[MtnBikerChk]

I think I'm doing everything right but Pirates 2 (for example) does not cover the whole screen with the HD version (on demand) OR the DVD. The box doesn't say full screen.

Very confused

BTW, other HD programming such as sports and HBO DO cover the whole screen and look AWESOME!

 

[Mike B.]

Different aspect ratios, your HD set is 16:9 ~ 1.78:1. Check the back of the DVD box it will usually say either 1.85:1 or 2.39:1 (the 2 most common). The 1.85 will fill your HD set where 2.39 will not unless you stretch it which looks horrible. Some older stuff on DVD (& std def broadcast) might be only 4:3 or 1.33:1 which gives you the vertical bars on either.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

Do you mean they don't fit vertically? Meaning there are black bars on the top and bottom? Like Mike said that is because of the different aspect ratio. Movie theaters are wider than 16:9. If you are getting black bars on the sides or all around it must be how your tv or dvd player is set up. That is why I chose to watch Pirates on HBOHD rather than my dvd. HD looks much better than dvd. You don't get the black bars (which must mean they are cutting off the sides) and the resolution is higher.

yep - black bars on top and bottom - so what - everyone who has a 16:9 tv can't watch pirates unless they use the "stretch" feature? (which I did on the dvd player to watch it).

just seems odd.

 

[Toshi]

yep - black bars on top and bottom - so what - everyone who has a 16:9 tv can't watch pirates unless they use the "stretch" feature? (which I did on the dvd player to watch it).

just seems odd.

it's not that odd: most movies weren't shot in 16:9. the choice of 16:9 by the tv makers was arbitrary, and there _was_ debate of whether a 2.35:1 screen would be better to avoid this exact problem. 16:9 was felt to be an adequate compromise for both 4:3 "normal" content and movies.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

it's not that odd: most movies weren't shot in 16:9. the choice of 16:9 by the tv makers was arbitrary, and there _was_ debate of whether a 2.35:1 screen would be better to avoid this exact problem. 16:9 was felt to be an adequate compromise for both 4:3 "normal" content and movies.

well I just meant odd for recent and very popular movies like Pirates to have this problem. 16:9 is the compromise and "the way of the future" I just would have thought that it wouldn't have been an issue.

There's a lot more to HDTV than just plugging it in and you're off! LOL

ps - it does say "2.35:1 - Enhanced for 16x9 television." Should they add to that - yeah, if you want black bars on the top and bottom?!

 

[Kornphlake]

Why would you want to watch Pirates anyway? That was $8.50 and three hours of my life that I'll never get back.

 

[Transcend]

It makes perfect sense as the actual film isn't the same shape as your tv. Popular movie or not.

See film sizes here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_format

 

[MtnBikerChk]

It makes perfect sense as the actual film isn't the same shape as your tv. Popular movie or not.

See film sizes here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_format

maybe they should make the tvs in the same shapes as the movies. Well, not NOW that I've spent money on a new tv - but I'm just sayin.

 

[Silver]

it's not that odd: most movies weren't shot in 16:9. the choice of 16:9 by the tv makers was arbitrary, and there _was_ debate of whether a 2.35:1 screen would be better to avoid this exact problem. 16:9 was felt to be an adequate compromise for both 4:3 "normal" content and movies.

Isn't the ratio of a 35mm film frame 16:9?

 

[Transcend]

maybe they should make the tvs in the same shapes as the movies. Well, not NOW that I've spent money on a new tv - but I'm just sayin.

Tvs have different standards as well. NTSC is 4:3, Pal is closer to wide screen. HDTV comes in different flavours, and none of them are the same. All of these are shot on video, movies are shot on film and are a completely different beast.

 

[Kornphlake]

Are you sure about that? I used to work for a small video camera manufacturer, we'd test the camera modules with a high end sony video monitor that would automatically switch between PAL and NTSC, with the same lens the image displayed was identical between the PAL and NTSC. Maybe the monitor was making the adjustment and I never realized it, as far as I could tell aside from 50hz vs 60hz and some signals that are indistingishable without an oscilloscope NTSC and PAL are the same.

 

[Transcend]

Are you sure about that? I used to work for a small video camera manufacturer, we'd test the camera modules with a high end sony video monitor that would automatically switch between PAL and NTSC, with the same lens the image displayed was identical between the PAL and NTSC. Maybe the monitor was making the adjustment and I never realized it, as far as I could tell aside from 50hz vs 60hz and some signals that are indistingishable without an oscilloscope NTSC and PAL are the same.

