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Old 04-02-2002, 15:14
cockney
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I am not really up with dvd players but my problem is that i have a toshiba dvd player and a panasonic 32" w/screen tv,i have my dvd player set up to 16:9 but when i play w/screen dvd's on it i have the big black lines across the top and bottom of the screen....excuse my ignorance on this but is there a simple way of getting around this ??
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Old 04-02-2002, 15:23
oldmandeets
 
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thats because the aspect ratio of the film is actually wider than that of the TV so you get the unused space at top and bottom.

dont worry about it, your getting the film as it was intended to be shown.

It all depends on the aspect ratio, on my discs Three kings and snatch are all 1:1.85 which is almost the same ratio as the WS tv so you get little or no black areas.

X-Men, fight club and the matrix are all 1:2.35 which gives the unused space above and below the film.

If you find the unused space distracting, try watching in a darker room and you naturally just focus on the image and forget about the rest and all is just wonderful with the world

(see people I do learn!)
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Old 04-02-2002, 15:34
cockney
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Thanks very much for that...much appreciated and understood !!
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Old 04-02-2002, 15:38
iain
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I suspect I might be in the minority, but I actually quite like having the black bars top and bottom - I think because it creates a more cinematic feel, and maybe subconciously the brain knows it isn't missing any of the picture.

I even have my TW cable box set to 4:3 letterbox, and widescreen tv set to wide - to me gives the most natural looking picture (when stuff is broadcast in w/s)

Iain
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Old 04-02-2002, 15:44
cockney
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Originally posted by oldmandeets


It all depends on the aspect ratio, on my discs Three kings and snatch are all 1:1.85 which is almost the same ratio as the WS tv so you get little or no black areas.



Would people agree then that when buying dvd's that the ratio best suited to me would be the one above for a w/screen tv ??
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Old 04-02-2002, 15:44
Pyara
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You could also try to set your widescreen tele to fill the screen. My 36" Philips has the option of being able to do this, however you do loose the anormorphic effect (if present)...
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Old 04-02-2002, 15:48
Glen
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Originally posted by iain
I even have my TW cable box set to 4:3 letterbox, and widescreen tv set to wide - to me gives the most natural looking picture (when stuff is broadcast in w/s)
Why are you using the digibox in letterboxed mode with a widescreen TV? Letterbox is for watching 16:9 on a 4:3 TV (with black bars), if you zoom in on this picture to fill the screen it will be of a lower resolution.
If you have a w/s TV set the digibox to 'widescreen' and the TV to 'Full' - this gives you a full screen picture (for w/s broadcasts) a the full resolution.
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Old 04-02-2002, 15:56
Glen
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Originally posted by cockney
Would people agree then that when buying dvd's that the ratio best suited to me would be the one above for a w/screen tv ??
Films are best viewed in the ratio they were shot. New TV programmes (on digital TV) are in 16:9 (same as TV), the aspect ratio of films varries but the most used ratio is about 2.35:1. For the full effect of the film watch it in this ratio, even though this means black bars - I used to watch films in the full ratio before I got my widedcreen TV which meant half the screen was blank - but it looks so much better.

It will look better if the film fills the screen but if the black bars are there - leave them there.
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Old 04-02-2002, 15:59
oldmandeets
 
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just buy/rent the films you want to rent and as long as the discs ratio is the same as the cinema version (and most are?) then its all good
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Old 04-02-2002, 23:18
iain
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Originally posted by Glen
Why are you using the digibox in letterboxed mode with a widescreen TV? Letterbox is for watching 16:9 on a 4:3 TV (with black bars), if you zoom in on this picture to fill the screen it will be of a lower resolution.
If you have a w/s TV set the digibox to 'widescreen' and the TV to 'Full' - this gives you a full screen picture (for w/s broadcasts) a the full resolution.
I know it sounds odd, but it really is what i've gotten used to - like I say i don't mind the black bars, and it all looks ok ratio wise - no zooming involved.

