groovygirl

I just ordered my first dvd player. I am a bit confused on playing movies. I have a 27 inch t.v. nothing special.I know I need full screen movies , but how much of the picture will i loose, and whats the smallest t.v. I can get to be able to get the wide screen movies to play right? Thanks in advance.

electronix_kid

First of all, you DONT need to watch Widescreen movies if you have ANY kind of TV... There's no set standards or rules that says your TV has to be X" big to view Widescreen Material. All TVs can show a widescreen format. I know a person, a big HT nut, using a 27" magnavox, it works for him...

You can get widescreen movies to play 'Right' on ANY size TV (Right by meaning it shows, or that theres no 'black bars'?), Right i mean by it shows correctly... I highly recommend NOT to buy FullScreen movies if Widescreen Versions are Available, FullScreen, or Pan and Scan cut of about 50% of the image that widescreen would normally show.

Dont worry any tv, incuding yours is capable of displaying widescreen material correctly...

groovygirl

Okay thanks, but again I am way confused. I have been in walmart or other places where they were showing a wide screen version of a dvd on a 27 inch or smaller and it had the big black bars, which I do not want. So how do I prevent this and if I manage that and buy wide screen dvd.s will I then see the entire picture? Sorry but I am so new to this.

tasha1

???? Do you lose the black bars on a larger tv? I have a 27 inch too, and the black bars don't bother me. When you don't see the black bars, it's because you're only seeing the middle of what was shown in the theaters (they just chop off the edges to make the picture square). I don't see how you could not get black bars with a larger tv, because the basic shape of the tv is still more square than rectangular, but maybe I'm wrong.

Tasha

X

quote:<HR>Originally posted by tasha1:
maybe I'm wrong<HR>

No, you're exactly right!

groovygirl

Wow, not I am really confused.I guess I just wondered what type of t.v. I would need to have no black bars, and see the entire movie as you do on vhs.

djones6746

quote:<HR>Originally posted by groovygirl:
Wow, not I am really confused.I guess I just wondered what type of t.v. I would need to have no black bars, and see the entire movie as you do on vhs. <HR>

Welcome to the forum groovygirl!!!!


You will not be able to get rid of the black bars on any tv........there are some dvds which contain both the full screen version of the movie and the widescreen version(the version which you viewed in the movie theater) Most full screen versions cut off the sides of the film in order to format it for you television screen. The widescreen version which is the version I prefer preserves the original aspect ratio of the film which means you do not miss out on any of the picture in regards to what is happening on the left and right of the picture. For instance....Braveheart....if you viewed this in a full screen format you would be missing out on much in the battle scenes.....another example would be Unforgiven when the three guys are riding their horses and talking to each other...in the full screen version you do not see the actor on the far right of the screen because they reformatted this movie to fit your tv screen!!! You will hear the term anamorphic dvd here on the forum and you will also see this in a dvd's description if the dvd contains an anamorphic transfer....this means that if you have a tv which is 16X9 or widescreen you will not only receive a better picture(higher resolution) but you will also be able to in some cases do away with the black bars and still be able to view the movie in widescreen splendor!!! Even some anamorphic discs from my understanding still display the black bars(I believe it is the movies with an aspect ratio of 2:35:1) but they are not as noticeable especially on a big screen television.

Merry Christmas!!!

Anyone please feel free to correct anything I have said....I am sure it is not the best explanation!!!

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http://www.dvdtracker.com/~djones6746.asp


"You know Andy...I never thought it would come to this....Mayberry....Gateway to danger."

Barney Fife

groovygirl

thanks for the welcome! I am just wondering if I should just send the thing back and stick to my vhs...lol I just don't know if I should get a different t.v. or what. I hate the black bars, but don't want to loose some of the picture either. I guess I will try both. I have a dvd player on my computer and got a wide screen dvd with it. I played it on th ecomputer and was less than thrilled with the black bars.....

djones6746

quote:<HR>Originally posted by groovygirl:
thanks for the welcome! I am just wondering if I should just send the thing back and stick to my vhs...lol I just don't know if I should get a different t.v. or what. I hate the black bars, but don't want to loose some of the picture either. I guess I will try both. I have a dvd player on my computer and got a wide screen dvd with it. I played it on th ecomputer and was less than thrilled with the black bars.....<HR>

Watch the actual movie itself and do not concern yourself with the black bars....if you allow yourself to get into the movie the black bars will barely be noticeable after awhile!!! It also helps to have a big screen tv.....I do not have a 16X9 yet....but that is my next purchase...until then I will be happy with my 53in Sony!!!

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http://www.dvdtracker.com/~djones6746.asp


"You know Andy...I never thought it would come to this....Mayberry....Gateway to danger."

Barney Fife

BartleyR7

If you would like to read some details about widescreen vs. pan/scan, try the link below.

Widscreen FAQ



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"PC Load Letter?!?"

