E50 - Widescreen???

[asichter]

I don't have a widescreen TV as yet, so my knowledge in this area is limited:

I know the manual for the E50 says video is recorded in 4:3 aspect ratio irrespective of the input source, but is there any way to record widescreen images and view them as such on a widescreen TV when recording with the E50, without having to manipulate the files on a PC? Or are the images sctrictly 4:3 on the E50? How would the images appear if you recorded a TV program broadcast in 16:9 ratio?

Andy S.

[Capmaster]

They'd be letterboxed and when played back they'd be 4:3 with black stripes at the top and the bottom. I think you really have to record 16:9 for it to be true widescreen.

[asichter]

I think you really have to record 16:9 for it to be true widescreen.

Is the E50 capable of recording 16:9 images in 16:9 format? That's what I was trying to ask.

Andy S.

[ejai]

I'm working on testing that out myself, from what I've been told and read is that the E50 can record at 16:9 if the source is a true 16:9 format (as long as you are using dvd-ram disks). I am planning to test it out using digital satellite TV and see if the letterbox movies record in that fashion.

I am sure that the dvds will with no problem, cable and satellite are the sources I wish to test.

[asichter]

Thanks Ejai .. I look forward to your post. Aparently 16:9 is not an issue with RAM, but I've read that DVD-R's are flagged as 4:3 regardless of the source. I just want to know what happens when record a 16:9 TV program on DVD-R and how it appears on playback on a 16:9 TV. If it's played back in 4:3 ratio then I might not be in such a rush to get a widescreen TV. I'm pretty sure that 16:9 is not an issue on DVD+R, but I could be wrong. If anyone can enlighten me on +R and 16:9 it would be appreciated.

Looking forward to your post.

Cheers,

Andy S.

[Capmaster]

I'm working on testing that out myself, from what I've been told and read is that the E50 can record at 16:9 if the source is a true 16:9 format (as long as you are using dvd-ram disks). I am planning to test it out using digital satellite TV and see if the letterbox movies record in that fashion.

I am sure that the dvds will with no problem, cable and satellite are the sources I wish to test.

That's the way I understand it too.

[ejai]

I am very sure that dvd-r will only play back in 4:3 no matter what the source is, this is stated in the manual and by others on this forum and abroad. Only dvd-ram has that flexibility. 8)

[asichter]

Ejai ... I've read conflicting reports at other sites on this issue. I can't seem to get a straight answer. I'm aware of what's in the manual, but I've read reports to the contrary. It would be great to get it straight from the horses mouth, so to speak. If you could do a test on a -R disc and post the result that would be great.

Andy S.

[ktnwin]

I have done this one the E-30 (the same should applies to E-50).

I have video taped with my Sony DV camcorder in the true wide screen mode. On a normal RV, this tape is played with eveyone look tall (meaning this is a true 16:9 video, no letter boxed).

I transfer this tape to a DVD-R using the E-30. When I played back this DVD on my HDTV (wide screen), the picture is perfectly wide and fill up the screen as expected.

However, if I play this DVD on a regular TV, then everyone look tall again.

To correct this problem, I have to re-author the DVD and set the DAR to 16:9. The new disc plays well on either normal TV (letter boxed) and full widescreen on my HDTV.

The question remains: is there a way to tell E-30/E50 to record the DVD with 16:9 aspect ratio ?

[equinox137]

What's an E50?

[Capmaster]

What's an E50?

Panasonic DMR-E50 standalone DVD recorder ...a popular model.

[wingnut]

Afternoon,

righty-o-here we go,

quick guide to widescreen on EMR50

USING RAM DISKS
============

Using an anamorphic 16:9 source, (e.g. sky digital with widescreen switched on in the digibox options)

When the recording is made onto RAM if the incoming signal is flagged as being in widescreen - a signal to say so is sent on the SCART lead in europeland - a flag is set on the video recording on the DVD RAM. If not it is flagged as 4:3. When played back the 16:9 recording will be anamorphically stretched and letterboxed if your TV is 4:3 and presented as squashed video if you are using a widescreen set. It will also send an appropriate signal - again via the scart lead in europeland - to "switch" the tv into the correct mode. When I record via sky digital I can see the Tv switch modes when playing back Enterprise as it goes in and out of the commercials (shown in 4:3 on sky one).

