Flickering Tiny Green "Square" at Bottom of Screen...What is This?

[IntelliVolume]

My Samsung UHD panel -- purchased just a few weeks ago and which came out as a brand-new 2018 model -- exhibits a weird green little "pulsating" or "flickering" square in the bottom right corner on CERTAIN cable channels only...it's the weirdest thing. It DOESN'T happen on high-def stations that show the cable news or on the HD HBO channels, just on standard-def HBO channels and some others (that I believe are standard-def)…

Sometimes the square changes from green to a purplish-red.

Is this a "broken pixel" in my panel, or something else? I don't see it on any other source than the cable box (which is connected to the Samsung via HDMI for 1080i output) and it only occurs on certain channels.

I don't think this is "garbage" at the edges of the screen that you'd see when overscanning is off, because overscan is ON (Samsung calls it "Fit to Screen").

What is this?

[IntelliVolume]

I just found THIS online:

If your not seeing it on other inputs its likely to be generated from the cable or satellite box you are using

No large boxes like this are usually boes generated for closed caption so pick up the remote to the cable or satellite box and press anything with CC or TEXT or subtitles on and see if the box disappears (green box may be closed caption when its not supported)

when I Googled the symptom; does anyone concur that this could be a CC/subtitle anomaly coming from my box?

The green square I see on the screen ISN'T large though, it's small...

[IntelliVolume]

Something I wanted to mention/add:

I DIDN'T see this box on my previous display -- a Sony SXRD rear projection set -- using the SAME HD cable box...

[chip75]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

My Samsung UHD panel -- purchased just a few weeks ago and which came out as a brand-new 2018 model -- exhibits a weird green little "pulsating" or "flickering" square in the bottom right corner on CERTAIN cable channels only...it's the weirdest thing. It DOESN'T happen on high-def stations that show the cable news or on the HD HBO channels, just on standard-def HBO channels and some others (that I believe are standard-def)…

I still think it's a product of the channels themselves. If it was the screen then it would appear with your other inputs. But there are things you can test.

You can change the set-top box to another HDMI input and see if you get the same results.
You can run test patterns to see if there's any screen issues.
You can try a different HDMI cable.

Is Fit-to-screen the picture size you're using? It's set to Off?

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by chip75

I still think it's a product of the channels themselves.

LOL, hi Chip....again, I didn't ask you this in our Samsung discussion because I didn't want to bother you with it (we had so many other topics going on)…

The thing is, if this IS a product of the channels themselves, why didn't I see it on the last TV?

If it was the screen then it would appear with your other inputs.

Agreed...

You can change the set-top box to another HDMI input and see if you get the same results.
You can run test patterns to see if there's any screen issues.
You can try a different HDMI cable.

It's POSSIBLE that it is the HDMI cable I connected the box to the panel with...

Is Fit-to-screen the picture size you're using? It's set to Off?

No -- I'm using 16:9 STANDARD picture size with Fit-to-Screen turned OFF because I don't care for larger letterboxing areas on widescreen material (and I prefer material presented in 1.78:1 and 1.85:1 ratios displayed with no small letterboxing).

So, the overscan is ON...thus why I'm confused why I'd see "garbage" on the sides of the screen from certain broadcasts (overscan is supposed to hide this)...

[chip75]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

LOL, hi Chip....again, I didn't ask you this in our Samsung discussion because I didn't want to bother you with it (we had so many other topics going on)…

If I can help, I'm happy to.

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

The thing is, if this IS a product of the channels themselves, why didn't I see it on the last TV?

The overscan might have been slightly larger, test patterns would tell you.

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

No -- I'm using 16:9 STANDARD picture size with Fit-to-Screen turned OFF because I don't care for larger letterboxing areas on widescreen material (and I prefer material presented in 1.78:1 and 1.85:1 ratios displayed with no small letterboxing).

So, the overscan is ON...thus why I'm confused why I'd see "garbage" on the sides of the screen from certain broadcasts (overscan is supposed to hide this)...

Some TVs have different overscan, but it's usually around 5%. Do you have any DVR recordings from when you used your Sony? It might be worth checking to see if the problem is there too. Speaking about recordings, if you have a DVR, make a few and play them back, if the lines are there, then you know they're broadcasted.

