Bars AND Bands??? (1 Viewer)

[Catman]

I apologize for such a dumb question. I have been a 2ch audio guy for most of my life and have just begun my plunge into HT. I bought a Mitsubishi 57" DLP a few months ago. I understand format (or so I thought) ...can anyone explain why I have bars AND bands while viewing certain programs? It would seem to me that you would have one or the other ...but not both at the same time. I was pissed last night when I was watching a movie and had 6" bars at the top and bottom ....and 8" bands on each side. Why bother with a big screen if you are just going to lose MOST of it to these bands / bars.

thanks again,

>^..^

 

[Zack Gibbs]

I love it when the Bar has a live Band. Oh wait...

You were watching a letterboxed movie in 4x3 format. If it was on TV it just means you were watching SD television. If it was a DVD it means it was not 16x9 enhanced. Thankfully these days it's rare to see a widescreen DVD that doesn't have 16x9 enhancement, but it was something we fought for a decade ago. In either case your set should have a "zoom" mode that will eliminate the bars on the side.

 

[GeorgeAB]

The difference in appearance is due to the type of program signal being sourced by the TV. Garbage in- garbage out. Your television is an HDTV. It was built to accommodate a variety of video signal types. If you had read your owners manual and comprehended what was discussed, you would know exactly what was happening. My advice to you is- read the manuals for the equipment you are using, and then consult them again as needed.

Some programs were produced and mastered for 4x3 aspect ratio analog TVs. Certain movies and other programs may have been broadcast or mastered to preserve their orginal width on a 4x3 TV. In this case there may be black bars above and below the original image, within a 4x3 picture. If this 4x3 picture is then displayed on a 16x9 aspect ration HDTV, the image on the screen will have additional black bars on the left and right sides of the 4x3 picture. There are zoom and stretch modes available in your HDTV to compensate for this behavior.

I bought a Nikon digital camera. It does many more things than I will ever use. It has features I've never encountered before. Some of my shots don't look right after I've taken them. I'm sure there are capabilities in the camera that could have compensated for the poor lighting, focal distance, etc., that caused the unsatisfactory results. I'm on a learning curve with this device and have had to consult the manual numerous times. I also have two DVDs that came with the camera to help me learn how to use it.

You might be well served to buy or rent one of the popular home theater setup and calibration DVDs to speed up your learning process. I recommend 'Avia II' for beginners.

 

[chuckg]

I'll try a simpler explanation...the manual doesn't do it justice. I have a 65" Mitsu, so it is similar.

You are sitting there, watching beautiful High-Def TV. Then along comes a commercial that is shot in standard-def. That commercial has bars on both sides because the picture is not as wide as your TV screen.

Then, to your horror, there is another commercial. this one is also shot in standard def, but has bars at the bottom and top to make it look like high def widescreen. So, what you are looking at is a 4:3 picture with black horizontal bars on it, stuck into your 16:9 screen with black vertical pillars on both sides.

This is normal, and nothing to worry about since you are not there to watch the commercials.

If you had to watch a whole TV show or movie, it would stink. To correct such a problem, just push the remote button labelled "Video" or "Aspect" (can't remember, but it is one of those below the arrow buttons) The image will cycle through several versions of zooming and stretching.

Just pick one you like, or as has been suggested, look through the manual for an explanation of what they do.

Enjoy!

 

[chuckg]

Ahhh, I just checked my remote. The button you want is labelled "Format" and is up and to the right of the arrow keys, just right of the channel-up key.

 

[Stephen Tu]

Also, the mode you want to use is "expand". And if the set is like older Mits and doesn't offer that mode for HD content, you'll have to set your STB/DVR/DVD player to 480i/480p output in order to use this mode.

 

[Will_B]

It is also called Zoom. Every company makes up their own names.