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:

Reply from Philips:

My response:

I guess my next DVR won't be a Philips then.

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.

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.

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).

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.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=593704

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).

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