How do I How do I get a high Def picture. I have a direct tv box. The only picture I get is 480P

It looks like you are saying standard definition pictures do not cover the screen like HD pictures do. Standard def is formatted 4:3 and high def is 16:9. They are not the same so your high def screen is made to display the not as tall but wider high def picture. In order to fill the screen with the taller and not as wide 4:3 aspect ratio std def picture you must tell the TV to stretch the picture or otherwise fill the screen.The TV will have controls you can exercise for this purpose and you can set it up to always show std def in a particular manner. The alternative, if you want the standard Def picture to look true to form, is to view standard def in Letter Box form. It's appearance will then include black panels on the sides of the picture. So the problem is not with the TV but in accepting older format pictures playing on newer format displays (TVs.)

This actually common I worked in electronics for 13 years. Did they tell you that it has to be hooked up to an High Definition source. A digital cable or Sattelite reciever does not mean its HD also using Coaxle cableor composite(yellow,red,white) will not produce a good picture. You need HDMI or Component(RED,Blue,Green for video and red white for audio) to get a high def pic. Also not all station are broadcast in high def. One other thing is even if you have a High Def reciever you need to go into the menu of the reciever where it says display and and make sure its set for 1080i or maybe 1080p(most dont have this option yet) If you are using a normal DVD player and use the yellow red and white once again picture will be poor. Need to use Component or hdmi and again with component you need to set DVD to either 480p and if its upconvert to 1080p

do u have a hd box, because if you dont then your tv is not going to project the look that you want. and another thing is that is that if you have basic cable then you will not have the desire look you want. another you can do is check with your cable company and ask them what are your high def channels and then once you turn to them channels your tv should look clear as water lol. but not all channels are high def. and most lcd flat screen tv come preset so when you turn to a high def channel it will say at the top 108pi or 1080p or 4080i or p but its depending on ur service provider

component cables have standard RCA fitting on the end. you can however but adapters enc to RCA. these work well are are readily available through eBay

Make sure your using a cable box that is compatible with a high def tv, if your tuning a high def channel and your converter does not support high def, it will only play the sound, no vidio at all.

ok the problem might not be with your receiver it is with your direct tv settings. Double check to make sure you go to the format and set it up to be fixed or 1080i whichever will give you the highest resolution. Check your manual for the direct tv receiver. If this is all correct for the DTV then you must go into the setup on the receiver and at hardware icon toward bottom check on that box, now goto the hdmi settings and make sure it is set to through. this will allow the best picture with no upscaling which will degregade picture for blu ray. so your direct tv will be only 1080i but very impressive. if you still want to upscale you can then you have to change the hdmi settings from before to upscale 1080p . I just hope that your dtv can output 1080i it will give a better picture than 480p even if both are upscaled to 1080p
Oh i forgot to ask if you are connected through hdmi to the tv. Hdmi is the only option for upscaling

Go into menu on cable remote and open up 480p,480i,720 and 1080 . I think on some of those 1080HD only works on one of the two component inputs. The other is only rated for 720. Usually it has this info on set at input. Hope these suggestions are helpful.

Hi.

Your friend is wrong you will get same resolution of 1080i whether you use component or Hdmi.
But you will need a high def input to tv in order to get this resolution EG high def cable box or satellite.
http://dysonmanuals.llc.nu/

Sorry, no high-definition 1080 I........if you have RGB component
video input on your TV the best you can do is 480P or I from
component out on back of DVD..............T.

put the xbox settings on hidef dur