Spectrum, TCM and 4:3
 

I have a Spectrum cable box and until May 1, I was able to receive full-frame feed from TCM whenever they showed pre-widescreen movies. When the channel broadcasts older movies, they appear zoomed out. I actually called Spectrum, they even sent a replacement box. I tried all of the different settings, even pressed the "Aspect Ratio" button on my remote numerous times to no avail. I have the box hooked up via phono to the back of one of my VCRs and am watching the video on a CRT TV. Is there a way to bypass the aspect ratio via analog phono so I could actually view the video full frame once more on my VCR and CRT TV? Is there a box that I should purchase?

First off there is no such thing as a phono connector. The correct term is RCA connector as they were the ones that came up with it. If you're using a VCR then it's RCA connectors are composite video (yellow RCA connectors) and line level audio, as opposed to component analog video (R, G and B cables RCA connectors) and audio.

If you have already exhausted menu settings I've made a video where I outline 2 solutions I use.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hKjt3x4WtWU

Do you have any other devices connected to the pay-TV box, specifically using its HDMI connector? If so, disconnect it, and maybe then reboot the box. Properly, the composite-video phono jack output should be a 4:3 signal, and the "zoom" setting of the aspect ratio control should give you what you want. Beside the aspect-ratio button, the box may have a separate menu item to choose 4:3 or 16:9 mode.

There certainly is. The early use for the jack still commonly called that was for phonographs to be connected into amplifiers and TV sets. RCA may have invented that jack, but even if they did, any of "RCA phono jack", "phono jack", or "RCA jack" are fine.

I'm well aware of it's origin... I have had some of the first RCA radios that used it as a phonograph connector. But calling an RCA jack a phono jack with video gear rubs me the wrong way.... It's like calling records "vinyls", or using a DVR to record a news broadcast and saying you "filmed the evening news"...

I am impressed with how many cell phones have video tape transports or even movie-film mechanisms and self-developing abilities built into them! They must exist, based on how many cell phones seem to be used to "film" or "tape" content. :rolleyes::puke:

(I could not find the "bang head on wall" emoji.)