows him to use aspect."

I've explained this to you twice, when are you going to read and have it sink in?

"Either way, the FIX was not in the tv, it was a HIDDEN menu on the COMCAST BOX that you cannot access while the comcast box is turned ON, it can only be access by hitting menu when the box is OFF, and it takes you to a menu that is not otherwise available. All i needed to know was where the hell that freakin menu was hidden, and presto i had it."

Never said the fix was in the TV, you said you wanted your cake an eat it, which was aspect controls with 1080i input. So now you have a 480p input not HD, so I'm still blaming the user as the biggest problem.

"But let me just get this one thing straight, according to you, you cannot stretch/zoom an 1080i signal. So everyone with Comcast digital cable needs to use 2 seperate video inputs? They cannot watch HD then flip to an SD broadcast which is send over a 1080i singal and have aspect controls?"

Never said that, must have been someone else.

"Because guess what? Comcast HDbox ONLY sends 1080i over component if you have 1080I setup, it will NOT send 1080i and later on send 720p or 480p or 480i. it simply sends the highest resolution, which is the resolution you select on the hidden menu, and it will send SD quality over 1080i"

Let me clarify your comments on your cables system that is the case, But that was never in dispute.

"So once again cinematic, you are unable to grasp the concept of the question, you run off some other unrelated concept and pat yourself on the back for being such a smart guy. The entire question was obviously over your head."

Slappy if life was simple you'd be a role model.
Cinematic states:

1.
"So none of you understood my posts? That's brilliant, I had two goner's read my posts and they understood. But they have +100 IQ's so maybe it was an unfair sampling."

2.
"I've explained this to you twice, when are you going to read and have it sink in?"

3.
"As for my friends, let me add I don't have any "stupid" friends.-

4.
"Slappy if life was simple you'd be a role model."

Cinematic: If you talk to everyone the way you address us, then I'd have to challenge you on #3.