Ok, I really like the widescreen format even though I have (what used to be)
a standard dimension TV screen.
Problem is, many (but not all) of the "Widescreen" DVD's I get don't perform
as I would expect, with the black bars on top and bottom. One of 3 things
happens.

1. Plays as a widescreen movie with black bars on top and bottom. This is
what I want.

2. Plays as a full screen movie.

3. Plays as a full screen movie but it appears that it has been "squished"
in at the sides, essentially making objects on the screen seem taller and
skinnier than they should be.

On some double-sided DVD's I have, I'd rather watch the full-screen version
(#2) than the squished widescreen version (#3) which looks really unnatural.


Thank you in advance for any help!
HR

Heather4 wrote:
One of two things are happening, either you've accidentally selected the
4:3 version of the movie (sometimes both versions are on the same side
of the disc), or your player is trying to downconvert a widescreen
picture by just zooming into the picture, kind of an automatic pan and
scan (without the panning, of course).

You are seeing a squished picture because you are watching an anamorphic
DVD, but your player is not set up to down-convert the picture to 4:3.
All players are different, consult your instructions to see how to set
your player properly. Here's a handy page to explain all of this stuff:



--
"Get rid of the Range Rover. You are not responsible for patrolling
Australia's Dingo Barrier Fence, nor do you work the Savannah, capturing
and tagging wildebeests."
--Michael J. Nelson

Grand Inquisitor
http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Oost

On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 14:35:37 -0500, Heather4 wrote:

Sounds like you have your player in 16:9 mode. Go into its setup
menu and tell it it's connected to a 4:3 TV.

--
Don't let your children watch television.

Very informative site. Thanks for the info.



"Grand Inquisitor" <zork@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:%G%Hb.37640$ms2.36120@fe2.columbus.rr.com...

Thanks, I figured out how to change it to 4:3 Letterbox and that did the
trick, except for the anamorphic widescreen DVD's.


"Doonie" <doonie666REMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
newsje1vvsse290glnh53qpsrvghrb1g1a7fd@4ax.com...

On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 01:29:52 -0500, Heather4 wrote:

Set at 4:3, your player *should* be downconverting the anamorphic
image to fit onto your 4:3 TV.. Only with your player set to 16:9
mode would the image look tall and skinny/stretched.

--
Don't let your children watch television.

"Heather4" <nospam@att.net> wrote in message
news:ScidnbDMYqqTH22iRVn-uA@golden.net...
: Ok, I really like the widescreen format even though I have (what used to be)
: a standard dimension TV screen.
: Problem is, many (but not all) of the "Widescreen" DVD's I get don't perform
: as I would expect, with the black bars on top and bottom. One of 3 things
: happens.
:
: 1. Plays as a widescreen movie with black bars on top and bottom. This is
: what I want.
:
: 2. Plays as a full screen movie.
:
: 3. Plays as a full screen movie but it appears that it has been "squished"
: in at the sides, essentially making objects on the screen seem taller and
: skinnier than they should be.
:
: On some double-sided DVD's I have, I'd rather watch the full-screen version
: (#2) than the squished widescreen version (#3) which looks really unnatural.
:
:
========================
You must go into your DVD set-up and select 4:3 letterboxed in the screen portion.
It sounds like your player thinks you have a 16:9 set.

"Heather4" <nospam@att.net> wrote in message
news:476dnYl3MLn4hmyiRVn-ig@golden.net...
: Thanks, I figured out how to change it to 4:3 Letterbox and that did the
: trick, except for the anamorphic widescreen DVD's.

============
Even they should display properly.
==================
:
:
: "Doonie" <doonie666REMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
: newsje1vvsse290glnh53qpsrvghrb1g1a7fd@4ax.com...
: > On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 14:35:37 -0500, Heather4 wrote:
: >
: > >Ok, I really like the widescreen format even though I have (what used to
: be)
: > >a standard dimension TV screen.
: > >Problem is, many (but not all) of the "Widescreen" DVD's I get don't
: perform
: > >as I would expect, with the black bars on top and bottom. One of 3
: things
: > >happens.
: > >
: > >1. Plays as a widescreen movie with black bars on top and bottom. This
: is
: > >what I want.
: > >
: > >2. Plays as a full screen movie.
: > >
: > >3. Plays as a full screen movie but it appears that it has been
: "squished"
: > >in at the sides, essentially making objects on the screen seem taller and
: > >skinnier than they should be.
: >
: > Sounds like you have your player in 16:9 mode. Go into its setup
: > menu and tell it it's connected to a 4:3 TV.
: >
:
: > --
: > Don't let your children watch television.
:
:

Actually, the anamorphic widescreen DVD I just checked (Miller's Crossing)
appears as a full-screen image with no stretching or skewing. This is with
the DVD player set to 4:3 or 4:3 Letterbox.

H4

Note to self: Don't set the player to progressive scan if you're not using
component video jacks - yiiiikes where'd the picture go? Got it back after
much fiddling.

"Doonie" <doonie666REMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:45v2vv0pldn0907g3d0rggdmmngfv2q70k@4ax.com...

Heather4 wrote:

What brand is your player?

--
"Get rid of the Range Rover. You are not responsible for patrolling
Australia's Dingo Barrier Fence, nor do you work the Savannah, capturing
and tagging wildebeests."
--Michael J. Nelson

Grand Inquisitor
http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Oost

It's a Toshiba and it's all working fine now. Thanks to the group for
helping out a noobie.


"Grand Inquisitor" <zork@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:aNjIb.39144$ms2.21173@fe2.columbus.rr.com...

"Heather4" <nospam@att.net> wrote in message news:<476dnYl3MLn4hmyiRVn-ig@golden.net>...
If you are still seeing a "squished" picture then you haven't gotten
the setting right yet. It has to be set for a 4:3 TV or the 4:3
Letterbox mode.

BTW, what is your brand and model of TV?

Smaug69

On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 14:28:15 -0500, Heather4 wrote:

What was the matter?

--
Don't let your children watch television.

smaug86@yahoo.com (Smaug69) wrote in message

Mine is a Norelco 10" that I picked up in the clearance bin at K-Mart.
It may not have fancy s-video hookups (or a/v or coaxial hookups
either, for that matter) but it only cost me $6.98, so I ain't
complaining.

Sure, I wouldn't *mind* having a fancy "color" TV. And I wouldn't
*mind* having a TV that doesn't throw off sparks and smell like
burning plastic. But money doesn't grow on trees.

We should just be happy with what we have. That's what Buddha said.

-Eric