My issue is with standard DVD's. They play in a 4x3 box, not full screen. I have the resotion set for upto 1080i and the picture shape is set to 16x9. I am using the supplied HDMI cable connecting to an Olevia LT42HVi LCD.
Configuring Toshiba A2 HDDVD player
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Not at all, there are bars on either side of the 4x3 picture. For some reason its not "stretching". Its stretching fine with my Directv HR21, also connected using an hdmi cable, all sd programing stretches to 16x9 so I know its not an HDMI issue
Ok, so you are not watching a wide-screen DVD then. ("Wide-screen" should be indicated on the packaging.) You are trying to stretch a 4:3 image. Just curious, why would you want to do that? Do you really prefer stretched faces? If you are concered about burn-in, then this is not an issue with LCD.
<Scratches head> I could swear I answered the wide screen question. Yes it is a wide screen DVD. And it is displayed as a 4x3 picture the black side bars on both sides of the 4x3 picture, and has black bars above and below the image within the 4x3 picture.
If it's a true widescreen DVD (the one that states "WIDESCREEN" on its cover, not just "Letterbox") it should play correctly on your HD DVD. sounds like something is not set correctly.
You may need to check all your settings:
1. during the playback hit the Display button and verify that Video Output line says 1080i.
2. Press the Setup button on your Toshiba remote and go to Picture settings of your player. Make sure TV Shape is set to 16:9.
You may need to check all your settings:
1. during the playback hit the Display button and verify that Video Output line says 1080i.
2. Press the Setup button on your Toshiba remote and go to Picture settings of your player. Make sure TV Shape is set to 16:9.
What is your TV currently set for? i.e., I have a SONY XBR 34" 16x9 tv, with normal, full, wide, horizontal stretch, vertical stretch settings. I run the HD DVD on component video (stupid HDCP issue with the TV), and the TV is set to FULL, and it works fine. The HD DVDs I have all play letterbox, but they are all OAR, so it is what I expected. DVDs that are anamorphic fill the full screen.
Check your tv's settings.
The video settings on the HD A2 are pretty simple; there are not a lot of choices. Just go through them and experiment. I'll check mine and see what they are set on.
Check your tv's settings.
The video settings on the HD A2 are pretty simple; there are not a lot of choices. Just go through them and experiment. I'll check mine and see what they are set on.
i verified during play back and the output is 1080i. I couldnt verify step 2 during playback, but halted the video and the shape is 16x9
Assuming this is the correct setup, the player either
a)cannot do what I want it to do, or
b)it's defective
BTW, the dvd i been messing with is Hunt for Red October. Whats odd is that the image for the fbi is full 4x3, then the image for starting the movie is full 16x9, then it goes to wide screen on a 4x3 image for movie play back.
Check your tv settings? With HDMI, I cant adjust the aspect ratio. It forces 16x9. Component connections are adjustable. I dont understand why my old sony upconverted via hdmi cable correctly, or like I want it, but the toshiba does not.
Assuming this is the correct setup, the player either
a)cannot do what I want it to do, or
b)it's defective
BTW, the dvd i been messing with is Hunt for Red October. Whats odd is that the image for the fbi is full 4x3, then the image for starting the movie is full 16x9, then it goes to wide screen on a 4x3 image for movie play back.
Check your tv settings? With HDMI, I cant adjust the aspect ratio. It forces 16x9. Component connections are adjustable. I dont understand why my old sony upconverted via hdmi cable correctly, or like I want it, but the toshiba does not.
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Really? Wow. I can with my tv. I use HDMI for Dish, and can use the tv's settings and the screen button to switch between different modes.
How about trying to connect the HD A2 via component; I know it won't upconvert, but see if you get the proper output in terms of aspect ratio.
AND what are the settings you are using on th HD A2 itself?
Is that the newer "Special Collector's Edition" of the "Hunt" or is it the original 1999 DVD release? If I am not mistaken, only the Collector's Edition has the anamorphic widescreen version. The original DVD was not anamorphic. It was actually standard 4:3 with letterboxed image (that would explain what you are seeing).
Which suggests another way to see if its the player -- put in a different disc.
I checked the settings on the HD A2, Picture setting - 16x9, resolution: up to 1080i
Just to clarify what I think is going on here:
Standard DVDs support two formats of the image: standard 4:3 and anamorphic 16:9 widescreen (which is usually indicated with the words "WIDESCREEN EDITION" on the front cover of the DVD). The original release of the "Hunt for Red October" (which I suspect you have) is not a widescreen DVD (i.e. it doesn't use anamorphic 16:9 format). It is formatted for standard 4:3 TV sets (the most common TV shape at the time of its release). However, the movie on that DVD is not cropped to 4:3 aspect ratio (pan-and-scan), it's letterboxed: black bars are added at the top and at the bottom. When you play such movie on a 4:3-shaped tv you simply get black bars at the top and at the bottom, as expected. But on a widescreen TV, you get a black frame on all sides: black bars on the left and on the right are due to the fact that this is a non-anamorphic DVD; black bars at the top and at the bottom are simply part of the letterboxed image.
