anamorphic confusion, please straighten me out (1 Viewer)

[shaneT]

I'm using a 60" philips HDready tv for viewing.
The television is about 2 years old and is of 4:3 aspect ratio.

Recently I was playing GT3 on my PS2. I opted for the 16:9 view setting under the game's settings. of course this picture was incorrect, and much of the image was cut off on the sides of the screen. I toggled through my TV's picture settings and got to anamorphic. this setting matched perfectly with the screen mode of the playstation. I however am pretty sure that the game itself isn't in anamorphic mode.

Next I tried to watch DVD's that were coded as anamorphic
Waking Life, Snatch and Gladiator. When i selected "widescreen" on the dvd menu and put the TV into anamorphic mode, the picture was way to squished ( the black bars were huge).
In order to get the proper picture I had to put the tv back to 4:3 and watch with the black bars (and correct me if i am wrong, miss out on the anamorphic feature).
I read the faq in the beginners section, but I am still confused.

My question ends up being, what do i need to do to enjoy a DVD's anamorphic feature on my 4:3 tv through a PS2.

Thank you,
Shane

 

[Jack Briggs]

Does your set recognize 16:9-encoded 480p sources (i.e., "anamorphic" DVDs, a misnomer)? It may be that the set only recognizes 1080i sources in order to display the image in a proper 16:9 format. If that's so, you need to convert the 480p DVD signal to 1080i in order to view a properly scaled 16:9-encoded DVD.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Does your set recognize 16:9-encoded 480p sources (i.e., "anamorphic" DVDs, a misnomer, really)?

Jack has asked the right question. If, as appears from your reference to an "anamorphic mode", your TV can handle 16:9-enhanced material, then you have to make sure that the settings on your PS2 are correct. From your description, it sounds like the PS2 has been set to downconvert a 16:9-enhanced image for display on a regular 4:3 set. This is a hardware setting that has nothing to do with the menu on any individual disc. I'm not familiar with the PS2, so I can't tell you where to look.

M.

 

[shaneT]

Jack and Michael,

Thank you for your prompt responses.

The sets mode selections go something like

4:3 / zoom1 / zoom2 / theater1 / theater2 / anamorphic

(I dont have the instruction manual, so i'm at a loss as to the specific meaning of each of these).



"Does your set recognize 16:9-encoded 480p sources (i.e., "anamorphic" DVDs, a misnomer, really)? "

I dont know the answer to that question. However with the PS2 I am using S-video, and the unit isn't capable of progressive output. I dont really understand what your question means.

What I'm gathering though is that I have to look in the setup of the PS2 itself and check for a 16:9 mode. I will do this when I get home.

Is it possible to get anamorphic video without progressive scan?

I've been debating on purchasing a refurb Denon 900 DVD player. If the PS2 isn't up to the task, I just might have to go ahead on that.


If that's so, you need to convert the 480p DVD signal to 1080i in order to view a properly scaled 19:9-encoded DVD.

You kind of lost me on that one. But I dont think I can do that without a progressive scan player, correct?

 

[Michael Reuben]

However with the PS2 I am using S-video, and the unit isn't capable of progressive output.

OK, that means we can skip a lot of this. Check the PS2 for a 16:9 setting, and let us know what happens.

M.

 

[shaneT]

I went home and there was in fact a setting for 16:9 in the playstation setup. I selected this option. I then put in Gladiatior (2.35:1) and of course had a some black bars even with the PS2 in the 16:9 setting. Everything seemed to be correct with the tv set in 4:3 mode.
If i put the tv into "anamorphic" mode, it squished the image substantially.
My questions are now: am I getting real anamorphic playback watching a 2.35:1 movie on a PS2 set in 16:9 on my tv set in 4:3 ?

Also, what does this "anamorphic" setting on my tv mean. I dont have the owners manual. Perhaps this thread should be moved into the display devices area?

 

[Michael Reuben]

Perhaps this thread should be moved into the display devices area?

It's where it belongs.

M.

 

[shaneT]

Micheal,
I greatly appreciate your patience with me on this topic.

That's what should happen. Did the people appear to be normally proportioned?

no, they were all short and fat.

That's the thing. I think if i could get the image to be tall and thin in the normal 4:3 setting, i could just set the screen mode to apply the squish. But all i can seem to get is properly proportioned images, then i squish that w/ the anamorphic setting and have to watch a battle of munchkins.
Maybe I'm overlooking something very basic here. I really do appreciate your input.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Shane, what kind of different inputs do you have on the back of your TV for the video input and how are they labeled?

I have a 40" Toshiba (widescreen) with several different video inputs. Two of which are the component inputs. One I believe is labeled 420p component video input and the other is 1080i component video input.

Is it possible that your set has different S-video inputs as such?

OR here's a new thought. Does your PS2 have a setting in the set-up menu for 4:3 Letterbox or something of that nature?

It sounds as if you are trying to double-enhance your picture. Maybe you could set your PS2 to 4:3 mode and your TV to anamorphic and get what you desire.

 

[shaneT]

clinton thanks for your reply,

As I recall there were only two settings on the PS2
4:3 & 16:9, I can check again after I get home.
As for the double enhancement, that is exactly what is happening.
I can get a widescreen picture in the 4:3 (not anamorphic)
(selecting the widescreen popup on a DVD menu, but I cant figure out how to get that Tall thin picture that needs to be scrunched.


As for the inputs.
1 set of front quick connects up front
there's 2 sets of identical inputs in the back, component/s-video/composite & audio

then on the left side there's another set of component inputs and other stuff that's all HD related. (dont remember the labels offhand, but if you're experienced w/ hd, you probably know what they are).

I'm curious if most of this frustration is from the Playstation or the TV.

I'm willing to upgrade to progressive scan, if another player would solve this.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I'm curious if most of this frustration is from the Playstation or the TV.

Probably the Playstation. From everything I've read here, that unit doesn't behave like a standard DVD player. But I don't know much more than that. Try this:

1. Set your TV to 4:3 standard and leave it there.

2. Load up a 16:9-enhanced DVD.

3. Now try all of the different picture settings on the PS2. (You may have to eject the disc to change the setting.) Look for the one that, with the TV's 4:3 mode, gives you people who look tall and thin. With a 2.35:1 movie like Gladiator, there should be small black bars; with a 1.85:1 movie like Waking Life, there should be no black bars.

4. Once you find the right mode on the PS2, cycle through the display modes on the TV. See whether any of them gives you the correct geometry and proportions.

M.

 

[shaneT]

well, i've been reading some more,
and it looks like the PS2 has another mode

4:3 / full / 16:9

I think "full" might be the answer to my problems

 

[Clinton McClure]

Try the full setting on the PS2 and the anamorphic setting on the TV. I'd forgotten about the PS2 settings since I sold my PS2 last year.

 

[shaneT]

well, I tried the "full" mode on the PS2
None of these modes changed any of the geometry at all.
regardless of the settings, I wasn't able to get the tall thin people. Am I out of luck?