My Growing DVD Collection

electronix_kid

Yeah, read the link above, that'll educate ya...

In VHS, you actually only see about 50% of the image, compared to DVDs with the "Black Bars", which shows the WHOLE image... It may seem weird with the black bars if you just changed from VHS to DVD, but you'll get used to it....

The only way for a normal TV (not projector) to totally get rid of the black bars, is if the TV is elastic...

groovygirl

quote:<HR>Originally posted by electronix_kid:
Yeah, read the link above, that'll educate ya...

In VHS, you actually only see about 50% of the image, compared to DVDs with the "Black Bars", which shows the WHOLE image... It may seem weird with the black bars if you just changed from VHS to DVD, but you'll get used to it....

The only way for a normal TV (not projector) to totally get rid of the black bars, is if the TV is elastic... <HR>

.............................................


What about the wide screen t.v.s I am looking at at amazon right now, the screen is rectangle shaped, its 64 inches and it says no black bars?? anyone know about these?

electronix_kid

The rectangular TVs STILL show black bars, because it is in 16:9, which is at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, while 99.99% of the new releases are at 1.85:1 or wider aspect ratio, so no matter what, you will still see black bars, its just the wider it is, the bigger they are...

Here is a clip from the Widescreen FAQ on HTF:
1.78:1 The dimensions of a widescreen television set; roughly equivalent to 16:9.
1.85:1 Popular aspect ratio for many movies.
2.35: Another popular aspect ratio for movies.

As you can see, the aspect ratio of many movies are wider than 16:9, so no matter what you do, you'll still see some degree of 'Black barness' on any TV...

If you haven't already, read the Widescreen FAQ link above, that will answer 99% of your questions...

Be thankful you didnt post this question on the Home Theater Forum, you might've been shark meat... Me, the guys from Home Theater Forum, and many people here, agree in Aspect Ratio, and Widescreen, and the People from the Home Theater Forum, including me, despise Pan-And-Scam, or for the newbie HT'er, "Normal".

[This message has been edited by electronix_kid (edited December 24, 2000).]

SGP

To make the long story short , read this article related to your question abt those black bars.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...hic/index.html

BenCJedi

Isn't there a DVD player that can effectively zoom in on widescreen movies and make the black bars go away? Of course with this, you are essentially panning and scanning and making a widescreen movie back into full screen and loosing action on the left and right. Personally, the black bars do not bother me. I am more concerned with the actual content from the movie. I don't see why people get all upset about having black bars on their movies.

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My DVD List

groovygirl

I do not understand why I would be "shunned" for not wanting big black bars on my t.v. while watching it. I only came here to ask if there was any way to avoid it. Thanks for those who tried to help and I will have to decide now what to do but understood or not. I hate black bars on my t.v. I would like to only see movie.To me it is as irritating as those "icons" at the bottom of the screen. It bugs the heck outta me.I still can't figure out how anyone can stand it. Anyway, I only asked if there was a way to avoid it because I did not know. Sorry to upset some of the "black bar lovers"

electronix_kid

quote:<HR>I hate black bars on my t.v. I would like to only see movie.<HR>

Okay... If you want to see the movie, I'd expect that ANY person would want to see 100% of the whole image, than to see 50% of it... I mean, how would you like to go into a theater and see only 50% of the movie picture??? You don't right?

Thats EXACTLY how you are viewing it at home, more or less 50% of the image, no, MOVIE is GONE!!!

Just one question... If you were to totally reinvent widescreen and aspect ratios etc. Tell me a way to make a "Rectangle Picture" (Widescreen Movie) fit into a "Square Hole" (Television Screen).

At least tell me you've read the Widescreen FAQ THUROUGHLY, and if you STILL dont get it, I'll stop bugging ya...

djones6746

Anyone picking on my girl(groovygirl)has to answer to me!!!!

I'm here for you groovygirl.....

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http://www.dvdtracker.com/~djones6746.asp


"You know Andy...I never thought it would come to this....Mayberry....Gateway to danger."

Barney Fife

groovygirl

quote:<HR>Originally posted by djones6746:
Anyone picking on my girl(groovygirl)has to answer to me!!!!

I'm here for you groovygirl.....

<HR>

Thank you! You are sweet. To the other guy...I did read it and do understand, I am not stupid(140 IQ) I just did not know every thing about dvd.s as it is new to me, I am sure there was a time when you did not know either.If you had understood what I was asking, you would realize that I was not asking how to get a widescreen picture in full on a "sqaure" t.v. but I asked what type of t.v. I had to buy to avoid the black bars as I personally hate them. Sorry if it offends you, but I feel the way I do. I do not want them if I can avoid it. I also mentioned that I was looking into buying a wide screen "rectanlge" t.v.

El Scorcho

groovygirl, forgive electronix_kid, as home theater setups is undoubtedly a hobby and as I'm sure everyone knows, sometimes one can get pretty adamant and overbearing with his/her hobby. Just realize he's trying to help.

