57U
09-09-2002, 08:38 PM
This post is a companion piece to "Widescreen Stretch Modes". Please read both.
Black bars are normal on your TV under certain circumstances. This is because the programmes shown on TV were originally shot in a number of different aspect ratios.
Most people are used to the "standard TV" aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (4:3).
Movies shown in cinemas are typically shown in a wider ratio (1.85:1 - very close to 16:9) - or they can be shown in 2:35:1 (a picture much wider than tall)
One way that this has been dealt with is with "pan & scan" movies, which basically remove a portion of the movie to make it fit a standard TV screen. Many people, however, prefer to see their movies in their Original aspect ratio (OAR) - as the director intended - mostly widescreen. These movies create "black bars" on standard TVs. The programming shot for standard TV's create bars on widescreen TVs.
Here are some basic descriptions of the various "black bars":
The following applies to widescreen HDTVs - 4:3 HDTVs will be discussed later:
16:9 High Definition Programming:
True High Definition Programmes are 16:9 and you will see no black bars on your widescreen TV.
16:9 High Definition Programming, originally shot in 2.35:1 aspect ratio (2.35:1 OAR).
Some movies will be shown this way and it is normal to have black bars above and below the movie/programme. Most TVs cannot stretch or zoom HD images, so you are "stuck" with the black bars.
4:3 HD Programmes:
There are black bars on the sides of 4:3 programming that has been "upconverted" by the network for the HD channel. These black bars are actually part of the image, so most TVs and STBs are not able to stretch the image to remove the black bars. Often, the only way to eliminate these bars is to watch the same programme on a standard definition channel - you will then be able to utilize your stretch modes.
16:9 Widescreen, Upconverted:
Occasionally HD channels will show a programme that was widescreen, but was upconverted within a 4:3 image (examples include ER, West Wing, etc). This means that there will be black bars on the sides and above and below the widescreen-type image. Since these bars are part of the image again, the same applies regarding stretching (you can't).
DVD players have a menu for selecting "widescreen or 16:9" TVs. This should be set to 16:9 or widescreen when watching DVDs on a widescreen TV, or on a 4:3 TV with "vertical compression". Some DVD players have even more settings available. Make sure that you choose the right one depending on your TV and DVD player (read the manuals).
1.85:1 Enhanced for Widescreen (Anamorphic) DVDs
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a widescreen TV. You will need to set the TV to it's "horizontal only stretch mode" to properly see this type of movie. There should be no black bars. If you use the vertical and horizontal stretch mode by mistake, everyone will be tall and skinny.
1.85:1 "Standard" DVDs (Not Enhanced for Widescreen)
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a widescreen TV. You will need to set the TV to it's "horizontal and vertical stretch mode" to properly see this type of movie. There should be no black bars. Same holds for most SD widescreen programming, although the PQ may suffer.
2.35:1 Enhanced for Widescreen (Anamorphic) DVDs:
These DVDs have an aspect ratio that is much wider than it is tall, so it will not fill a widescreen TV. You will need to set the TV to it's "horizontal only stretch mode" to properly see this type of movie. There will be black bars above and below the movie. If you use the vertical and horizontal stretch mode by mistake, everyone will be tall and skinny.
2.35:1 "Standard" DVDs (Not Enhanced for Widescreen):
These DVDs have an aspect ratio that is much wider than it is high, so it will not fill a widescreen TV. You will need to set the TV to it's "horizontal and vertical stretch mode" to properly see this type of movie. There will be black bars above and below the movie. If you absolutely cannot stand the black bars, you can use the DVD player's zoom mode to zoom in on the picture and eliminate the black bars, however, you will now miss the "outermost" parts of the movie and you will not be seeing what the director intended.
1.33:1 DVDs
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a 4:3 TV. You will either see bars on the sides, or you can use one of the stretch modes like you do for any standard definition signal.
The following descriptions apply to 4:3 (standard) HDTVs.
Preamble: Because most 4:3 HDTVs do not have the stretch modes available in widescreen HDTVs, you are typically "stuck" with whatever comes on the screen. Here's what you're typically stuck with.
16:9 High Definition Programming:
True High Definition Programmes are 16:9 and you will typically see black bars above and below the image
16:9 High Definition Programming, originally shot in 2.35:1 aspect ratio (2.35:1 OAR):
Some movies will be shown this way and it is normal to have black bars above and below the movie/programme. The bars on a 4:3 TV are quite broad and the image only takes up about 1/2 the screen.
4:3 HD Programmes:
These programmes will look particularly weird on a 4:3 set that does not allow a stretch of this image. These images will look like a "window in a window" because there will be black bars above, below and to the sides of a 4:3 image, despite the fact that it is the same aspect ratio as your TV.
