About Greg Evangelidis Expertise Home Theater Design, Construction, and Installation.
Control System / Home Automation Design, Installation, and Programming (Crestron, Control4). Distributed Audio and Video Design and Installation.
Experience Over 10 years as both a hobbyist and professional in the industry.
Education/Credentials Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology.
Associates of Science in Computer Science.
Question I have two Panasonic HDTV’s with DirecTV service. The pictures on both sets are raised off the bottom of the screen about a half an inch. I do not have the high def service. I have tried every aspect ratio on both sets to get rid of the gap. The only one that gets rid of the space is zoom, but that cuts off a lot of the picture. I called DirecTV but they keep saying to call Panasonic. The gap is a problem for me because the TVs are plasma and that line at the bottom is semi-visible when I watch blu-ray or play Playstation. The only adjustments on the DirecTV box are 4:3 and 16:9. I have tried every combination of aspect ratio and still have the half inch line at the bottom of the picture when watching TV. Any idea what is causing this, or what I should do?
Answer Jim:
As far as what is causing this, I am unsure as I have not come across this issue with a band across the bottom. I am assuming for some reason the vertical positioning for some reason is off a bit. Can you tell if the top of the image is actually being cut off? Most Panasonic Plasma TVs include a zoom adjust under the picture settings menu. This will allow you to adjust the amount of zoom both vertically and horizontally in order to fit your screen correctly when in zoom mode. I think that would be your best bet. The only other option that comes to mind is to have it serviced. Most flat panels have a service mode that allows for adjustments locked out to users, such as the position settings. This typically requires a special cable attached to a service port on the television... call Panasonic for assistance on this matter, especially if the TVs are under warranty.
