16:9 playback on 4:3 TV?? at DVinfo.net

Ryan Sublett · March 31st, 2006, 03:55 PM

I am recording in widescreen mode with my optura 50 I bought last week and when I play it back on my 4:3 tv it squeezes the video horizantally so everyone in the video looks tall and skinny. 16:9 looks better, gives me a wider field of view, and uses the entire chip. So how do I get it to play back on my TV with black bars at the top and bottom of the screen?

Boyd Ostroff · March 31st, 2006, 04:25 PM

Unfortunately that's just the nature of anamorphic 16:9. It squeezes the widescreen image to fit the standard 720x480 frame. Unless your TV has a 16:9 mode then it will look squashed as you note. However, if you burn your video to a properly created anamorphic DVD, then the DVD player itself will provide the widescreen letterbox with black bars above and below.

But aside from that.... maybe its time to get that plasma screen you're been thinking about ;-)

Philip Williams · March 31st, 2006, 04:27 PM

When you record 16:9 video, its designed to play back on a 16:9 Television - which expands the "squished" video to fill the entire frame. If you wish to display your content on a 4:3 tv, you'll need to encode your video to anamorphic 16:9 DVD. DVD players will automatically detect the anamorphic flag and add letterboxing to the video.

www.philipwilliams.com

[EDIT]Dang this group is fast.. I'm still typing away and Boyd already posted![/EDIT]

Riley Stearns · April 4th, 2006, 09:59 PM

You could also just run the footage through your editing software which hopefully supports 16:9, then export that footage back to your camera. Doing this you get the great look of 16:9 and the ability to watch it on a tv.

March 31st, 2006, 03:55 PM	#1
Ryan Sublett Tourist Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 3	16:9 playback on 4:3 TV?? I am recording in widescreen mode with my optura 50 I bought last week and when I play it back on my 4:3 tv it squeezes the video horizantally so everyone in the video looks tall and skinny. 16:9 looks better, gives me a wider field of view, and uses the entire chip. So how do I get it to play back on my TV with black bars at the top and bottom of the screen?

April 4th, 2006, 09:59 PM	#4
Riley Stearns Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 94	You could also just run the footage through your editing software which hopefully supports 16:9, then export that footage back to your camera. Doing this you get the great look of 16:9 and the ability to watch it on a tv. __________________ i can't yet see Productions

March 31st, 2006, 04:25 PM	#2
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,787	Unfortunately that's just the nature of anamorphic 16:9. It squeezes the widescreen image to fit the standard 720x480 frame. Unless your TV has a 16:9 mode then it will look squashed as you note. However, if you burn your video to a properly created anamorphic DVD, then the DVD player itself will provide the widescreen letterbox with black bars above and below. But aside from that.... maybe its time to get that plasma screen you're been thinking about ;-)

March 31st, 2006, 04:27 PM	#3
Philip Williams Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Snellville, Georgia Posts: 614	When you record 16:9 video, its designed to play back on a 16:9 Television - which expands the "squished" video to fill the entire frame. If you wish to display your content on a 4:3 tv, you'll need to encode your video to anamorphic 16:9 DVD. DVD players will automatically detect the anamorphic flag and add letterboxing to the video. www.philipwilliams.com [EDIT]Dang this group is fast.. I'm still typing away and Boyd already posted![/EDIT]