16:9 Widescreen, Upconverted:
Same as for 4:3 HD above, but the black bars above and below the image will be wider still.
DVD players have a menu for selecting "widescreen or 16:9" TVs. This should be set to when 4:3 when watching DVDs on a 4:3 TV. If you don't have this set properly, Anamorphic DVDs will make everyone look tall and skinny because you won't be able to do the "horizontal only stretch" required to make this look right.
Vertical Compression on 4:3 HDTVs
If you have one of the newer 4:3 HDTV that have "vertical compression", you can set the DVD player to 16:9 and activate the "vertical compession" feature on the 4:3 TV. This will give you the proper aspect ratio on your 4:3 display and it will provide maximum resolution on your 4:3 set.
1.85:1 Enhanced for Widescreen (Anamorphic) DVDs:
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a widescreen TV. There will be black bars above and below the image on a 4:3 TV. If you don't like the black bars, use your DVD player's zoom button to remove them, realizing that you will lose the outermost parts of the movie and you will not see what the director intended. If you see "tall, skinny" people instead of normal people, you have your DVD player set incorrectly to 16:9 instead of 4:3. Your resolution will also be about 33% lower than an equivalently sized image on a widescreen TV because you cannot take advantage of the "enhanced for widescreen feature. (see the note above about 4:3 HDTVs that have "vertical compression", if you have such a TV)
1.85:1 "Standard" DVDs (Not Enhanced for Widescreen)
If you have your DVD player set properly as indicated above, there is no difference between Enhanced and "unenhanced" movies.
2.35:1 Enhanced for Widescreen (Anamorphic) DVDs
These DVDs have an aspect ratio that is much wider than it is tall, so it will not fill a 4:3 TV. There will be "tall" black bars above and below the movie and the movie will only fill about 1/2 the screen. Your resolution will also be about 33% lower than an equivalently sized image on a widescreen TV because you cannot take advantage of the "enhanced for widescreen" feature. (If you have one of the newer 4:3 HDTVs, you can read about "vertical compression" above)
2.35:1 "Standard" DVDs (Not Enhanced for Widescreen):
Same as above, however, your resolution is identical to an equivalent widescreen image.
1.33:1 DVDs:
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a 4:3 TV. You will see a "full screen" image. That's why some DVDs are "mislabelled" "Full Screen" instead of "pan & scan". "Full screen" implies that you have a 4:3 TV, which most HDTVs are not now and although your screen is full, you are typcally missing 30-44% of the original image.
Additional information on this subject can be found by typing "anamorphic" into your favourite search engine. These sites will explain widescreen, Pan & Scan, Aspect Ratios, etc. Here are a couple of sample sites.
Anamorphic 1 (http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/information/anamorphic.htm)
Anamorphic 2 (http://gregl.net/videophile/anamorphic.htm)
Grey Bars above/below HD channel images
Do you have Grey or Black bars above and below the HD channels?
If you do, this is because you are sending a non-HD signal to the TV. This is either because you have used an incorrect connection - either RF-coax, composite video or S-video, or because you have improperly set up the STB to output 480i/p for all channels.
Set up the STB properly and while troubleshooting ensure that you remove all connections except for component video or HDMI/DVI.
Also, make sure you're on the correct TV input. Sometimes people will connect via S-video for the SD channels, but then forget to change inputs back to the HD cable for the HD channels
More on DVD Aspects:
Some TVs have an "auto-stretch" mode, which attempts to properly stretch incoming signals, however, it doesn't always work properly and non-anamorphic DVDs will not be properly stretched on most "auto-stretch" TVs. You either need to turn off "auto-stretch" or override it.
Now that there are many people using upconverting DVD players, most HDTVs cannot properly stretch 720P/1080i signals, so the TV uses the "full" mode. This mode is usually correct for anamorphic DVDs, however, it is not for non-anamorphic DVDs, therefore you will need to feed the TV a 480i/p signal to allow you to properly stretch these DVDs. Many upconverting DVD players have a user selection for "4:3 DVDs" which you may also use to properly view Widescreen (non-anamorphic) DVDs, however, that setting may not be correct for your regular 4:3 DVDs from TV programmes say.
Also make sure that you've gone into the DVD player setup menu (not the DVD menu) and chosen the appropriate settings - like 16:9 TV, etc.
Note also that DVDs (movies) come in a huge variety of aspect ratio. Although the majority are 1.85:1 or 2.35:1, there are lots of other aspects from 1.1:1 to 2.8:1. See the following:
http://www.imdb.com/Sections/DVDs/AspectRatios/
Please PM me if you have any comments or suggestions for this post.
