Darell B.

Is there anyway to "zoom" the picture on widescreen playback?

I just bought the Pioneer 310 DVD recorder. I am pleased with the recorder so far, but to my disappointment I discovered that you cannot "zoom" the playback picture. This is not a shortcomming of the Pioneer product, but it's a feature that none of the DVD recorders I was considering had.

I have a 32" full screen TV. When watching DVD in the letterbox format, I always "zoom" the picture a little to almost fill the screen. The letterbox format just looks to small on my TV. So when I was researching DVD recorders, I saw that none of the ones I was considering (Panasonic E60S, Sony GX7, Toshiba D-R1, and Pioneer 310) had a zoom feature. However, I checked out the owners manual and they all had a selection for "TV Aspect Ratio". When I read the owners' manual on these recorders, it appeared that if I selected "4:3 Pan & Scan", then the picture from a DVD formated for wide screen would completly fill my full screen TV. I would loose some of the image that is chopped off from the sides.

However, I selected the 4:3 Pan & Scan setting but DVD's recorded in wide screen still appear in wide screen format with the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen! (Pirates of the Carribean). Now I am greatly disappointed that I cannot zoom and the TV Aspect Ratio does nothing!

Any suggestions, or am I just out of luck for zooming the picture?

Jason Borchers

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Darell B.

Thanks for the info!

Michael Reuben

It's rare for DVD recorders to include specialized playback functions like zooming. The assumption is that you're buying the unit for its recording functions, and that's where the features are concentrated.


You should be aware (if you aren't already) that HTF's official policy is to support the presentation of films in their original aspect ratio. You'll probably find that many members have very strong feelings on this subject.

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ

Jason Borchers

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Darell B.

After my experience with the recorder and no longer being able to "zoom" the picture to better fit my full screen TV, I made a trip to the electronics store to check out the TVs with 16:9 screens. I really got the bug to research and purchase an entirely new system (TV, reciever, speakers, etc.). When I came home and checked out how many TV cable shows are broadcasted in HD, I was not very impressed. I know that HD broadcasts for basically all programs is still a couple of years away, but gaining momentum.

So I decided begin my research an personal education on home theater equipment and technology. I will probably look and learn for a year or so before I actually make the plunge. I think I would like to buy all of the equipment at one time so that everything is on the same technology level. That's why I am putting off buying a TV for now.

This forum is an excellent resource for me! Thank you to everyone who created it, supports it, and reads it!

Stephen Tu

True enough, but significant progress has been made already. Nearly all of primetime on the major networks, other than newsmagazines and the unscripted pseudo-reality programming, is in HD or at least widescreen ED (Fox, which will go HD next season). Even WB & UPN have some HD shows now.

And cable is moving forward, as there is HBO-HD, SHO-HD, DISC-HD, INHD, HDNet, ESPN-HD(admittedly slow to ramp up, only a few HD games per week at this point), with TNT-HD to start soon. Other channels have made announcements as well; try looking at the HDTV programming section over at avsforum.

As for your current equipment, all you can really do to compensate is sit closer. At least you get to see the whole movie with the widescreen presentation.