Outputting 16:9 to a 4:3 TV with letterbox bars?
 

The footage plays on the LCD with the bars at the top and bottom but on my 4:3 TV it's stretched to fill the screen. Playing with the S-video 16:9/4:3 setting in the menu does nothing. Is it possible to output widescreen footage to a 4:3 to include the bars at the top and bottom, rather than having to watch my footage in 16:9 stretched to 4:3? Thanks.

Are you playing back recorded footage or using the camera in recording mode? In recording mode the camera will only output squished 480i. In playback mode, the only glitch I know of is that DV and SD don't play properly through the Component (Y/Pb/Pr) output, but it sounds like you're using HD footage and the S-Video connector, right? If that's the case it sounds like a problem with your camera, although unfortunately I don't have mine on hand to test it right now. I always just dump the video to my computer and watch it, so I've only used it on a TV a couple times.

Mine is always squished on my 4:3 TV. The only way I have to get it right is to display it on my HDTV...

No, I don't think there's an option to change this.

I figured as much. Thanks.

System Menu
 

If you go to the system menu in playback mode, there is a S/Video option. The options are 4:3 TV and 16:9 TV.
There is also Y/Pb/Pr option to select the conversion if you are going that route.

Eric Larson

Eric, I saw that option before and noted earlier that it didn't work. Is there something else I need to do to make it work?

This is odd, because I seem to recall it working for me last time I tried it. Let me fire off an email to my colleague that has the camera right now and see what he comes up with in testing it.