Black bars are normal on your TV under certain circumstances. This is because the programmes shown on TV were originally shot in a number of different aspect ratios.
Most people are used to the "standard TV" aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (4:3).
Movies shown in cinemas are typically shown in a wider ratio (1.85:1 - very close to 16:9) - or they can be shown in 2:35:1 (a picture much wider than tall)
One way that this has been dealt with is with "pan & scan" movies, which basically remove a portion of the movie to make it fit a standard TV screen. Many people, however, prefer to see their movies in their Original aspect ratio (OAR) - as the director intended - mostly widescreen. These movies create "black bars" on standard TVs. The programming shot for standard TV's create bars on widescreen TVs.
Here are some basic descriptions of the various "black bars":
The following applies to widescreen HDTVs - 4:3 HDTVs will be discussed later:
16:9 High Definition Programming:
True High Definition Programmes are 16:9 and you will see no black bars on your widescreen TV.
16:9 High Definition Programming, originally shot in 2.35:1 aspect ratio (2.35:1 OAR).
Some movies will be shown this way and it is normal to have black bars above and below the movie/programme. Most TVs cannot stretch or zoom HD images, so you are "stuck" with the black bars.
4:3 HD Programmes:
There are black bars on the sides of 4:3 programming that has been "upconverted" by the network for the HD channel. These black bars are actually part of the image, so most TVs and STBs are not able to stretch the image to remove the black bars. Often, the only way to eliminate these bars is to watch the same programme on a standard definition channel - you will then be able to utilize your stretch modes.
16:9 Widescreen, Upconverted:
Occasionally HD channels will show a programme that was widescreen, but was upconverted within a 4:3 image (examples include ER, West Wing, etc). This means that there will be black bars on the sides and above and below the widescreen-type image. Since these bars are part of the image again, the same applies regarding stretching (you can't).
DVD players have a menu for selecting "widescreen or 16:9" TVs. This should be set to 16:9 or widescreen when watching DVDs on a widescreen TV, or on a 4:3 TV with "vertical compression". Some DVD players have even more settings available. Make sure that you choose the right one depending on your TV and DVD player (read the manuals).
1.85:1 Enhanced for Widescreen (Anamorphic) DVDs
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a widescreen TV. You will need to set the TV to it's "horizontal only stretch mode" to properly see this type of movie. There should be no black bars. If you use the vertical and horizontal stretch mode by mistake, everyone will be tall and skinny.
1.85:1 "Standard" DVDs (Not Enhanced for Widescreen)
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a widescreen TV. You will need to set the TV to it's "horizontal and vertical stretch mode" to properly see this type of movie. There should be no black bars. Same holds for most SD widescreen programming, although the PQ may suffer.
2.35:1 Enhanced for Widescreen (Anamorphic) DVDs:
These DVDs have an aspect ratio that is much wider than it is tall, so it will not fill a widescreen TV. You will need to set the TV to it's "horizontal only stretch mode" to properly see this type of movie. There will be black bars above and below the movie. If you use the vertical and horizontal stretch mode by mistake, everyone will be tall and skinny.
2.35:1 "Standard" DVDs (Not Enhanced for Widescreen):
These DVDs have an aspect ratio that is much wider than it is high, so it will not fill a widescreen TV. You will need to set the TV to it's "horizontal and vertical stretch mode" to properly see this type of movie. There will be black bars above and below the movie. If you absolutely cannot stand the black bars, you can use the DVD player's zoom mode to zoom in on the picture and eliminate the black bars, however, you will now miss the "outermost" parts of the movie and you will not be seeing what the director intended.
1.33:1 DVDs
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a 4:3 TV. You will either see bars on the sides, or you can use one of the stretch modes like you do for any standard definition signal.
The following descriptions apply to 4:3 (standard) HDTVs.
Preamble: Because most 4:3 HDTVs do not have the stretch modes available in widescreen HDTVs, you are typically "stuck" with whatever comes on the screen. Here's what you're typically stuck with.
16:9 High Definition Programming:
True High Definition Programmes are 16:9 and you will typically see black bars above and below the image
16:9 High Definition Programming, originally shot in 2.35:1 aspect ratio (2.35:1 OAR):
Some movies will be shown this way and it is normal to have black bars above and below the movie/programme. The bars on a 4:3 TV are quite broad and the image only takes up about 1/2 the screen.
4:3 HD Programmes:
These programmes will look particularly weird on a 4:3 set that does not allow a stretch of this image. These images will look like a "window in a window" because there will be black bars above, below and to the sides of a 4:3 image, despite the fact that it is the same aspect ratio as your TV.
