1.66:1 anamorphic: how do I get it to work? (1 Viewer)

[Haggai]

I have a 48" Mitsubishi widescreen TV, and I know that 1.66:1 anamorphic DVDs are supposed to be displayed with bars on the sides, but this doesn't work with either of the discs I have in that ratio, Rear Window and The Ladykillers. How do I get this to work properly?

 

[Allan Jayne]

Most likely reason: Due to overscan on your TV the black side bars are off the screen.

The same question is raised with 1.85:1 anamorphic DVD movies, the difference from 16:9 (1.78:1) is so slight that the normal amount of overscan puts the thin top and bottom black areas off the screen.

If you have the Video Essentials, AVIA, or other test DVD with a pattern that verifies overscan, you can adjust the amount of overscan. Be aware that after doing this you may also have to readjust convergence and linearity.

Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Haggai]

Thanks for the tip, Allan. I do have the Digital Video Essentials DVD, and from their explanation and test pattern for overscan, it looks like I might want to adjust it. However, there doesn't seem to be anything in the TV menu system for that, and when I called Mitsubishi and asked them about overscan, they were completely flabbergasted and claimed to have no idea what I was talking about.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Rear Window is a letterboxed-only transfer; it is not 16:9-encoded, but 4:3-encoded.

 

[Dave Nibeck]

Mitsu overscan can only be corrected in the service menu. Unless familiar, I would not attempt.

 

[George Gutt]

Psycho and Vertigo are letterboxed. Rear Window is anamorphic.