Iain
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Old 05-02-2002, 12:41
Kevo
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Originally posted by iain
II even have my TW cable box set to 4:3 letterbox, and widescreen tv set to wide - to me gives the most natural looking picture (when stuff is broadcast in w/s)

Iain
I've heard it all now !!!!

Why on earth would you want to have it set up like this.
You may as well buy a cheaper 4:3 TV and not have a WS TV at all.

You do realise that you are losing out on a LOT of resolution with anamorphic material.

So if you don't use the zoom at all, I take it you are only watching a small cut out window in the 16:9 frame !!!!

Please explain why...

I don't mean to sound dis-respectful, but you obviously don't know much about the WS format.

This has to be the most ridiculous post I have ever read on the subject...Sorry
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Old 05-02-2002, 13:10
davep
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Kevo, you took the words right out of my mouth, I couldn't reply for fear lof losing control!!

DaveP
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Old 05-02-2002, 14:01
Kevo
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Iain

Just reading a bit more of your post...

You set the TV to 'Wide' mode yet the STB on 4:3 letterbox.
Therefore you will get a stretched out of shape picture, where you could utlilise the full screen of your TV and enjoy the full resolution in the correct shape if you set the the STB to 16:9 mode.

Try it out....You may (will) be pleasantly surprised !
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Old 05-02-2002, 14:25
iain
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OK - calm down


Firstly, it only loses less than say 2cm top and bottom to black bars. On a 28" (don't tell me - how can I sleep at night without at least 32") set this is perfectly OK. Having a 4:3 set would mean a much smaller picture as more at the top and bottom would have to be sacrificed to show the full widescreen picture, surely?

Second, there is no distortion in terms of stretching or squashing - so what is the problem there?

Third, having gotten used to this, whenever I switch the STB to 16:9 and lose the black bars, it looks zoomed and therefore odd.

I'm probably asking for it, but what exactly am I missing out on by doing this, other than a small portion of the top and bottom of the screen to black bars? Which I'm quite partial to.

If it will make you happy, I'll try it out as it should be....sssshish.

Iain
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Old 05-02-2002, 14:29
iain
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BTW - the tv is actually set to Smart rather than Wide - perhaps this counteracts any stretching, as the picture really doesn't look stretched. Honest.

The best I can descibe it is that its the picture it would be, but slightly zoomed out, hence creating the small bars top and bottom.

I'll get my coat...

Iain
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Old 05-02-2002, 15:22
Kevo
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'Smart mode', thats just as bad/

Just do the right thing....

Set your STB to 16:9 and your TV will auto detect into Wide Mode. THE CORRECT MODE.

The only other setting you will ever need (other than 4:3) is Zoom for non-anamorphic material.
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Old 05-02-2002, 15:28
sirius_black
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Bizzare!

Set your widescreen T.V to 4.3. Set your digibox to 16x9, rgb, scart switching on.

This way, when you get a normal 4.3 image down the dish (say, the Simpsons) it appear correct (i.e, square, black bars at the side of the picture, as it should be).

Then, when you get sent a widescreen broadcast (like Eastenders, sky movies Wide screen, or almost all terrestrial digital signals), it will automatically click and fill your 16x9 screen. Glorious!

What you miss out on by not doing this is a clearer picture. These widescreen broadcasts have extra picture resolution, hence that's why the T.V companies are using them.

NEVER have your T.V set to smart. You'll get a 14X9 image squashed into a 16x9 image space. At least that's what my Sony does. Total waste of time.

Well, there you go.
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Old 05-02-2002, 15:29
sirius_black
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great minds think alike, eh Kevo?
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Old 05-02-2002, 17:21
iain
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OK - this is really annoying now - I know what you are saying is correct.

I'm back home now - so have had a play - and I still say the picture as is looks perfectly OK - not squashed or stretched, or any lower resolution compare to putting the STB to 16:9 and the tv to wide. It honestly looks practically identical with the exception of the black bars.

