I have the Panasonic DMR-EZ98VEBK Recorder, which is a terrific machine, with its HDD, VHS and DVD drives.

Super for easy copying of old VHS tapes to DVD.

However I recently realised that when transferring TV recordings from the HDD to blank DVD+R disks, when using the FR mode, the recordings on the DVDs are in 4:3 format, whereas the original programmes are in 16:9.

On the other hand, when I use blank DVD-R disks, the DVDs are in the correct 16:9 format.

Can anyone tell me why the aspect ratio seems to be linked to the type of blank DVD?

When you say 4:3 do you mean the image is squeezed into a 4:3 frame so that people look tall and thin or the 16:9 image is letterboxed into the 4:3 frame with black bars top and bottom?

The former is how the image is broadcast so is how it is also recorded, onto both +R and -R disks. What may be missing in this case is the 16:9 flag that tells the TV to stretch the image out into the correct aspect ratio. Perhaps the -R disks record the flag and the +R don't. Which is probably all down to the format of the two disk types.

Hi chrisjr

The image is squeezed into a 4:3 frame to give the skinny folk effect, with black columns at the sides.

Which is how it is broadcast. So the recorder is not recording the 16:9 flag to tell the TV to switch modes.

OK, that seems logical. However if I record in SP mode, on a DVD+R, then the recording is in 16:9, ie the widescreen flags have been recorded.

Just seems slightly strange that they are not recorded when the DVD is recorded in FR mode (Flexible Record).

Read the manual. It's a 'feature' or limitation of the system.

My old DMR-E50 and -E85 recorders can only do 4:3 on DVD-R disks but happily do 16:9 on DVD-RAM disks. The manuals tell me that.

I downloaded the manual of the DMREZ48VEB (DMR-EZ98VEBK doesn't exist on Panny's uk site) and it is quite specific, on page 13, that all +R formats can't do 16:9 but all -R can (except when the recordings exceed 5 hours).

It is a limitation of all Japanese origin machines.

They do not fully support the + format and limit all + copies to 4:3

Always use '-' type discs in Japanese machines.