Is there a way that I can force widescreen DVDs (NTSC 16:9, 720x480, par
1.2) to always play as widescreen regardless of the TV settings? When I
produce 16:9 widescreen DVDs using Premiere Pro and Encore DVD v1.5.1, they
always play as they should on 4:3 TVs, that is, they appear as a 16:9
picture with black bands at the top and bottom. On widescreen TVs, like my
Sony KLV-23M1, however, they play with a 4:3 aspect ratio unless the person
viewing the DVD goes into the TV menu and sets the DVD input to play as
16:9. I know how to set my TV this way, but I'd like to have my widescreen
DVD's play automatically in widescreen format regardless of how the person
watching the DVD has their TV settings configured. I'm concerned that some
people might play the DVD in 4:3 format on a widescreen TV without even
realizing that the DVD was supposed to be viewed as 16:9. Is there a way to
enforce this via the settings in Encore DVD?

It sounds like there is a setting inside that particular DVD player that
needs changed. From what you describe the internal settings of the DVD
player are set to 4:3 Pan and Scan. Set it to Normal Letterbox or whatever
setting resembles that.

"Mardon" <mgb72mgb@hotmail.com> wrote in message
newscqdnVyJ7byPAxXfRVn-jg@rogers.com...

"Digital Video Solutions" <video@digitalvideosolutions.com> wrote...
I appreciate your response but setting the DVD player to letterbox is not
the solution to my question. I understand how the various display settings
on both the DVD player and TV affect the aspect ratio of the eventual
picture. My question is whether Encore can produce a DVD that will perform
an override of all the viewer's hardware settings and force a widescreen
(16:9, 1.2) DVD to play in widescreen mode, provided of course that the
viewer's DVD player and TV both support widescreen. Your response actually
helps to reinforce my concern about viewers getting confused. If someone
were to do as you suggest and play a 16:9 DVD on a widescreen TV using a DVD
player whose display is set to "Normal Letterbox" (that is, 4:3 letterbox),
the video will be displayed on a widescreen TV as a 16:9 reduced resolution
image with black borders or all four sides of the picture. If the player is
set to widescreen and the TV's "Wide Mode" is set to "Normal" then the video
appears squashed to 4:3 with black bars on the side. It's also possible to
incorrectly set the DVD player to letterbox and the TV Display Mode to
"Zoom", which will stretch the reduced resolution picture from the player
and make it fit the full TV display but at a reduced resolution. On the
other hand, if the DVD player's display settings are correctly set to 16:9
widescreen" AND the TV "Wide Mode" display settings are also correctly set
to "Full", then the video will play full-screen, 16:9, full resolution, as
it should. I know how to make this happen with my equipment. My concern is
that other viewers of my DVD may not know anything about how to correctly
set aspect ratios on their equipment. If they have widescreen hardware, I
want to make certain that they view my video in full, wide screen mode,
regardless of whether nor not they undedrstand how to correctly set the
display parameters on their TV and DVD player. I do not want them to
accidentally watch my DVD at reduced 16:9 letterbox resolution or as a
squashed 4:3 image. Thanks again for your input. I hope that I've
clarified my question. Any other ideas?

"Mardon" <mgb72mgb@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:O5ydnYFnZs_OIhXfRVn-oA@rogers.com...
Considering that most widescreen displays have a native resolution of
1280x720 the video on a normal DVD does not play back at a "reduced
resolution", but rather in its' native resolution, i.e. 720x480 16:9 pixel
aspect. You simply want to force the smaller resolution into the larger
display.


If the player is
Why does it bother you so much to have that extra step before viewing? You
know the work around, so what's the big deal? Gee, is having to push an
extra button realy that taxing on your fingers? It's sort of like those
people who look for a parking space near the entrance of the fitness center
they belong to - wouldn't want to have to walk a few extra yards to enter
and leave the place, that would just be too much work.

