HD DVD screen

Hello,
I have an LG 42" Plasma hdtv. I recently purchaed a Toshiba A-3 hddvd player. The quality is very good, however I would like for the movies I play to fill in the entire screen on my TV. I have tried on the DVD settings and messed around with the 4:3 and 16:9 screen ratio's and get the letterbox formats. does anyone know if there is a way to be able to play my HDdvds on my entire screen?

Are you referring to the black bars at the top and bottom of the movie, or are you getting them on the sides?

If it's the top and bottom, you can't really do much about that part. Movies are all filmed in a variety of different aspects. You could use the zoom feature, but then you would be cutting off the sides.

It is the bars on the top and bottom of the screen.
I know that on blu ray and whenever an HD movie is on tv, that it fills the entire screen and the picture looks so much better. I was just wondering if it is possible to do the same with HD dvds.

it sounds like you might be playing a pan and scan movie? Perhaps? That would explain the bars on the left and right. You shouldn't have that for widescreen.

Ah, the deaded bars on top and bottom. I solved this by making a set of theatre curtains I stick on my set, via velcro, that cover the black bars.

I don't have Blu-ray so I can't really say for sure, but if that's true then it sounds like the player is cropping the sides. While that makes the picture fill the entire screen, you end up losing part of the film as the filmmakers intended it to be seen.

You can do searches on anamorphic for more in-depth explanations on the subject. Some of the sites actually provide detailed image examples (for example, one scene might have three guys standing in a field in the widescreen that you see at the theater, but to make it fit the entire HD screen you won't be able to see the guys on the sides).

So basically with the black bars at the top and bottom, you are seeing the whole picture. If it fits the entire screen, you are missing some of the scene.

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[Post edited by hoodaguy on Nov 5, 2007]

I believe the aspect ratio for most HD TVs is 1.85:1 (so anything different than that will most likely have some sort of black bars).

Although I do like Tim's solution, you might try setting your HDTV set's "picture" mode to "Automatic" or equivalent [if so equipped] where it detects blackness and after a few moments it will stretch the screen to fill the space. Check your HDTV's manual under "User Options" for details.

I assure you it's nothing more than simply compulsive behaviour, however. With films presented in a specific aspect for a reason you shouldn't feel bad for the ignored pixels. What would be next...the wall?

Actually, if the bars are on the top and bottom of your screen, it sounds like the film was shot in scope (2.35:1 ratio) rather than flat (1.85:1 ratio). The 1.85:1 ratio (ex.: Saving Private Ryan) should fill your entire screen, while anything in the 2.35:1 ratio (Transformers, Spider-Man 3) will have thin lines at the top and bottom as HDTVs are made to the 1.85:1 scale.

Many times on TV, movies shown in Hi-Def have been reformatted to fit the 1.85:1 ratio. For example, I saw the Bourne movies on TNT in HD, and while they are in the 2.35:1 ratio on my HD-DVDs, TNT reformatted them to 1.85:1 to fit my screen. You can stretch the picture to take away the black bars, but it will distort and stretch the characters and environs.

sean (...not that we all couldn't use a little stretching from time to time... inquisition anyone?...)

certain video programmes aren't supposed to fill up your screen.

As previously mentioned it's the Ratio. For an Easy comparison take Toy Story, it should fill up your entire screen because if it's aspect ratio and then watch Cars it will have black bars on the top and bottom because it is a much wider ratio. This will happen regardless of what players you put the movies in. As someone mentioned you could use a zoom feature but then you're still not getting the whole movie it will be cutting off the sides.

HDTVs have a native viewing ratio of 1.78:1 (info here), and only content filmed either in this ratio (or the popular 1.85:1) will avoid seeing black bars on the top/bottom of the image.

Also, there are plenty of Blu-ray, HD-DVD, and DVD discs that have images with black bars on the top/bottom, since they were filmed in different ratios than the above, such as 2.40:1, 2.35:1, 2.20:1, and many others.

