Full screen mode on the Xiaomi TV: how to remove black stripes and adjust the scale

Black bars on the sides of the screen or top/bottom spoil the experience of watching movies, games and broadcasts on Xiaomi TV. This problem arises from incorrect signal-screen ratio, incorrect zooming settings or content limitations. Fortunately, most Mi TV, Redmi Smart TV and Xiaomi TV A Pro models allow you to force the image to the edges of the screen – but this process is not always intuitive.

In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to enable full-screen mode on a Xiaomi TV, from basic scale settings to hidden engineering menus. We will discuss why black bands appear in different signal sources (HDMI, USB, streaming video), and how to fix this without losing quality.

Why are there black stripes on Xiaomi TV?

Black fields (or "letterboxing") are not a TV defect, but a consequence of the content-screen aspect ratio.

• 📺 Source aspect ratio: Most movies are shot in 21:9 (cinema format), and Xiaomi TVs have a 16:9 ratio.
• 🎮 External device settings: Xiaomi Mi Box, PlayStation, media players or PCs can transmit signals with the wrong resolution (e.g. 4:3 instead of 16:9).
• 📶 Streaming restrictions: Some platforms (e.g. Netflix or YouTube) block content stretching in order to preserve copyright.
• ⚙️ Firmware failures: After updating the TV software, zoom settings can reset (especially for Mi models). TV 4S Redmi Smart TV X).

It's important to understand that not all black stripes can be removed without loss of quality, for example, if the film is originally shot in 2.35:1, then stretching to 16:9 will distort the proportions of objects (people will look thicker), in such cases it is better to leave the stripes or use the Zoom function to trim the edges.

Method 1: Scaling up the TV menu

The easiest method is to use built-in zoom options, which are available on all Xiaomi models, including the Mi TV Q1E, Redmi Smart TV A55 and older series.

1. Include content that appears black stripes (film, game, broadcast).
2. On the Xiaomi remote, click the Menu button (or Settings on new remotes).
3. Go to Settings → Image → Screen Mode (or Display → Picture Size on English firmware).
4. Choose one of the options: 🔳 Auto – TV sets itself up to scale (not always working correctly). 📐 16:9 – Standard mode for most content. 🔍 Zoom – Cuts the edges of the image, zooming in on the center (useful for movies with subtitles). 🖼️ Stretching – forcefully stretches the picture to the edges of the screen (can distort the proportions).

If screen mode is not available, try the alternative path: Settings → Additional → Image format. On some models (for example, Mi TV P1), these options are hidden behind the Tools button on the remote during playback.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi TVs with firmware MIUI TV 3.0 and later Stretch can be blocked for protected content (e.g. Disney movies)+ Apple TV+). Try the 3 or 4 method.

Method 2: Change the resolution of the external device

If black bars appear when connected via HDMI (Game console, PC, Xiaomi Mi Box), the problem may lie in the settings of the signal source, not the TV.

For game consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch)

• 🎮 On PlayStation. 4/5: Go to Settings. → Sound and screen → Size of the output area and select Auto or Full.
• 🖥️ Xbox Series X/S: Open the settings. → General. → TV and display settings → Permission and set up 1920×1080 (if the TV does not support 4K).
• 🏠 On Nintendo Switch: From the TV settings menu, select Change screen size and adjust the boundaries manually.

For PC (Windows, Mac, Linux)

On the computer, the setting is performed through the parameters of the graphics driver:

1. On Windows: right-click on the desktop → Screen settings → Additional screen settings → select 1920×1080 resolution and 60Hz frequency.
2. For NVIDIA: Open the NVIDIA Control Panel → Change resolution → set 16:9 and apply settings to HDMI.
3. For AMD Radeon: In Radeon Settings, go to Display → Custom Resolutions and create a profile with a 1920×1080 resolution.

If the image does not fit into the screen after the changes, use the Underscan/Overscan function in the graphics driver settings (usually located in the Adjust desktop size and position section).

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If you connect your PC to Xiaomi TV via HDMI, first install the resolution on your computer that supports the TV, and you can find a list of supported resolutions in the manual for the model or on the official Xiaomi website in the "Specifications" section.