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by chip75

If I can help, I'm happy to.

As I said, I just didn't want to keep pestering you with questions.

The overscan might have been slightly larger, test patterns would tell you.

That's very true -- didn't even consider that...

But I tried looking for any closed captions settings that may be on in my cable box, per that suggestion I copied in this thread after I researched it online, but everything seems to be OFF in that regard.

Some TVs have different overscan, but it's usually around 5%. Do you have any DVR recordings from when you used your Sony? It might be worth checking to see if the problem is there too. Speaking about recordings, if you have a DVR, make a few and play them back, if the lines are there, then you know they're broadcasted.

Unfortunately, no DVR recordings.

[IntelliVolume]

I'm still having this issue on certain cable stations (the small green square in the bottom right corner of the screen)...does anyone have any idea what this may be?

[chip75]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

I'm still having this issue on certain cable stations (the small green square in the bottom right corner of the screen)...does anyone have any idea what this may be?

Have you contacted your cable provider? When you switch between aspect ratios does the dot move?

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by chip75

Have you contacted your cable provider? When you switch between aspect ratios does the dot move?

They are of no help.

When I switch between NORMAL picture (on the cable box remote) and HD ZOOM (which zooms in on the picture or stretches it), the square disappears as if "zoomed out," but this is not really a fix.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

They are of no help.

When I switch between NORMAL picture (on the cable box remote) and HD ZOOM (which zooms in on the picture or stretches it), the square disappears as if "zoomed out," but this is not really a fix.

It does sound like that the square is outside the safe zone*, but visible through HDMI. Is it visible when you connect your box through component with the receiver with overscan enabled?

*Some standard definition channel providers still assume some viewers are watching through CRTs. So they're expecting 1:1 screen fitting.

Can you switch overscan off and take a picture of the screen?

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by chip75

It does sound like that the square is outside the safe zone*, but visible through HDMI. Is it visible when you connect your box through component with the receiver with overscan enabled?

*Some standard definition channel providers still assume some viewers are watching through CRTs. So they're expecting 1:1 screen fitting.

Can you switch overscan off and take a picture of the screen?

I'm not going to run the box through the receiver via component; it's just too much hassle with the way my setup is configured.

I just wish I knew what the heck this thing was and if there was a way to get rid of it.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

I just wish I knew what the heck this thing was and if there was a way to get rid of it.

It's just part of the broadcast. There's nothing you can do (you can contact HBO(?) directly and see what they say. I'd imagine it was there with your Sony, it just wasn't part of the visible screen image.

[IntelliVolume]

Thank you.

[chip75]

Sorry I can't be of more help, but short of zooming it out, there's not much you can do.

[IntelliVolume]

No worries; I can certainly ignore it on those few non-HD channels I stumbled upon...

I just wish there WAS a way to deal with it outside of zooming, as this never occurred with my previous rear projection display (probably, as you said, because the overscan mapping was different).

[chip75]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

No worries; I can certainly ignore it on those few non-HD channels I stumbled upon...

I just wish there WAS a way to deal with it outside of zooming, as this never occurred with my previous rear projection display (probably, as you said, because the overscan mapping was different).

I have heard of channels and providers changing these things, if they're part of a group of channels, it's worth threatening to cancel you subscriptions, but you have to keep pushing them.

Do you know anyone with the same channels? I'd check out their displays if you can.

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by chip75

I have heard of channels and providers changing these things, if they're part of a group of channels, it's worth threatening to cancel you subscriptions, but you have to keep pushing them.

Oh, believe me -- I'd be ready to dump this bastard of a cable provider company (in the southwest United States, where I'm located, the company is called COX Communications and they SUCK) because of the headaches and ripoffs they've caused us (half the time, our On Demand services don't even work) but I need them for my internet service (it's bundled with our cable).

Do you know anyone with the same channels? I'd check out their displays if you can.

I wish I did; most of the people I know reside on the east coast of the US (the New York area, where I'm originally from) and we don't really have anyone we're close with here (I moved out here to follow my parents when they retired out here at the beginning of 2001; major mistake save for the more affordable living expenses).