Why doesn't the picture take up the whole screen on certain channels/programs?

The program you are watching may not be in HD. Programs that are not broadcasted in HD on an HD channel will typically show black bars on both the left and right side of the screen. This allows the picture to be shown in standard format.

The aspect ratio setting of your HDTV or HD Sparklight receiver may be incorrect. Verify the HD settings are set to optimal on both the HD receiver and your HDTV.

To determine if it is your Sparklight receiver, please do the following:

Step 1: Power off the DVR (leaving the TV on).

Step 2: Press the MENU button on the remote.

Step 3: Changing the TV Type, YP bPr output, and 4:3 override settings will change HDTV settings.

Note: If your TV is not a widescreen TV, programs in a widescreen format will typically have black bars on the top and bottom in order for the widescreen picture to display correctly.