4:3 Letterbox on 16:9 TV?

[PyRoMaNiA]

I've encoded a lot of widescreen (16:9) films to letterboxed 4:3..will these play correctly on a 16:9 widescreen TV (in proportion, filling screen)...or will I have to encode them again?

[Marco33]

First off, not all widescreen movies fit the whole screen on a widescreen TV. Some WS movies are shot a little shorter than others. Depends on the directors vision, or in George Lucas's case... lack their of.

Comedy & Drama's usualy fit the whole WS TV. Most action flicks are slightly shorter so, even on a WS TV you will get black bars.

Back to your question. WS TV's have a FILL function that will stretch the picture. When you watch it on your regular TV it looks kinda squished. While on a WS TV it will not. So I would have to say NO.

[PyRoMaNiA]

When you watch it on your regular TV it looks kinda squished.

Doesn't look squished to me...just has big black borders at the top and bottom.....is this still ok? I always thought the widescreen fill function just stretched the picture left and right.....

[Marco33]

That was your benefite of going 16:9 to 4:3, it gets un-squished. On wide screen it would look normal, requiering no fill.

No, the fill function on WS stretches up & down not across.

What is the medium you are refering to? VCD? DVD?

Are you looking into a WS TV?

I have one. If you are into WS movies I recommend getting one.

[PyRoMaNiA]

What is the medium you are refering to? VCD? DVD?

SVCD.

Are you looking into a WS TV?

No, standard 4:3 TV.

I have one. If you are into WS movies I recommend getting one.

Don't have one now, but will (probably) get one in the near future, was just hoping I wouldn't have to encode all my letterboxed encodes again. As the WS Fill function stretches the whole picture, doesn't seem like I'll have to.

Thanks for your help!

[Marco33]

We'll what I was getting at was. When you make the jump to WS, the smallest is around 43". Yes, some are smaller but, not many.

Anyway, 43" or better at WS you will find that SVCD quality will leave you flat.

DVD on a WS projection HDTV is killer (awsome). You will more than likely make the jump to DVD once you see the poor quality of SVCD on it.

This site has a forum that's very good. You might want to give it a look.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/213962

One note: with WS projection " you get what you pay for"