Indecisive Screen Mode

[Si Hunt]

This is a telly question, which I thought I'd ask as it seems likely others may have experienced similar.

The new box (Sony Bravia) has various screen modes: 4:3, 14:9, Wide, Zoom, Smart etc. but quite often on some DVD's (but not others, seems to be modern ones, films etc. which are in Widescreen) the TV can't seem to decide what mode it should be in, and takes it upon itself to change it accordingly. So if you set it to Wide, every few minutes it flicks it into a different mode, and then back again. It's a little disconcerting when you are watching something.

Is there some way I can force it to stay in whatever mode I put it in?

Si.

[Lissa]

I've got a Sony Bravia and it's never done that. It will occasionally show me the display settings (not the menu - the white text on black background info) but hasn't yet changed anything without me commanding it. The only things I can think of which would do this are (a) something in your house uses a signal which the TV is misinterpreting as you pressing the display button, (b) something else that is connected to your TV by SCART is sending "wake up" messages that are being misunderstood or (c) that it has a setting which automatically adjusts the screen size and DVDs which don't fit into the 4:3/16:9 category confuse it. I've no idea where this would be (if it exists) as I've never had the problem. What type of Bravia have you got?

Your other alternative - if you can - would be to upscale your DVDs through an HDMI lead. If your Bravia is like my Bravia then HDMI upscaled pictures can only be seen in Wide format. The button doesn't work to change it.

[Si Hunt]

something else that is connected to your TV by SCART is sending "wake up" messages that are being misunderstood

Nothing that I can think of. Interestingly, Dad's TV frequently does it too. The telly is a 40" Sony Bravia.

Si.