Annoying DVD player problem, please help

[jmanlp]

I have a Sony 5 disc changer (In sig) I got last year around this time. I haven't had many gripes with it except one thing is really bugging me. When I play some older discs that are widescreen the image on my TV is in a smaller box instead of filling the screen. This only happens when the progressive mode is enabled. If I hit the button for progressive on the front of the player it stretches to fill the screen (with black bars on top and bottom, the way most DVDs do). One thing I noticed is the PQ kinda sucks with the progressive off.

This finally got to me last night when I was watching Boondock Saints, I was really liking the movie but it was really bugging me that the PQ was crappy after turning the progressive off. Another DVD I remember having this problem with was True Lies, but there are more, I just can't recall them right now. Is there any way to fix this, or is it a limitation of this player or the DVDs im watchin? I'm guessing this may be that the DVDs are 480i instead of 480p? Anyhow please help any way you can. Thanks!

 

[westcott]

Different movies are recorded at different aspect ratios.

Here is a link with most of them. Not every film is going to fit one screen size.

http://www.carada.com/

 

[jmanlp]

I realize that, but this is like a widescreen image in the middle of my screen with black bars all around it, ie, not stretching from edge to edge and putting black bars on the top and bottom.

 

[jawilljr]

Sounds like those older movies are not anamorphic. I know that my copy of True Lies is not anamorphic, which means that it has black bars on all four sides.. nothing you can do about it.

Jerry

On Edit:

I did a search on Boondock Saints and found that it is Non-Anamorphic. So it will have black bars all around.

All of your equipment is working properly.

 

[jmanlp]

Hmmm, so any thoughts about why if I turn off progressive scan I can get it to fill the entire screen?

 

[jawilljr]

Hmmm, so any thoughts about why if I turn off progressive scan I can get it to fill the entire screen?

I have no idea why it is doing that. I would leave progressive scan on and put up with a smaller picture. True Lies and Boondock Saints are not anamorphic DVD's.

Jerry

 

[jmanlp]

Ok, now for a dumb question, can you give me a quick rundown on anamorphic vs no anamorphic? Thanks

 

[jawilljr]

Ok, now for a dumb question, can you give me a quick rundown on anamorphic vs no anamorphic? Thanks

An anamorphic widescreen DVD will squeeze the picture horizontally (with black bars on top and bottom if needed) to fit in a 4:3 frame. The DVD player will then stretch it to 16:9 to make it fit a widescreen TV.

Non Anamorphic widescreen will just letterbox the film into a 4:3 frame... which is why you have black bars on all four sides.

Anamorphic (16:9 Enhanced) DVD

Jerry

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hmmm, so any thoughts about why if I turn off progressive scan I can get it to fill the entire screen?

Is there a menu to select picture type when in the progressive mode?

Is your TV capable of doing 480p?