DS Forums

 
 

Recording widescreen programmes on DVDR3440H


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 19-06-2007, 12:34
Mimizuku no Lew
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,008

As anyone who has this recorder (and possibly other Philips recorders) knows, it completely ignores the widescreen signalling output by digital STBs meaning that widescreen programmes are recorded as squished 4:3 programmes. The only workaround I've found to create discs that can be used properly on 4:3 TVs is to burn to a DVDRW, import that to my PC and then correct the widescreen flags in IFOEdit so that players know that it's anamorphic widescreen content and can letterbox it properly.

I submitted the following bug report to Philips:

I've just applied the latest firmware update on my DVDR3440H and it does thankfully fix one of the issues I had with this recorder, namely that it did not remember the last used input source.

It does however still have an outstanding issue for me. Many TV channels in the UK broadcast in 16:9 widescreen and use widescreen signalling to switch the TV to the correct mode. The DVDR3440H completely ignores this signalling (although it is definitely receiving it as it works fine in passthrough mode) meaning that all 16:9 recordings are flagged as 4:3. This means that when played back the DVD player does not find the correct information in the IFO file to tell it to letterbox the programme on a 4:3 TV or to set a 16:9 TV to wide mode. Considering the majority of programming I record is from widescreen channels in order to record to DVD this is quite an annoying problem and it would be nice if Philips could fix it in a future update.

I understand that this may require Philips to change the way the titles are arranged on a DVD as the current method of having a single title set does not allow for a mixture of aspect ratios on a single disc and would require each programme to be a different title set, but as it stands right now I have to waste a disc for each programme as I have to transfer the recordings to my PC in order to re-author them in the correct aspect ratio.
Mimizuku no Lew is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 19-06-2007, 12:34
Mimizuku no Lew
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,008
Reply from Philips:

Dear Mr. Wernham,

Thank you for your feedback regarding your recorder.

Currently there are no plans to release a further upgrade for your recorder, from the information provided to us the recording mode (4:3) is unlikely to be rectified via a software upgrade and is more related to the incorporate hardware.

Should you require any further information please contact our Customer Care Centre (details below) quoting customer reference number 50-106885257.

Kind regards,


Philips Customer Care.
Mimizuku no Lew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-06-2007, 12:35
Mimizuku no Lew
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,008
My response:

Thank you for your reply. So are you saying that the hardware is incapable of recognising the widescreen signalling? If this is the case then a possible workaround would be to be able to flag programmes that have already been recorded as being widescreen prior to recording to DVD. Not exactly the most elegant solution but at least the discs would be usable on non-widescreen TVs.
Mimizuku no Lew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-06-2007, 22:43
Mimizuku no Lew
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,008
Dear Mr. Wernham,

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

With regards to your query we can advise that the DVDR3440H/05 is not designed to recognise widescreen signals. We can advise that work and solutions will and have been discussed from Philips.

We trust that the information provided will be of assistance.

Should you require any further information please contact our Customer Care Centre (details below) quoting customer reference number 50-106885257.

Kind regards,

Philips Customer Care.
I guess my next DVR won't be a Philips then.
Mimizuku no Lew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-06-2007, 23:57
sparky_paul
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Notts
Posts: 324
You will find this problem with other DVD recorders too, as the DVD-Video format does not allow for mixed aspects on a disc. Rather than fix the ratio one way or the other, many units choose to ignore the signalling completely.

If you want the aspect ratio to be encoded into each recording, look for a recorder which uses the DVD_VR format which does allow mixing of aspect ratios. The down side is that many DVD players do not recognise the format and play the recordings as 4:3, so you are back to square one unless you play them on the recorder or another compatible player...

Many Philips machines use the DVD_VR format, including my own, but for some reason they don't use it on them all.
sparky_paul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-06-2007, 10:43
Mimizuku no Lew
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,008
The DVDR3440H does use the DVD-VR format according to DVD Decrypter. Plus, you can have mixed aspects on the same disc as long as each programme is on its own title set, as that way there's a separate IFO for each programme. The Philips creates a single title set for the whole disc which is why you can't have mixed aspect ratios.

IIRC the Sony recorders do create a new title set per programme and can handle the widecsreen signalling so that may be what I go for next time.

For the time being I'll just have to use RW discs to transfer the recordings to my PC and re-edit them in NeroVision and IFOEdit. Not the most elegant solution but it works.
Mimizuku no Lew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-06-2007, 11:21
Cobson
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 578
You could also consider a Pioneer. They can handle recording the widescreen signal on standard video mode DVDs as long as you first record to hard-disk and then high-speed copy it from hard-disk to DVD. It makes sense to record like this anyway, as it allows you to top'n'tail the recording, remove adverts, etc. It also prevents a dodgy DVD blank from stopping your recording.

If you need to re-encode to fit the recording onto DVD, then it is a 2-stage process as real-time recording doesn't preserve the widescreen flag on video mode disks. So you first re-encode onto a VR mode DVD-RW scratch disk (which does preserve the widescreen flag) and then copy this disk onto a video-mode DVD (complete with the flag).

You rarely need to do this though as you can just set the recording's quality mode to AUTO which ensures that it will fit onto a DVD at the best quality level (which are in 10 minute spacings).
Cobson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-06-2007, 11:44
Mimizuku no Lew
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,008
Thanks for that. You're not the first person I've seen recommending the Pioneer recorders so I'll keep them in mind as well.
Mimizuku no Lew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-06-2007, 11:59
Cobson
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 578
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=593704

Cobson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-07-2007, 14:35
sparky_paul
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Notts
Posts: 324
The DVDR3440H does use the DVD-VR format according to DVD Decrypter. Plus, you can have mixed aspects on the same disc as long as each programme is on its own title set, as that way there's a separate IFO for each programme. The Philips creates a single title set for the whole disc which is why you can't have mixed aspect ratios.
That's not quite right, the DVD_VR format doesn't rely on the .IFOs for fixing aspect ratios - all DVD_VR discs are marked as 4:3 ratio regardless of the aspect ratios of individual titles. On DVD_VR discs, the ratio information used is encoded into each title - the aspect ratio can actually change mutiple times within each title.

For example, if you record a programme from TV which is in 4:3, but the intervening adverts are in 16:9, these aspects will be preserved in the recording and the correct switching signals will be applied upon playback.

If the 3440 does record in DVD_VR, it's a poor show if Philips haven't included this facility which is present on many other Philips machices (including my own).
sparky_paul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2007, 22:29
Chris Simon
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Snowdonia
Posts: 2,725
Thanks for that. You're not the first person I've seen recommending the Pioneer recorders so I'll keep them in mind as well.
Add me to the list!
Chris Simon is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 05:36.