Monsters Inc. DVD display on new PTWX42???? (1 Viewer)

[Ian McD]

I just bought a PTWX42 widescreen TV and a RCA350N DVD player (with component video cables) and picked up Monsters Inc. as my 1st DVD.

I was told that widescreen movies would show up without any horizontal black bars on the top and bottom of the screen (which I understand can burn into a projection screen but also defeat the purpose of a widescreen TV) but I do get these bars when watching the movie in FULL and JUST modes - I can only get rid of them by putting the TV in ZOOM mode. It also says on the box that this DVD is optimized for widescreen 16:9 televisions. Do I need to select something in the DVD setup?

I have also noticed some 'flickering' around some edges - mostly on light/dark edges like from a character-to-background or the background-to-horizontal-black-bars. Is this normal? Is this a DVD issue or a TV/DVD player issue?

I'm new to these forums so please excuse any ignorance - :b
ian

 

[DaveF]

A few possibilities (without knowing about the zoom modes of your TV):

- Make sure your DVD player is set to output for widescreen TV (16:9) and not regular (4:3)
- If Monsters Inc. is actually 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 (slightly wider than 16:9) then there will still be thin black bars above & below the picture.

- I believe that you shouldn't need any "zoom" mode for watching this DVD on your TV. Is there a "normal" mode you can set your TV to, with respect to picture shape?

 

[Ming Wang]

most possible reason is the DVD player is not set to output for 16x9 TV.

monsters, Inc. is 1.85:1. there should be no noticeable black bars on top and bottom.

panny has aspect modes 4:3, zoom, full, just. no "normal" mode. for all anamorphic DVD should use full.

 

[SeanWillis]

The flickering is your DVD player. As above, make sure your player is set for 16x9 in the setup menu and use the full mode for anamorphic (enhanced for 16x9 televisions) DVD's.

Cheers,

Sean

 

[BruceSpielbauer]

The replies immediately above this one are correct -- with Monsters Inc., you should not be seeing any horizontal bars, since it is 1:85:1 enhanced for widescreen sets (which is also often called 1:85:1 anamorphic).

Find the place in the menu of your DVD player where you tell the player whether you are going to use a standard (4 X 3) TV, or a widescreen (16 X 9) TV. You need to change this to indicate that you now have a 16 X 9 TV.

But, I noticed this in your post:

>>> I was told that widescreen movies would show up without any horizontal black bars on the top and bottom of the screen

 

[Ian McD]

Wow, thanks all for your help!
I can't believe how great of a resource this forum is!!
Cheers!
Ian.

 

[Adam O]

Bruce I apolligize if i am incorrect, but arn't all the values in the form 1.85:1, not 1:85:1 etc.
Because this is a ratio between screen height and length (only 2 numbers) therefore ___:___ not, __:__:__
So not if the 'middle' number gets bigger, but the 'left' number or screen width, do the black bars increase in size.
Adam

 

[Jack Briggs]

I wouldn't call letterbox bars "masking bars" as there is nothing being masked.

So, Ian, I trust you understand the deal: Movies come in many aspect ratios, while TVs come in only two. Obviously, neither aspect ratio can accommodate every single film exactly. You will always be seeing black bars to some degree, and store salespeople are not infinite wells of expert knowledge.

If you screen, say, Ben-Hur, which has a 2.76:1 aspect ratio, you will notice quite prominent letterboxing bars. A 1.78:1 TV merely accommodates widescreen films better—but not perfectly.

And, yes, make sure your DVD player is outputting at 16:9 (1.78:1).

 

[BruceSpielbauer]

Adam O:

You wrote:
>>> Bruce I apolligize if i am incorrect, but arn't all the values in the form 1.85:1, not 1:85:1 etc.
... Because this is a ratio between screen height and length (only 2 numbers) therefore ___:___ not, __:__:__

 

[PatWahlquist]

"I have also noticed some 'flickering' around some edges - mostly on light/dark edges like from a character-to-background or the background-to-horizontal-black-bars. Is this normal? Is this a DVD issue or a TV/DVD player issue?"

I noticed a similar problem with my Denon 2800 and my Sony rptv. Check your DVD player menu to see if there is a video setting labled "film, video, auto" or something similar. Set it to film and then check the movie again. I noticed huge flicker problems on MI, specifically chapter 13 with Mike's flippers. I switched the Denon to film and it smoothed right out.

Pat