Optimal Setting For DVD Player When Using A 4x3 RPTV With Squeeze Mode (1 Viewer)

[David Von Pein]

I think I've read on the forums where my DVD Player should ALWAYS be set on 16:9 mode when viewing any-sized material on a 4x3 TV that has 16:9 Squeeze.

Is this correct? And how does the 16:9 setting affect watching normal 4x3 material. And what about non-anamorphic letterbox movies? Should the Player be set back to 4x3 Letterbox mode for non-A stuff? Or will the exact same picture quality be produced in EITHER of the modes (16:9 or 4:3 Letterbox)?

Thanks for any info.

David

 

[Marco Salvatori]

I have the same question...

 

[David Von Pein]

Dog-gone-it, Marco! I thought you had some info for me!

I think I read on DVDTalk one time that it wouldn't hurt anything to just ALWAYS keep the DVD Player on 16:9, even when watching non-Anam. material OR 4:3 stuff. I just wanted confirmation of this from the "Expert Videophiles" here @ HTF.

 

[David Von Pein]

Marco.....Since we're in the same "boat of ignorance", it seems, on this matter, I dug out (finally) an HTF thread on this subject.

However, I'd still like to hear what others are setting their Players on. ........

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...layer+settings

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Yes, just leave the player in 16x9 mode all the time. It should automatically know how to handle non-16x9 DVDs as well.

On some players, you may have additional functionality to either manually or automatically do extra aspect ratio control processing for non-16x9 DVDs, eg. 4x3 shrink w/ black side bars or scaling letterboxed image to 16x9 form, so that you can also leave your TV in 16x9 mode all the time. But such functionality is not entirely common although often desirable, especially if the TV locks into 16x9 mode on 480p signals. Generally, such functionality is more useful for 16x9 TVs than 4x3 TVs.

_Man_

 

[Chris_Eff]

The player even if it is set to 16x9 will automaticly adjust if a dvd is 4x3. In other words the player in 16x9 will output what is on the dvd with out any altering. However you will have to adust your TV accordingly to the format being played. 16x9 for anamorphic movies and 4x3 mode for movies that are not. 4x3 movies are distorted if I leave my tv in 16x9.

I have left my player on 16x9 since this way it will not be performing double duty since 16x9 mode on the tv letterboxes my 4x3 tv for me.

Hope I did not create more confusion.

 

[David Von Pein]

Thanks, Man.

Thanks, Chris.

You've confirmed what I had suspected.

One more Q.: I've noticed that the black bars on my 4:3 RPTV aren't exactly the same size, i.e.: The bar on the bottom is slightly thicker than the top one. At least on 2.35 material. The WS letterboxed image, in other words, isn't exactly "centered" on the screen. It very nearly is, but not quite.

Is this normal? Or is there some tweaking I can do to "center" the picture exactly in the middle.

Really not a huge deal. But, if it's possible, I'd prefer it perfectly symmetrical.

 

[Kevin. W]

isn't exactly "centered" on the screen. It very nearly is, but not quite

You would have to go into the service menu and adjust the V-size, but this could cause a other problems(geometry, etc). I wouldn't worry about it.

Kevin

 

[Jack Briggs]

Again, if you have a monitor that's either 16:9 native or is a 4:3 with a 16:9 mode, set your DVD player to output at 16:9, and be done with it. You'll never have to visit the set-up menu again.

As for the 4:3 monitor, some detect the 16:9 signal and collapse the scanning-line raster automatically while others must be adjusted manually.