I have Philips 42" plasma & HDVDR The plasma has the standard (7 or so) widesreen view modes The HDVDR also has it's own zoom modes Yet I still can't watch 'Pirates of the Carribean' the way I want to The DVD plays is wide/wide screen and by default is letterbox (black bars top & bottom) - I didn't buy a 42" to see black bars anywhere -Grrrrr Tried all view modes on TV and the only way i can fill the screen is by stretching it vertically - Double Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Tried the zoom modes on the HDVD and it just zooms the picture and retains the original ratio - Perfic! - except it leaves the zoom icons all over the screen and i can't get rid - Triple GRRRRRRRR I dont know if any one else has this problem but this is more a vent to manufacturers I NEVER want to see black bars ever again & I want to be able to zoom them out - I dont care if i lose some of the picture to do this - I DO NOT want pictures stretched this way or that way (i even teach students that stretching a picture is a mortal sin) - When i've paid £2000 I should be able to watch a movie upside down or back to front if'n i want to GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
I believe this post and the first set of pictures by [edDV] should go a long way in explaining why you see black edges around your widescreen TV http://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=316733 This is my post from another thread on the subject QUOTE Wide-screen 16:9 -- [1.78:] Fills the entire wide-screen TV. If 1.85:1 it will leave a very small boarder and on a 4:3 TV either leaves a boarder but is acceptable for viewing If 2.35:1 [or scope] the wide-screen has to much boarder [is a sliver on most 4:3 TV] and is UN-acceptable Sure you can screw around with the aspect ratio but it usually results in time and likely a quality loss. I have found very few flicks in anamorphic , or a DVD or TV that are smart and would react to it and who wants to screw around with a movie that is bought or rented. Rental outfits mostly provide 2:35:1 or some fullscreen versions. Frankly I would rather watch a fullscreen than a 2.35:i I have films that are wide-screen 1.78:1 and are excellent on wide-screen and very good on a 4:3 TV. I have yet to find a flick, bought or rented that tells what the aspect ratio is. Many try to state that wide screen is anything over full-screen in aspect ratio If it says Wide-Screen I want it in 1.78:1--[1.85:1] OK --- 2.35:1 no way If it was in 2.35:1 I take it back and I don’t care if the box says wide-screen There is No Reason to provide these 2.35:1 movies for TV viewing on any TV, they belong in a cinema scope theater
This subject has been discussed at length. There is a lot of good info here: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/226188 Suggestions on how to minimize your viewing with the "black bars" and why you will continue to have run-ins with them. Some good links as well.
my beef is really that it doesn't matter what ratio (2.7:1, whatever)the film is in you SHOULD always be able to zoom black bars out - without distorting the picture
For the price we pay for the sets, equipment, etc...I whole heartedly agree! I should be able to zoom in on a pimple on the nether regions of Jessica Alba's behind with crystal clarity if I wanted to!!LOL!
Well zooOOMMing is not rocket science (enlarging without distorting) and i can't figure out why manufacturers don't support it I can't figure out the mentality of people/companies investing so much time/money in technological boundaries (progressive scan, component output, High Definition) and then not even notice (or care) that 1/3 of their picture is totally missing To me that's like touching in a miniscule stone chip in your car boot/hood when the bonnet/hood has fallen off completely People often act like black bars are some nessessary evil 'we have to put up with', like it's some by-product of 16:9 vs 3:4 But it isn't! I had almost forgotten but i have a prehistoric Philips DVD player that has an 8 step zoom which is enough to erradicate any black bars on any screen ratio vs any dvd ratio i was hoping it could stay in my bedroom since i'd spent a small fortune on the replacements but it looks like it's coming down stairs again
