DVD Player Stretches 4:3 Video to Fit 16:9 Display (1 Viewer)

[Ben Osborne]

Just bought my first widescreen TV (42" Sharp Aquos 1080p 60hz) and upconverting DVD player (Toshiba DR560). I noticed that on DVDs with 4:3 content (The Simpsons Season 2, for example), the DVD player stretches the image horizontally in order to fit the screen. The DVD players knows my display is 16:9. The TV is set to "dot by dot" display. DVDs with widescreen content do not have their aspect ratios modified by the DVD player. Even the menus on the Simpons DVD are un-distorted. But when the actual episodes start, the DVD stretches the video.

I've looked at all of the setup otpions on my DVD player, I don't see anywhere where this can be changed. Is this just a problem with how my DVD player handles non-widescreen DVDs? If so, I will return it.

 

[David Norman]

Is there another setting in the DVD player menu regarding 4:3 Material? My Sony and Panasonics both have a specific menu in addition to the normal TV Display setup menu that instructs the machine to leave it alone or stretch the picture. I can't find any online Toshiba manual to check their settings. There should be a way to get 4:3 discs to display properly.

I think Sharp has a "View Mode" button on the remote -- does that change anything -- at least one model calls it Side Bar to maintain material without stretching.

If you change Dot to Dot to another mode does it help.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I own a Tosh XDE upconverting player and it doesn't provide aspect ratio control for 4:3 material either. Fortunately, the display that I have it mated to (an Optoma HD-65 projector) does. The available modes are 4:3, LBX (for non-anamorphic DVDs), 16:9, and "Native". The "native" mode is probably what you're referring to as "dot-to-dot". In any event, if your display doesn't provide this functionality, then you're probably out of luck!

 

[Ben Osborne]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Cycling through the view modes on the Sharp TV does not fix the problem. The DVD player manual does not provide any help for this issue, and I've gone through the settings pretty thoroughly to look for something to help, to no avail. What Joseph said supports my belief that it's an issue with the DVD player. So, I guess I'm going to return it.

If I'm looking for a new DVD player, how will I know that it handles 4:3 content correctly? Would "aspect ratio control" be the name of the feature?

 

[David Norman]

My Panasonic Blu's Setup menu offer choices under TV Aspect of 4:3 P/S, 4:3 Letterbox, 16:9, and 16:9 Full. With the 1st and Last settings 4:3 Material is stretched, with the other 2 it is displayed normally.

Pioneer DVD setup for TV type -- 4:3 Pan Scan, 4:3 Letterbox, and 16:9 Wide. The latter selection allows the TV to control the shape of the 4:3 material.

Sony DVD player I have the manual for -- it has a selection for TV 16:9, 4:3 P/S, 4:3 Letterbox. It also it has a selection for "4:3 Output" when can be set to Full or Normal. This is only useful for Component Progressive outputs or HDMI -- the full setting is used if the TV allows aspect ratio control via the TV, the Normal setting is used when the TV doesn't allow aspect control in those situations.

I'm pretty sure the Panasonic DVD player I used to use can set the TV to 16:9 or 4:3, but there is a specific setting "4:3 Aspect" which allows a 16:9 set to automatically stretch 4:3, Shrink which I think shows the 4:3 properly, and Zoom. This also is used for TV's which don't allow Aspect Ratio control.


What happens if you set the Toshiba DVD player for a 4:3 display instead of 16:9? I realize this would be a PITA, but at least a workaround.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I doubt you will find a standard term used to describe the 4x3 aspect ratio control between the different manufacturers. I've owned Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony and Oppo DVD players, and they all could display 4x3 material properly, but all named the feature differently (and it may not even be listed in the specifications).