So, what can you do about that?
1. If your TV set has Zoom function, try using that. Unfortunately not all TV sets are capable of zooming HD image. Most can only zoom SD.
2. Switch the player output to 480p and let your TV set do the upconversion and zooming.
3. Get a wide-screen version of the DVD: the Collector's Edition of the "Hunt for Red October" should play correctly.
Hope this helps.
Standard DVDs support two formats of the image: standard 4:3 and anamorphic 16:9 widescreen (which is usually indicated with the words "WIDESCREEN EDITION" on the front cover of the DVD). The original release of the "Hunt for Red October" (which I suspect you have) is not a widescreen DVD (i.e. it doesn't use anamorphic 16:9 format). It is formatted for standard 4:3 TV sets (the most common TV shape at the time of its release). However, the movie on that DVD is not cropped to 4:3 aspect ratio (pan-and-scan), it's letterboxed: black bars are added at the top and at the bottom. When you play such movie on a 4:3-shaped tv you simply get black bars at the top and at the bottom, as expected. But on a widescreen TV, you get a black frame on all sides: black bars on the left and on the right are due to the fact that this is a non-anamorphic DVD; black bars at the top and at the bottom are simply part of the letterboxed image.
So, what can you do about that?
1. If your TV set has Zoom function, try using that. Unfortunately not all TV sets are capable of zooming HD image. Most can only zoom SD.
2. Switch the player output to 480p and let your TV set do the upconversion and zooming.
3. Get a wide-screen version of the DVD: the Collector's Edition of the "Hunt for Red October" should play correctly.
Hope this helps.
Something is wrong with the handshake on your HDMI. That's why it's sending the movies out at 4:3 480i/p rather than 16x9. I've even played 16x9 pornos on my A2 at 1080i (I usually prefer to use 720 for SD DVD's) to my 768p Westy W32W6.
What does your TV say is the resolution being sent?
I had a similar problem with my Magnavox MRV 700. It would only send movies letterboxed at 4:3 centered in the middle of the screen.
Do you have a different HDMI cable or port on your Olevia?
Agreed. I had the same problem (black bars on all four sides) with "The Santa Clause" the other day and figured out it was not anamorphic and that was the problem. I had to use the zoom on my TV. Any anamorphic DVD's have played fine and taken up the appropriate amount of space on the TV. The "problem" is that the A2 is smarter than your older DVD player and knows that a 4:3 picture should not be stretched to fit the screen.
I think your problem is an older non-anamorphic DVD, as several others have already mentioned.
When you buy SD DVD's in the future, look for the words "enhanced for widescreen TVs" or "anamorphic" on the packaging. Some DVDs are indeed anamorphic but don't advertise that fact.
With a non-anamorphic DVD in the A2, you will get "postage stamp" view - black bars on the sides AND the top/bottom. This is technically the most correct way for the A2 to play them. Other SD DVD players may default to stretch-o-vision mode to fill your screen, but not the A2 (thankfully).
If you really want to fill your screen with one of these non-anamorphic DVDs you will need to use your TVs "zoom" mode, if it has one. Note: My TV (a Mitsubishi DLP) will NOT zoom an image fed to it over HDMI, but it will zoom one fed via component.
When you zoom the image, it will fill your screen, but image quality definitely suffers. You will probably find that you prefer postage stamp view over zoomed view due to the quality loss, but YMMV.
When you buy SD DVD's in the future, look for the words "enhanced for widescreen TVs" or "anamorphic" on the packaging. Some DVDs are indeed anamorphic but don't advertise that fact.
With a non-anamorphic DVD in the A2, you will get "postage stamp" view - black bars on the sides AND the top/bottom. This is technically the most correct way for the A2 to play them. Other SD DVD players may default to stretch-o-vision mode to fill your screen, but not the A2 (thankfully).
If you really want to fill your screen with one of these non-anamorphic DVDs you will need to use your TVs "zoom" mode, if it has one. Note: My TV (a Mitsubishi DLP) will NOT zoom an image fed to it over HDMI, but it will zoom one fed via component.
When you zoom the image, it will fill your screen, but image quality definitely suffers. You will probably find that you prefer postage stamp view over zoomed view due to the quality loss, but YMMV.