Non-HDTVs (and many TV show content, also older movies) have a ratio of 4:3, the more common squarish image we've known most of our lives.

Since others have posted comments about "Letterbox 4:3" and "Anamorphic 16x9" content, I won't repeat the same here.

-Love Hendrix! (The Loverboy)

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/764

I too am having the black bar issue. Along the top and bottom when I play my HD DVD's through the Xbox 360 HD DVD player. It's not a setting on the discs. And messing with the onscreen menu's of my widescreen 1080p TV. If the there is a setting that tells the TV to stretch the picture it's not in true 1080p then. I must be missing something... i'll mess around with it a bit more when I get home.

I was just saying to myself, where is Hendrix? He always gives good advice about the subject of ratios.

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[Post edited by tony1569 on Feb 14, 2008]

1080P is the output setting of how many lines are leaving the source. Most HDTV set only understand 720p or 1080i. Unless you purchased your set in the last year or two. Check the manual.

Aspect ratio on the players are 16:9 for Widescreen TV's. 4:3 and 4:3LB are used for Regular formatted screen, HD or not. You do not want to be using anything above a 480i setting on a non HD TV. I don't even think you can buy a 4:3 formatted HD set anymore. I remember when that was the in thing... geesh, glad I didn't get one of those.

Tony... just look ^up above^, a few posts before yours today of 2/14, and see the info that I posted in Nov. - that LINK provides anything you need to know!

ReaggieP... good comment above. And Sharp still makes a few 4:3 LCD sets (480p non HD only), sizes between 14 and 20 inches - both a few 4:3 'Traditional' TVs (some widescreen show here too) - and three 4:3 Aquos TVs. Remember, these are NOT hi-def resolution TVs, and limited to 480p.

-LH (The Loverboy)

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[Post edited by Love Hendrix! on Feb 14, 2008]

Because of all the black "bars", I recommend a TV with black borders.
It just looks like you have a thicker border on two sides. The alternate grey border/black bar is distracting to me.

Quote:
Because of all the black "bars", I recommend a TV with black borders.

I want a Carada Masquerade screen, and the 142" diagonal should do me fine: http://www.carada.com/Masquerade-Masking-System-Projection-Screens.aspx

Do any of you go to the movies anymore? You might notice that in most multiplexes, there is only one size screen, 16x9 or 1.78:1. When the theater you're in shows a movie in a wider aspect ratio, it is no wider than the theater screen, but it is less high from top to bottom. In essence, movie houses now have black bars on the top (and sometimes bottom) of the screen for 2.00:1 films and wider. Some multiplexes use curtains that pull down from the top (and/or raise up from the bottom) and hide a part of the screen, but it's the same effect as on your widescreen TV at home.

John

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[Post edited by John J. Puccio on Feb 14, 2008]

John, I have a funny but typical story for you. While at Walmart yesterday I overheard this lady telling her husband that she wouldn't buy this DVD, because it didn't say it was FULL SCREEN. The husband then looks it over to confirm and announces rather loudly, "What crap! They charge you $23 for a new DVD release and it's not even full screen?".

I had a hard time not laughing out loud!

Darn I love Walmart.

Careful, Sky, you'll encourage Tim to go off on another Wal-Mart customer rant.

John

Quote:
When the theater you're in shows a movie in a wider aspect ratio, it is no wider than the theater screen, but it is less high from top to bottom.

I've seen that, but I prefer the wider movies being bigger.

lol, thanks for the laugh Sky. Tim where are you?.. some one said Walmart.

Also, who ever keeps bringing back up all this old threads... kee it up. doing a great job sinking and this garbage being discussed.

Come to think of it, I have'nt seen or read anything from Tim all day. There are a couple of threads I know he would've posted a picture in. HMMM?

Tony it's because that thread about Tim, has sunk out of the recent posts. Quick someone bump it and massage his ego.