Anamorphic DVD 1:85:1 - HELP!!! (1 Viewer)

[Steve_Philly]

Quick question, and I'll start by admitting that I could use a good beating once in a while, so be kind.

Shouldn't an Anamorphic Widescreen 1:85:1 DVD played through a Progressive Scan DVD Player (SONY SLVD550P) on a RPTV (Mitsubishi WS-65413) fill up the whole screen without having to use stretch or zoom on the TV? I've read a few sites explaining Anamorphic, and showing picture comparisions, and from what I can tell, I shouldn't have to vertically stretch an Anamorphic DVD with this aspect ratio but I'm still seeing black bars at top and bottom.

I'm using Monster Component Cables, I have set the DVD player to 16x9 output, and turned on the Progressive Feature. Any help would be appreciated. I've either misunderstood the reading I've done explaining Anamorphic, or I have yet to find some setting that needs to be adjusted. Many thx.

 

[John S]

16x9, actually translates into 178:1....

the way I understand it, is you can get small black bars with any DVD that says presented in OAR.

Only if it definetly states it was specially formatted for widescreen TV's would black bars be totally eliminated.

 

[Michael Reuben]

That's not accurate. Many 2.35:1 DVDs are said to be "formatted for widescreen TVs". This is just another way of saying that they're enhanced for 16:9 display (a/k/a "anamorphic").

A 1.85:1 film displayed on a 16:9 TV will have very small black bars that will almost always be concealed by the TV's overscan. If Steve is seeing black bars, then something is wrong, but it's impossible to tell what from his description.

Steve, I assumed that your Mits is a 16:9 display? And that you're using the "full" setting intended for playback of 16:9-enhanced DVDs? It might help if you listed the title or titles of the DVDs where you're still seeing black bars.

And BTW, this has nothing to do with progressive scan.

M.

 

[John S]

Was I at least correct in the Aspect ratio translation?
I never really figured it out, just sort of thought that is what it really translated into and anything wider than that would have some black bars was all.

It was my understanding that at least some movies that are near the correct ratio are actually formatted slightly to fill a 16x9 screen. So do they actually slightly reformat some movies in that manner?

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Anamorphic has nothing to do with the particular aspect ratio, many movies will still be wider AR than a 16:9 TV, so you will get black bars. This is normal, and you should not stretch or otherwise bastardize the image to eliminate the black bars.

This is covered extensively within the primer and FAQ:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...321#post828321

 

[Steve_Philly]

Thanks for the input. To answer Michael's questions, It is a 16X9 Hi Def Rear Projection TV. Two movies that I've tried which I believe are 1:85:1 Anamorphic, are "50 First Dates" and "Lost in Translation". Now I say "I think" because I've rented these through NetFlix and they don't send them in the original cover, but have the movie spec's on their web site.

You asked about Full viewing mode, not sure but I think you are referring to the various tv modes that you can flip through (ie... standard, stretch, zoom, expand) etc... and I believe having the Mitsubishi on Standard is what would compare to Full. I watch HDTV on Standard. I can change these 2 movies to Stretch, and then they take up the whole screen with some picture qual loss but I just thought that from what I read, I shouldn't have to... that they should take up the whole screen like the HD feed does.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Yes, but the difference is so small that it's almost impossible to notice.

M.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Some TVs autodetect a 16:9-enhanced image and adjust accordingly, but yours apparently doesn't. That means you have to select the viewing mode that's specifically designed for 16:9-enhanced DVDs. I'm not familiar with the Mitsubishi terminology, but your manual should tell you.

EDIT: Just looked at a Mits manual online, and it appears that "standard" is indeed the mode they say to use for 16:9 enhanced DVDs. If you're watching Lost in Translation in standard mode and it's not filling the screen, I'm at a loss to explain why.

M.

 

[Steve_Philly]

I just found confirmation in my manual that the "Standard" On-Screen Format size is what I should be using. Text from manual below:

"Default format for DTV and Component Input displays a full-screen format. The Standard format displays Anamorphic DVDs that have the 1.78:1 or 1.85:1 aspect ratios. However, Anamorphic DVDs that have the 2.35:1 aspect ratio still display black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, while narrow (4:3) images are stretched evenly from side to side."

This hints that a 1.85:1 Anamorphic DVD when used in Standard format should display a full-screen format.

 

[John S]

If you have almost no overscan, I think it is called. This would still be at least somewhat normal I would think.

The bars must be very thin right?

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

How big are the bars? Slivers or like width of more than one finger?

Have you double checked the player settings? Triple checked?

 

[Steve_Philly]

The bars are not slivers at all, but appear similar to the bars you would see when watching a 1.85:1 on a regular 4x3 set which is why I thought I must be missing a setting. I double checked the DVD settings last night and it's definitely set to 16x9 mode. I am now wondering if maybe the movies I'm renting from NetFlix aren't actually being sent to me in the format requested. Or maybe the aspect ratio they list on their site for some movies is not correct.

Can anyone suggest a few movies, maybe 1 in each aspect ratio (2.35:1, 1.85:1, Anamorphic 1.85:1) that would be worth purchasing so I know that I have good test DVD's to use? Thx for the input guys!

 

[John S]

Yes, I am totally suspecting, that you were sent more like a 2:35:1 or 2:40:1 version of the movie given what you have said.

If nobody else posts any suggestion for movies for you, I'll check my library at lunch, and post back some choices for you to try.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

I'm 99.9% sure lost in translation is 1.85:1-- I would doubt that netflix would have some sort of special version that is WIDER (I could see having a pan&scan version, but one that is the wrong aspect and wider? come on!)

I always use toy story 1 or 2 as ref 1.85:1 (although i'm pretty sure its 1.78:1z0 and A Bug's Life as ref 2.35:1.

Something is fishy here... dunno what it is but something weird is afoot.

-V

 

[TonyD]

so what happened?

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I just found this thread, and I don't know about Lost in Translation, but we recently viewed Fifty First Dates and it was in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

 

[nolesrule]

Lost In Translation is 1.85:1 and 50 First Dates is 2.35:1.

First off, make sure that your DVD player is in 16x9 mode and not a 4x3 mode.

For correct aspect ratio reproduction the Mitsubishi widescreen sets (I have the WS-55313) the mode should be set to STANDARD for anamorphic DVDs. For 1.85 films, there should be little-to-no black bar showing due to the overscan on your TV.

It should be set to NORMAL for 4x3 DVDs or non-anamorphic 1.66:1 (gray bars on the sides). It should be set to set to ZOOM mode for non anamorphic widescreen films with a ration of 1.78:1 or wider.

 

[Allan Cast]

Since this is a rear projection TV, it might just need to be calibrated for correct image alignment/projection?

 

[John S]

I actually think he was sent a non anamorphic Lost in Translation. Period. mystery solved.