How can I tell which format a dvd was filmed in?

[scottygballgame]

I have a toshiba upconverter with 480i, 720p, and 1080i....how can I tell which to use ? I have a toshiba crt hdtv with about 4 different viewing modes from normal, theaterwide1, theaterwide2, theaterwide3, and full ? How do I pair the two ?

 

[avaserfi]

Well, if you have an upconverting dvd player it doesn't play the dvd in the form it was mastered (480i or 480p) it will upconvert to whatever setting you tell it to, I recommend your TVs native resolution which is most likely 720p, but check your manual to be sure.

About the viewing mode I would read your manual and see what it says the differences are, normal sounds right to me but I really can't say without descriptions of each.

 

[Hi Ho]

The resolution of a CRT is most likely 1080i, not 720p. When watching a DVD, keep the TV viewing mode on "Normal". Other modes may distort or cut off the picture. Also keep in mind that even if you have a widescreen TV you may still have bars at the top and bottom of the screen when watching DVDs. This is because many movies are filmed at even wider aspect ratios than the 16:9 standard.

 

[avaserfi]

The resolution of a CRT is most likely 1080i, not 720p. When watching a DVD, keep the TV viewing mode on "Normal". Other modes may distort or cut off the picture. Also keep in mind that even if you have a widescreen TV you may still have bars at the top and bottom of the screen when watching DVDs. This is because many movies are filmed at even wider aspect ratios than the 16:9 standard.

Ahh my mistake for some reason I completely glanced over the CRT part. I saw hdmi and assumed that it was different technology (LCD or plasma). My apologies.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I have a toshiba upconverter with 480i, 720p, and 1080i....how can I tell which to use ? I have a toshiba crt hdtv with about 4 different viewing modes from normal, theaterwide1, theaterwide2, theaterwide3, and full ? How do I pair the two ?

The subject of your post asks 'which format' a film is filmed in.
Movies, modern movies, that is, are filmed in at least in 1.77 ratio and goes wider from there, some goes to 2.4 or even wider.
Your second question which to use, 480i, etc, has nothing to do with which format it was filmed in. Standard def DVD is 480i. Hi def format is in 1080p.
Your 3rd question refers to TV setup to better reflect the format on the DVD. Full is what a standard TV 4:3 is. Some standard def DVDs are in full so people with standard 4:3 TVs will have the TV fully covered with an image, no black bars on the top and bottom.
Other films are on the DVD in the format it was filmed in and is stated on the back cover, 1.85, etc. One of the other features will display the format properly or stretch it to fill the TV. These on a standard TV would have black bars on top and bottom. HD tv is in the 1.77/16x9 format and have no bars or less bars.
Hd tvs also have higher resolution, 720p or 1080p. Your standard def DVD player or the TV would up-convert to native TV resolution.

 

[obscbyclouds]

I have a toshiba upconverter with 480i, 720p, and 1080i....how can I tell which to use ? I have a toshiba crt hdtv with about 4 different viewing modes from normal, theaterwide1, theaterwide2, theaterwide3, and full ? How do I pair the two ?

I have a Toshiba 46H84 CRT. You definately want the upscaling dvd player set to 1080i which is the native resolution.

As for settings:

Normal will display the source in whatever aspect ratio it was filmed in. If 4:3 SDTV you will get the black bars on the side. DVD's in 2.35:1 (very common) will have smaller black bars in the top and bottom. 1.85:1 movies will fill the entire screen as will HDTV (with a few exceptions).

Theaterwide 1 and 2 are zoom modes I almost never use. Check it out yourself, but the picture always seems to just look off as far as zoom and stretch.

Theaterwide 3 is a stretch mode useful for 4:3 SDTV content. It applies a strech mode that stretches the edges more than the center, it seems to be the best theaterwide setting to make 4:3 fill the whole screen. If you leave the black bars on continuously you will get some burn-in, which can skew the colors where the black bars were.

Full Will leave widescreen (2:35:1 and 1.85) content alone, but will stretch 4:3 content, I think using the same mode as Theaterwide 3. This is what I usually have my TV set to.

Also make sure you have the Auto Aspect setting in the menu set to on, and you should also use a test DVD such as AVIA or DVE (google them) to adjust you TV for the best picture.

Hope this helps.