"God's Little Brother" <beneath.me@ground.level.com> wrote
Based upon the tone of your response, I think that I've failed to make
myself clear (again). I'll try once more. Some people know almost nothing
about how to configure the settings on their TVs and DVD players. Many
people can not even set the clocks in those devices. When producing DVDs
that will eventually wind up in the hands of people like this, it would be
nice to have widescreen DVDs play in widescreen mode regardless of what
settings these people have on their equipment. Will Adobe Encore allow me
to create a DVD that will do this?

I'm with you on this Mardon. I too use Encore and have to cater to lowest
common denominator. I don't mean that in a derogatory manner either.

My mother is my benchmark. She has trouble using the microwave let alone
"configuring" a DVD player or TV. Lest you think otherwise, she's a
professional translator and a smart lady in general - she's just
technologically challenged.

Looking forward to hearing what solutions you find as I'm interested in
16:9.

C.



"Mardon" <mgb72mgb@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:mLadne7-W_VHVhXfRVn-pw@rogers.com...

Mardon wrote:

In my experience the DVD player should "always" be setup for the format of the
TV. If you have a 4:3 TV then your DVD player should be set for that. Ditto for
16:9 TV. The problem arises, as I see it, when the person with the 16:9 TV has
it set for 4:3 material and get bars on the sides. For wide screen, this then
requires the user to use "horizontal expand", stretch, or similar command to
unsquish the picture horizontally. I don't see how your DVD player can do that
for you.

When I play wide screen videos on my HDTV (16:9) I always look for circles in
the picture to see if they are squished or not. If squished horizontally, I use
the "stretch" mode to bring picture back to nornal. You might consider added a
small test pattern (with circles) at start of video with a on-screen note to use
stretch mode of the TV, if its an HDTV.

George

"George" <steber@execpc.com> wrote in message
news:4288E210.836DD17D@execpc.com...
George's solution may not only be brilliant but the best that
is available. The player and display devices are in a position
to do as they please with what is on the DVD. Even if the
DVD standard had a command on the DVD that tried to
compel the player and/or display device to use a particular
aspect ratio, they could (and currently do) use what ever
they think best.

Luck;
Ken

On 5/16/2005, Mardon managed to type:
Well, Mardon, you made yourself clear to me all three times :-)

So - don't beat yourself up too much!

Gino

--
Gene E. Bloch (Gino)
letters617blochg3251
(replace the numbers by "at" and "dotcom")

Mardon wrote:
You're asking that the DVD player send a signal to the TV to change this manual
setting. Sometimes you have to trust the viewer and hope for the best. There are
many things, as a video producer, the viewer can do to their setup that would
make you cringe. (brightness, black level, hue etc.) If your DVD doesn't play
back properly on their WS TVs neither do the rental DVD movies. People learn.
Especially people with the money and interest to own a wide screen TV.

I know how to set my TV this way, but I'd like to have my widescreen

George <steber@execpc.com> writes:

And the problem with the latter case is it reduces the vertical
resolution to 3/4 what it ought to be. When the DVD player plays
anamorphic widescreen material but thinks the output is a 4:3 TV, it
reduces 480 lines of information to 360 lines of video, with black above
and below. Then the TV stretches this to full screen when directed to -
but it is displaying a 720x360 image full screen when what you wanted
was the 720x480 source data displayed full screen.

So you get things displayed with the right shape, but not as sharp as
they ought to be.

Dave

Dave Martindale wrote:

Not sure the last part about "stretches" is valid, unless you mean "zoom". If the
DVD player is playing widescreen video and is set for 4:3 TV there are black bars as
you said, but shapes would be displayed correctly. You can "zoom" (both horiz and
vertical) with your HDTV to fill the screen at the reduced resolution you mention
and still maintain the correct shapes. If you are outputting anamorphic widescreen
material with DVD player set for a 16:9 TV, then you need to "stretch" the video
(only horizontally) with your HDTV to maintain shapes. You then retain the full 480
lines of vertical, and no black bars, at least for 1.85:1 material. Wider material
(say 2.35:1)will still have black bars above and below even with a 16:9 HDTV and
"stretch" mode.

George