Method 3: Hidden engineering settings (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work, try the TV service menu, which is suitable for Android TV models (e.g. Mi TV Q2, Redmi Smart TV X50) and requires caution – incorrect changes can reset settings.

Instructions for entering the engineering menu:

1. Turn on the TV and go to any channel or signal source.
2. On the Xiaomi remote, consistently press: Menu → Up → Up → Down → Down → Down → Left → Left → Right (buttons are pressed quickly, with an interval of ~0.5 seconds).
3. Factory Menu will open. Go to Picture → Overscan.
4. Set the Overscan value at 0% (this will turn off edge trimming).
5. Save the settings and restart the TV.

Alternatively, for PatchWall models (e.g. Mi TV 4X):

• Press the Menu + Up button on the remote for 5 seconds.
• In the menu that appears, select Advanced Settings → HDMI Scaling.
• Set Scaling Mode in Full Screen position.

⚠️ Warning: Changes to the engineering menu can cause firmware to crash if you set incorrect settings (such as unsupported resolution). Before entering Factory Menu, take a picture of the current settings of each partition - this will help to return them in case of an error.

Method 4: Update firmware and reset settings

Sometimes black bars appear due to firmware bugs, especially after automatic updates.If your Xiaomi TV is running MIUI TV or PatchWall, follow these steps:

Verification and installation of updates

1. Go to Settings → About TV → System Update.
2. Click Check Updates. If a new version is available, install it.
3. After the update, restart the TV (Power button on the remote → Reboot).

Resetting image settings

If the update doesn’t work, reset the screen settings:

1. Open Settings → Image → Reset image settings.
2. Confirm the reset. The TV will return factory brightness, contrast and scale settings.
3. Reconfigure the screen mode (see Method 1).

If you have left the stripes after resetting, try a full reset of the TV (all data will be deleted!):

1. Settings → About TV → Reset to factory settings.
2. Enter. PIN-code (default 0000 or 1234).
3. After restarting, re-configure the image.

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Updating the firmware solves the scaling problem in 60% of cases, especially if black bars appeared after an automatic update. If the bug persists, contact Xiaomi with the model and version of the software.

Method 5: Alternative solutions (if nothing helps)

If none of the above methods worked, consider these options:

• 🔧 Use an external scaler. OSSC (Open Source Scan Converter or Portta HDMI Scaler allows you to force the resolution and aspect ratio of the signal before displaying on the TV.
• 🖥️ Configure output to a PC. If you connect a computer, use programs like Custom Resolution Utility (CRU) Create non-standard resolutions that match your TV.
• 📹 For local files (from a flash drive), use tools like HandBrake or FFmpeg to trim black bars before viewing: -i input.mp4 -vf "crop=1920:1080:0:140" -c:a copy output.mp4 (where 1920:1080 — target authorization, and 0:140 — trimming-off).
• 🛠️ Contact the service center if the problem occurred after physical damage (fall, impact) or firmware through the ADB, It is possible that the video chip or matrix is damaged.

For owners of Xiaomi Mi TV Stick or Mi Box: Update the firmware of the device through Settings → About System → Update. In some versions of the software (for example, MIUI TV Stick 2.1.5), the zoom bug was patched.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When setting up full-screen mode, users often make these mistakes:

• ❌ Use Zoom mode for the movie at 21:9, which cuts off part of the frame (usually subtitles or important details), and it's better to leave the black bars or use Stretch if the distortion is not critical.
• ❌ They change the permission to a PC without checking the TV-supported ones. 3840×2160 (4K) A model that supports only 1920×1080. This leads to artifacts or lack of signaling.
• ❌ Reset your TV settings without backup. Before reset, write down your current image settings (brightness, contrast, color temperature) to quickly restore them.
• ❌ Ignoring the signal source settings, like not checking the permissions on PlayStation or in Kodi, but trying to fix the problem only on the TV.

To avoid problems, always check the combination of settings:

1. Configure the signal source (prefix, PC) to the correct resolution.
2. Choose the appropriate screen mode on the TV.
3. Make sure that HDMI cables support the desired version (e.g. HDMI 2.1 for 4K@120Hz).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions