When the aspect ratio of the program you are watching does not match the aspect ratio of your TV, changing the aspect correction mode of the TiVo DVR might improve your viewing experience. To do this, press the Aspect or Zoom button on the TiVo remote until you see the results you want.
The aspect ratio of a TV picture is the relationship between the width and height of the image. Standard definition TV screens have a 4:3 aspect ratio; most HDTVs have a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.
Changing Aspect Ratio is not applicable to programs or recordings that are displayed in HD.
You can also change the aspect correction mode from the Video Settings menu:
Devices on TiVo Experience 3 (software version: 20.x. or earlier):
| TiVo Series | Menu Path from TiVo Central |
TiVo BOLT
Tivo Roamio | Settings & Messages > Audio & Video Settings > Aspect Correction Mode |
| TiVo Premiere | Settings & Messages > Settings > Video > Aspect Correction Mode |
| Series 3 and earlier DVRs | Messages & Settings > Settings > Video > Aspect Correction Mode |
Devices on TiVo Experience 4 (software version: 21.x.):
| TiVo Series | Menu Path from Home |
TiVo EDGE
TiVo BOLT
TiVo Roamio | Menu > Settings > Audio & Video Settings > Aspect Correction Mode |
You can choose one of the following modes:
Panel
Panel adds letterbox bars or sidebars to the picture to fill the screen, preserving the program's original aspect ratio. This mode is useful if you are watching a program that broadcast in 4:3 on a 16:9 TV, or the reverse. If the program already includes letterbox bars or sidebars these will still appear in Panel mode. The default color of the TiVo bars is gray, to make it easier for you to distinguish between these and the bars that are included in the program; but you can change them to black.
For instructions, see How to Change the Letterbox and Sidebar Color on Your TiVo Device.
Zoom
Zoom stretches the picture without distortion. The DVR crops the edges of the picture to fit the TV screen. This mode is useful if you are watching a program in widescreen format on a 4:3 TV screen and you do not want to see letterbox bars or sidebars. However, some broadcasts include a letterbox in the video stream that the DVR might not be able to crop in Zoom mode.
Full
Full stretches the picture to fill the entire TV screen without adding letterbox bars or sidebars. This may make the image look somewhat distorted. If the program itself includes letterbox bars or sidebars, these will still appear in Full mode.
