ddonohue
03-19-05, 01:17 AM
Before I ask my questions, I'd like to say that I *have* tried to find answers to them in threads at AVSForum and other boards - however, my inability to deal with A/V terminology means that I have to ask and hope that this insightful group can help me out. I'll certainly appreciate any advice people have to offer :)
I have a DVB-318 with the original firmware connected by component out to a 4:3 Panasonic CT32HXC43 via an Onkyo HT-R520.
Through a combination of legacy titles, those purchased for me as presents, and purchases I've made myself without knowing any better, my library has a mix of the following DVD aspect ratios:
Anamorphic 1:85:1
Widescreen 1.78:1
Full Frame 1.33:1
Anamorphic 2.35:1
and probably just about other "standard" format under the sun as could be represented in a library of 50+ DVDs. Before buying either this TV or the DVD player, I tended to buy Widescreen editions over Full Screen simply because I would rather see films as the director intended than give up a portion in order to fill my screen.
I have read some anecdotal posts that this player works best with 4:3 displays, no matter what, with the DVD output set to 16:9 letterbox and the CRT set for the same. I have also seen posts to the contrary, and a number in between that make reference to other settings that I have a limited (I'm being generous to myself) understanding of at best.
My TV defaults to a 16:9 presentation when I turn it on, no matter what, so any DVD I watch requires a bunch of fiddling with its settings (16:9 vs 4:3) or those of the player (16:9 vs 4:3 and letterbox vs pan and scan) to make things look right or sort-of right. On a good day, I can figure things out on a movie's menu screen, but on a bad day, it requires messing with two remotes for 2-3 minutes when a movie starts. The latter bums my wife out to no end.
So I thought I'd ask - does anyone know a cheat sheet for the best settings (DVD player and TV) for these formats? If not, would anyone who knows what they're doing be kind enough to give me some pointers that I can reference?
I appreciate your collective help. This player's ability to present 1080i is really the only chance I get to take advantage of anything approaching HDTV as our local cable system has no HDTV programming and we can't get satellite because of some trees that no one will let me trim :)
Thanks in advance!
I have a DVB-318 with the original firmware connected by component out to a 4:3 Panasonic CT32HXC43 via an Onkyo HT-R520.
Through a combination of legacy titles, those purchased for me as presents, and purchases I've made myself without knowing any better, my library has a mix of the following DVD aspect ratios:
Anamorphic 1:85:1
Widescreen 1.78:1
Full Frame 1.33:1
Anamorphic 2.35:1
and probably just about other "standard" format under the sun as could be represented in a library of 50+ DVDs. Before buying either this TV or the DVD player, I tended to buy Widescreen editions over Full Screen simply because I would rather see films as the director intended than give up a portion in order to fill my screen.
I have read some anecdotal posts that this player works best with 4:3 displays, no matter what, with the DVD output set to 16:9 letterbox and the CRT set for the same. I have also seen posts to the contrary, and a number in between that make reference to other settings that I have a limited (I'm being generous to myself) understanding of at best.
My TV defaults to a 16:9 presentation when I turn it on, no matter what, so any DVD I watch requires a bunch of fiddling with its settings (16:9 vs 4:3) or those of the player (16:9 vs 4:3 and letterbox vs pan and scan) to make things look right or sort-of right. On a good day, I can figure things out on a movie's menu screen, but on a bad day, it requires messing with two remotes for 2-3 minutes when a movie starts. The latter bums my wife out to no end.
So I thought I'd ask - does anyone know a cheat sheet for the best settings (DVD player and TV) for these formats? If not, would anyone who knows what they're doing be kind enough to give me some pointers that I can reference?
I appreciate your collective help. This player's ability to present 1080i is really the only chance I get to take advantage of anything approaching HDTV as our local cable system has no HDTV programming and we can't get satellite because of some trees that no one will let me trim :)
Thanks in advance!