USING DVD-R DISKS
==============
When the same recording is made onto a DVD-R no flagging takes place regardless of the source. Now if an anamorphic widescreen recording is made and played back on a widescreen display you will need to select the 16:9 mode manually. If you play this recording back to a 4:3 set or via another DVD player you will need to select 16:9/widescreen or an appropriate mode if available on your 4:3 set. If you play back such a recording on a 4:3 set which doesnt have a "widescreen mode" you are stuffed since you will have to watch it anamorphically compressed, i.e. everyone tall and thin.

If you have such a recording on a dvd-r and you want to make it compatible with all sets you need to rip it to your PC and re-author the disk to include the 16:9 flag. This can be done very quickly if you do not need to add any flash menus.

A quick and dirty guide would be
=====================

1. Rip (or just copy VIDEO_TS & AUDIO_TS since they are not encrypted) the DVD-R contents to your hard disk

2. Get a copy of ifoedit

3. Open the .IFO of your movie in IFOEDIT

4. Switch the flag to be 16:9 letterbox

5. Save the IFO and .BUP backup

6. Burn the Titleset back to another DVD-R/DVD-RW/DVD+r/DVD+RW/TEACAKE

If you need more details you can get an idea from here
http://www.dvd2dvdr.com/Part_iv_spruce_normal.htm
that guide is actually for fixing the output of spruce up produced DVD title sets but if you scroll down to the FIXING THE ASPECT RATIO section there should be some usefull information there.

I could write a guide if you think it's needed, (although I don't write DVD-R's on my E50 just RAM which I then edit on the PC)

Hope that helps

Cheers

Edz

[Capmaster]

Edz,

Wow. Very nice explanation. Thanks for going to the trouble. I really appreciate it

I'm going to print this and keep it in the manual

[asichter]

Thanks for that Edz. Now it's all making sense. Though I wonder why DVD-R is set-up in this way??? Does anyone know if it's different when it comes to DVD+R?

Andy S.

[FulciLives]

As has been pointed out if you record a 16x9 signal to a DVD-R with the PANASONIC line of stand alone recorders the disc will be flagged as 4:3

HOWEVER the point that everyone may be missing is this ...

It will look perfectly NORMAL on a 16x9 TV

It will only look "wrong" on a 4:3 TV

So if you have a 16x9 TV it is not the end of the world.

And if you MUST have proper playback on a 4:3 TV then you can change the aspect ratio flag using the guide posted here.

It is an annoying extra step (well many steps) but hey it will still work fine on your 16x9 widescreen TV without the extra step(s) so who really cares that much?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[asichter]

Good point. It's just annoying if you have both a 16:9 and a 4:3 TV and you would like to watch them on either. It's a bit of stuffing around. Is this just the case with Panasonic recorders and is it different with other brands? I don't understand why Panasonic has it setup this way, unless it's a major technical issue to have flexible aspect ratio on a -R disc???

Andy S.

[wingnut]

I don't understand why Panasonic has it setup this way, unless it's a major technical issue to have flexible aspect ratio on a -R disc???

Morning,

As I mentioned I haven't burned a DVD-R on the unit itself yet but I will this weekend and then take a look at the .IFO structures it produces. I know the video recorded isn't flagged as 16:9 in the mpeg header, (at least in VRO files), but I don't understand why it wouldn't write the 16:9 flag into the IFO header when the disk is finalised.

HOWEVER the point that everyone may be missing is this ...

It will look perfectly NORMAL on a 16x9 TV

It will only look "wrong" on a 4:3 TV

Bingo, quite right. It will also be ok on 4:3 TVs where you have an anamorphic "squash" widescreen mode. I know most 24" and larger sets in the UK have had one of those since about 1996, (in fact I remember the big mitsubishi 32" 4:3 sets having them wayyyy before that).

The only time it will be incorrect is if you have a 4:3 set which has no anamorphic mode since the dvd player wont know it is supposed to be squashing the image and adding in the black bars.



Cheers

Edz