Why do I still have black bars with a widescreen TV?

Joe_Cracker

Your probably thinking something like a image with say 1920x1080 HD animorphic non-quare pixals where an image that is 1.78:1 squeezed and when viewed properly it's 2.35:1

They can always make wider screens but I think we are a long ways away, if you want longer screens try getting a projector.

Vinceg99

So now is this just an HDTV widescreen problem? I posted in the bars, bars, and bars forum with no reply so figured I would try it here..

My brother in-law has a panny SDTV widescreen plasma and not once when watching regular TV have I noticed bars anywhere? I have also seen it with regular Xbox and also a Wii and again no bars I dont know about when he plays DVD's though. But again everything I saw was NO bars and his picture doesnt look stretched or anything either??

Lee Stewart

You may not have noticed any bars on SDTV because they are pretty rare - unless you watch movies on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). They offer almost all of their movies in the original aspect ratio and many of the movies after 1955 used the 2.35 "Cinemascope" AR and these will be presented with bars on top of and below the image no matter if it's on an NTSC TV or a HDTV.

Vinceg99

Thanks for the quick reply, so im confused why would the bars be on one widescreen (HDTV) and not another (SDTV)? Does it all come down to resolution then? He has AT&T U-Verse now and before that TW cable and like I said no lines and that also included using the Xbox and Wii. I will have to go over there and have him put it on TCM and see if it has bars than.

I guess I still dont get it...lol...I mean what im reading makes some sense (im a noob and dont know a lot) but it makes sense that the stuff is shot in different formats that I understand but reading these threads it seems like for some stations you change it than others you dont, he doesnt EVER change ratios on his TV infact I think he mainly just uses the cable boxes remote for everything and doesnt use the actual TV remote at all and all he uses that for is volume up/volume down, channel up/channel down, and then when switching to play games he does that right on the tv itself.

Lee Stewart

Each content provider works with the channel delivery company. Some are pro OAR (original Aspect ratio) like Starz and others are anti OAR like HBO.

You will only see bars if the content is in OAR and has a aspect ratio of 2.35.

That is the only way you can show a 2.35 OAR movie on either a 1.33 TV or a 1.78 TV.

When you get HD content for HDTV's it is much more common. Thank God.

I don't want to see The Magnificent Four. I want to see The Magnificent Seven.

Vinceg99

OK that just confused me more...lol

OK so what you're saying is once you set up the TV to be "filled" by a channel your not always changing it UNLESS you come across one of the stations that stick with the OAR?

But I had thought that filling up a widescreen with the channel causes the image to be streched and not look natural?

Lee Stewart

Are you talking about the Zoom feature?

See above.

Vinceg99

OK my main question that no one has yet to give me an answer or explanation for is why my brother in-laws panny SDTV widescreen plasma has NO bars anywhere at anytime?

He does NOT touch ANY settings on the TV going from channel to channel, TV to DVD, TV to Games (Xbox/Wii) but yet ALWAYS has a full screen, and yes even on TCM he has a full screen.

And no circles arent ovals, scrolling is consitant from end to end.

If someone could please give me SOME kind of reply to this that would be great and no please no more talk about AR I know that there are a few different ones out there and some may or may not fill up the screen that still doesnt answer my question.

Sorry if my reply here seemed rude I wasnt trying to be its just no one seems to be able to give me an ACTUAL answer to my question.

Lee Stewart

Does he have the widescreen version of one of the Star Wars movies on DVD?

If he does - then have him put it on and if he doesn't have any letterbox bars - then he has managed to program his HDTV to zoom all content that is not 1.78/1.85.

Vinceg99

OK finally got an answer for this yes while playing Star Wars he has the black bars.

Lee Stewart

OK - The Star Wars movies are 2.40 aspect ratio. So he should see bars with any 2.40 AR movie whether on DVD (many) or on broadcast TV (few).

Vinceg99

So basically how he has his set up I could do the same with the exception of the 2.40 A/R movies right?

Lee Stewart

His setup is no different than anyone elses.

You see the bars on 2.40 AR content - you don't see bars with 1.78 or 1.85 AR content.

It all depends on what movies you watch and from what source the content is coming from be it DVD, Blu-Ray, CBL, SAT, etc.

Mattie_B

Am I the only one that thinks its a bit redundant to have a sticky linking to another sticky in the same section on the same exact topic?

Whats this the back up sticky?

Perhaps you could copy/paste your Bars, Bars and more bars thread here if this is the title you want for the thread.

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defcon23

If you dont like the bars theres always an option to buy FULL SCREEN versions of the movie but you wont get the widescreen ratios which in intended to show the full picture of the movie the way it is shown in theaters.