16:9 Widescreen, Upconverted:
Same as for 4:3 HD above, but the black bars above and below the image will be wider still.
DVD players have a menu for selecting "widescreen or 16:9" TVs. This should be set to when 4:3 when watching DVDs on a 4:3 TV. If you don't have this set properly, Anamorphic DVDs will make everyone look tall and skinny because you won't be able to do the "horizontal only stretch" required to make this look right.
Vertical Compression on 4:3 HDTVs
If you have one of the newer 4:3 HDTV that have "vertical compression", you can set the DVD player to 16:9 and activate the "vertical compession" feature on the 4:3 TV. This will give you the proper aspect ratio on your 4:3 display and it will provide maximum resolution on your 4:3 set.
1.85:1 Enhanced for Widescreen (Anamorphic) DVDs:
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a widescreen TV. There will be black bars above and below the image on a 4:3 TV. If you don't like the black bars, use your DVD player's zoom button to remove them, realizing that you will lose the outermost parts of the movie and you will not see what the director intended. If you see "tall, skinny" people instead of normal people, you have your DVD player set incorrectly to 16:9 instead of 4:3. Your resolution will also be about 33% lower than an equivalently sized image on a widescreen TV because you cannot take advantage of the "enhanced for widescreen feature. (see the note above about 4:3 HDTVs that have "vertical compression", if you have such a TV)
1.85:1 "Standard" DVDs (Not Enhanced for Widescreen)
If you have your DVD player set properly as indicated above, there is no difference between Enhanced and "unenhanced" movies.
2.35:1 Enhanced for Widescreen (Anamorphic) DVDs
These DVDs have an aspect ratio that is much wider than it is tall, so it will not fill a 4:3 TV. There will be "tall" black bars above and below the movie and the movie will only fill about 1/2 the screen. Your resolution will also be about 33% lower than an equivalently sized image on a widescreen TV because you cannot take advantage of the "enhanced for widescreen" feature. (If you have one of the newer 4:3 HDTVs, you can read about "vertical compression" above)
2.35:1 "Standard" DVDs (Not Enhanced for Widescreen):
Same as above, however, your resolution is identical to an equivalent widescreen image.
1.33:1 DVDs:
These DVDs are the correct aspect ratio to fill a 4:3 TV. You will see a "full screen" image. That's why some DVDs are "mislabelled" "Full Screen" instead of "pan & scan". "Full screen" implies that you have a 4:3 TV, which most HDTVs are not now and although your screen is full, you are typcally missing 30-44% of the original image.
Additional information on this subject can be found by typing "anamorphic" into your favourite search engine. These sites will explain widescreen, Pan & Scan, Aspect Ratios, etc. Here are a couple of sample sites.
Anamorphic 1 (http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/information/anamorphic.htm)
Anamorphic 2 (http://gregl.net/videophile/anamorphic.htm)
Grey Bars above/below HD channel images
Do you have Grey or Black bars above and below the HD channels?
If you do, this is because you are sending a non-HD signal to the TV. This is either because you have used an incorrect connection - either RF-coax, composite video or S-video, or because you have improperly set up the STB to output 480i/p for all channels.
Set up the STB properly and while troubleshooting ensure that you remove all connections except for component video or HDMI/DVI.
Also, make sure you're on the correct TV input. Sometimes people will connect via S-video for the SD channels, but then forget to change inputs back to the HD cable for the HD channels
More on DVD Aspects:
Some TVs have an "auto-stretch" mode, which attempts to properly stretch incoming signals, however, it doesn't always work properly and non-anamorphic DVDs will not be properly stretched on most "auto-stretch" TVs. You either need to turn off "auto-stretch" or override it.
Now that there are many people using upconverting DVD players, most HDTVs cannot properly stretch 720P/1080i signals, so the TV uses the "full" mode. This mode is usually correct for anamorphic DVDs, however, it is not for non-anamorphic DVDs, therefore you will need to feed the TV a 480i/p signal to allow you to properly stretch these DVDs. Many upconverting DVD players have a user selection for "4:3 DVDs" which you may also use to properly view Widescreen (non-anamorphic) DVDs, however, that setting may not be correct for your regular 4:3 DVDs from TV programmes say.
Also make sure that you've gone into the DVD player setup menu (not the DVD menu) and chosen the appropriate settings - like 16:9 TV, etc.
Note also that DVDs (movies) come in a huge variety of aspect ratio. Although the majority are 1.85:1 or 2.35:1, there are lots of other aspects from 1.1:1 to 2.8:1. See the following:
http://www.imdb.com/Sections/DVDs/AspectRatios/
Please PM me if you have any comments or suggestions for this post.