As for your original question, it is your call in the end of course. The best that you can do though, is to make sure you fully realize the differences between widescreen and "normal" and then make an educated decision from there.

You need to ask yourself -- is it worth sacrificing a large part of the original picture in order to get rid of those black bars? You'll find your answer there.

But going back to VHS? Oh you're killing me here!

To compare, VHS = Ford Pinto. DVD = Ferrari. You make the call!

groovygirl

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Drink 'Til She's Cute:
groovygirl,

But going back to VHS? Oh you're killing me here!

To compare, VHS = Ford Pinto. DVD = Ferrari. You make the call!<HR>

Thanks, and about vhs, I know what ya mean. It took me forever to go dvd because I have 5 vcr's here and about 500 videos. I will of course keep my vcr's and my movies as we all enjoy them and they have cost a pretty penny but I was ready for the change and was just confused. I am looking at a digital 40 inch widescreen at amzon, also a 64 inch that is not digital. I will decide between them soon.

El Scorcho

quote:<HR>Originally posted by groovygirl:
Thanks, and about vhs, I know what ya mean. It took me forever to go dvd because I have 5 vcr's here and about 500 videos. I will of course keep my vcr's and my movies as we all enjoy them and they have cost a pretty penny but I was ready for the change and was just confused. I am looking at a digital 40 inch widescreen at amzon, also a 64 inch that is not digital. I will decide between them soon.<HR>

One other thing I can recommend while you're doing your hunt for a new TV, prepare for the future, even if you don't think you're going to use it now.

What I mean by this is get a TV that has at least S-video input or even better, component video input. This way if you somehow ever decide to get fully into setting up a nice home theater, you won't have to replace your TV again to get great picture quality. The basic connections between DVD players and TVs are what we call "RCA" cables and are the red, white, and yellow cables you see all over the place. S-video is much higher quality (most DVD players have S-video outputs that go directly into your TV's S-video input) and component video is even higher quality.


Definitely keep the VHS and all the movies, as there are some movies on VHS that wont' come out on DVD for a while, if ever (Godfather x 3, Star Wars x 4, etc.). However, I suggest you go to a retail outlet (Best Buy, Circuit City, or even your friends house if they have a home theater setup) and fully listen and watch a DVD movie with all it's bells and whistles. Only then will you realize just how much better you can make your setup sound compared to even real movie theaters.

Good luck.

Frank S

Just a few points for you to consider in making the decision best FOR YOU!

1. Widescreen TV's (16x9) will still have black bars on DVD's that have an aspect ratio larger then 1.85:1. Even though the 1.85:1 technically should show minor black bars they don't because of what's called overscan on your TV. This is where by your TV (all TV's are this way) has a small part of it's picture out beyond the viewable part of the screen. When you watch 2.35:1 DVD's (if they are Anamorphic - Enhanced for Widedscreen TV's) the black bars are still quite small compared to regular TV's. The one BIG advantage of course of the widescreen TV's (Except a few cheapo non-High Definition TV's) is they are ready for you to watch High Definition Satellite and local Over the Air programming! Yes there are 4x3 HDTV's but they have had compatability problems with HD decoders. With the widescreen TV's you will fill the entire screen when viewing HDTV and the picture will make DVD's look sad in comparison!

2. As stated above it's your choice you can fill your entire screen (4x3 TV) with Full Screen DVD's and lose 30-40% of the picture or get Widescreen DVD's and see the WHOLE picture and have to deal with black bars (remember that the 1.85:1 DVD will have very small black bars on a 4x3 TV). The choice should be strictly upto you on this but remember the future of TV's is a widescreen format and if you invest in all full screen DVD's and later buy a widescreen TV you will be kicking yourself for buying all full screen DVD's!

3. Another thing to consider is a decent surround system to go along with the new DVD player! You would be surprised how quickly you forget about those dreaded black bars when you are being bombared with incredible surround sound. I have on several occasions (before I bought a widescreen TV) had people over to watch a DVD and after the DVD was over I would make mention about the black bars and almost to a person they did not even notice it because the surround sound had then so into the film that they never noticed the black bars!

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My DVD/LD List
My Home Theater Equipment

tasha1

Silly Question:

If you get a widescreen tv, will it have black bars on the sides (rather than at bottom and top) when you watch full screen versions or regular tv shows? Just wondering how it all works . . .

tasha

groovygirl

Thanks for the last few remarks, and all of the good advise. It is alot to think about(mostly I mean which new t.v. I should buy.) I am going to be real careful in which one I choose. I work for anderson merchandising(we supply all of the dvd's, videos, and music to wal-mart) and have seen a dvd played and it of course if much better than vhs. It is all just so overwhelming to me right now and I tend to get frustrated. But you guys are helping me through and I thank you.