I realise that obviously there must be some degree of difference as its a slightly different sized image - but it really is hardly noticeable.

I've probably just become accustomed to it, but changing it really doesn't make that big a difference.

Have you tried your like this? It honestly doesn't look as crap as you're making out.

Iain
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Old 05-02-2002, 17:37
Kevo
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Originally posted by iain
It honestly looks practically identical with the exception of the black bars.

I realise that obviously there must be some degree of difference as its a slightly different sized image - but it really is hardly noticeable.

Have you tried your like this? It honestly doesn't look as crap as you're making out.

Iain
Well, would you rather have the black bars or not?

A 'slightly different sized image'.?? In what way?

Belive me, and everyone will back me up here...

It DOES look CRAP in 'Smart' mode, if that is what you are you using.

Can't see how you can't tell the difference??
'Smart mode' stretches the picture incorrectly, i.e. slightly from the sides and crops the top & bottom.
Whereas 'Wide' mode unsqueezes the picture correctly with no loss of image.

You are testing all this on anamorphic material aren't you and not 4:3?
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Old 05-02-2002, 18:39
iain
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When I said different sized image I meant as in its slightly shorter than the full size of the screen because of the bars.

Like I said - I know what you are saying is correct - I'm just saying that, the way I've had it set up, it looks fine - certainly not distorted - maybe to the trained eye, but not to me.

I know when the STB is on 16:9 and the TV is on Smart it looks really crap, but STB to letterbox and TV (mine at least) to Smart looks perfectly proportioned. I'd always presumed it was squashed down slightly, but stretched slightly as well keeping it in proportion. If not 100% so, then near as damn it?

You'll just have to trust me - I really wouldn't have kept it like that all that time if it hadn't looked OK.

It may mostly due to the fact that I've become so accustomed to the bars, that to watch without them the image doesn't seem as wide, and so appears, initially to me, unusual.

Anyway, have it set at 16:9 and wide now - will try to readjust and conform

Iain
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Old 05-02-2002, 18:40
MicroSmurf
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Originally posted by iain

I realise that obviously there must be some degree of difference as its a slightly different sized image - but it really is hardly noticeable.

Iain
I think a trip to the optician may be in order
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Old 05-02-2002, 18:41
sirius_black
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Does your T.V have a 14.9 screen size option? My sony does. This is the ratio that anologue terrestrial broadcasts instead of 16X9. It's basically the 16x9 image with some of the sides cut off, so it's "a little bit widescreen". This is so people with 4.3 T.V's don't feel too put off by all that black at the top and bottom.

The smart mode is designed to make a 14x9 image fit your 16X9 screen by stretching it out to fit. Now, what you're doing is taking a 16x9 image and putting it through this process. The result is a slightly squashed 16x9 image with little black bars at the top and bottom, right?

Surely it is utterly pointless to view a true 16x9 broadcast in this way? (squashed, basically).

If you like to watch sqaushed pictures then fine, go for it, maybe you have squashed eyeballs or somehitng and it looks perfect to you! But it's just not set up as it should be.
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Old 05-02-2002, 20:27
iain
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ok - so i've been talking crap.

I think it was the default setting on my old ondigital box, and that setting on the tv, compared with the others that looked the best.

So when I go TW and put it to 16:9 it looked strange to me - not right, not wrong - but strange to me because of what I'd gotten used to. (although definately not so squashed as to make it unwatchable - STB to 16:9 and tv to 14:9 or Smart is really bad)

Anyway, think will try to stick with 16:9 and Wide now - just takes a bit of getting used to.

I'm sorry. It won't happen again.

Forgive me?



Iain
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Old 05-02-2002, 20:58
jenzie
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Three things.....

Firstly, oldmandeets, Three Kings is NOT 1:1.85. It is a 1:2.35 aspect ration film on DVD.

Second, iain, TV screen size is not measured vertically, but DIAGONALLY! (maybe you got confused )

Third, cockney, three words. Trial and Error.

But, hope you get the perfect picture set-up, good luck!
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