100% positive, both the resolution and aspect rations of PAL and NTSC are different. NTSC is the standard 648x486 you are used to, whereas pal is 720x486. Slightly more widescreen, different shaped tv screen.

"The term "PAL" is often used informally to refer to a 625-line/50 Hz (576i, principally European) television system, and to differentiate from a 525-line/60 Hz (480i, principally North American/Central American/Japanese) "NTSC" system"

This means that PAL is 24 frames a second, vs 29.97fps from NTSC. These are different due to the different electricity systems available in different geographic locations and the vaccuum tubes tvs were originally designed with.

On top of that, the way the signals are actually encoded/decoded is completely different.

 

[Toshi]

fraser, i think the pixels aren't the same shape in pal/ntsc, thus the same aspect ratio at different resolution.

silver, no, 35mm film is 3:2 (whereas point and shoots are 4:3 usually, easy way to spot the amateur )

 

[Silver]

silver, no, 35mm film is 3:2 (whereas point and shoots are 4:3 usually, easy way to spot the amateur )

Yeah, the actual frame is, but what about the usable space once you account for audio tracks...I could have sworn I had an engineer tell me once that's where the 16:9 ratio came from...but I may be misremembering a drunken conversation at a trade show 5 years ago

 

[Toshi]

interesting. i always thought that audio and subtitles were encoded in the blank space between frames. i do know that for 35mm film cameras and their dSLR wannabes the ratio is actually 3:2

 

[MtnBikerChk]

so let me ask this.... last night i sat down to watch big love on hbohd-and i had black bars on the top & bottom. it's not good for the tv to watch it like that - does everyone have this problem or am i doing something wrong?

 

[binary visions]

Why is it not good for the TV?

 

[LordOpie]

plasma issues?

 

[binary visions]

plasma issues?

That should be for solid pixels that are turned on as the same color for long periods of time. I've never heard of black parts of the display causing issues, which is why I asked.

 

[LordOpie]

That should be for solid pixels that are turned on as the same color for long periods of time. I've never heard of black parts of the display causing issues, which is why I asked.

*shrugs*

It's possible that the black bar areas won't age at the same rate. That concerns some people.

 

[Transcend]

It is about aging the screen. Some areas will stay brighter than others etc. This only really matters on certain types of sets however, I watch regular TV like this all the time, and am not worried. This will not affect LCDs, but can affect plasmas, especially cheaper ones.

Also, HD networks should be fullscreen unless they are showing non HD content. I dont have HBO, so not sure if they show non hd stuff on hbohd. The networks do most of the time.

 

[narlus]

so let me ask this.... last night i sat down to watch big love on hbohd-and i had black bars on the top & bottom. it's not good for the tv to watch it like that - does everyone have this problem or am i doing something wrong?

does your set have display modes, like zoom, justification, etc?

 

[MtnBikerChk]

Why is it not good for the TV?

The manual says something like "don't watch more than 5% of your total tv watching like that) because after a long period of time the images will burn into the screen.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

does your set have display modes, like zoom, justification, etc?

yes it does - but nothing completely covered the black lines.

 

[Silver]

so let me ask this.... last night i sat down to watch big love on hbohd-and i had black bars on the top & bottom. it's not good for the tv to watch it like that - does everyone have this problem or am i doing something wrong?

If you broke in your set properly, you'll have no problems. Assuming you're running a plasma here...

 

[MtnBikerChk]

If you are getting black bars at the top and bottom on HBOHD there is something wrong. Check your cable box output setting and the input setting on your tv. HBOHD is almost always HD for me and never gives me black bars at the top and bottom.

(LCD silver)

the picture and sound quality are definitely HD - I'll check the cable box settings.

 

[Transcend]

If it's an LCD, you don't really have to worry about the black bars at all.

 

[Silver]

(LCD silver)

the picture and sound quality are definitely HD - I'll check the cable box settings.

What model # is your tv and cable box? Post those up, and we'll see if you have it set up correctly.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

What model # is your tv and cable box? Post those up, and we'll see if you have it set up correctly.

I'll have to find the cable box # but the TV is LN-T2332H

www.costco.com