DVD picture doesn't fill screen on new wide-screen TV

[ibzomie]

Just bought a new wide-screen high-def TV (and a high-def DVD player), and I find that a good number of DVDs that I have burned from AVI files converted to MPEG2 do not fill the screen on the TV.

The pictures of which I speak are wide-screen pictures, but they float right smack dab in the middle of the TV screen, and there is black on all four sides of the picture. Since the black the same all the way around, it seems that the pictures are the same aspect ratio as the screen. (If they are not exactly the same, then they are only a hair different.) So why don't they fill the screen?

Store-bought discs seem to be OK. The ones I've tried so far don't fill the screen on all four sides; there is still black on top & bottom, but I figure that's because the aspect ratio of that particular DVD is not exactly 16:9 (like the TV).

Could this be as simple as missing a setting somewhere on the new TV or DVD player? If it's the DVDs, is there a way to fix this on future DVDs? Is it a matter of changing the height and width during the conversion process? Right now, I make them all 720x480. Will making them higher & wider, keeping the same proportions, do it?

Suggestions? And did I explain the problem well enough?

[manono]

Hi-

So why don't they fill the screen?

Because you resized and encoded for 4:3 rather than 16:9.

Could this be as simple as missing a setting somewhere on the new TV or DVD player?

No. As long as you set the DVD player to output for a 16:9 or widescreen TV set, you're OK.

If it's the DVDs, is there a way to fix this on future DVDs?

Resize and encode for 16:9. Since you haven't detailed what you're using and how you're doing it, there's not a whole lot more that can be said at this point.

Right now, I make them all 720x480. Will making them higher & wider, keeping the same proportions, do it?

I may be misunderstanding that one, but if you're suggesting making them something other than 720x480, then no. If you're suggesting resizing the source AVIs differently, with less black added within the same 720x480 resolution, then yes.

And did I explain the problem well enough?

No. You explained the result, but you haven't explained how you got there.

[MysticE]

Because you resized and encoded for 4:3 rather than 16:9.

You could run one of the VOBs through GSpot, it will verify the AR.

Just bought a new wide-screen high-def TV (and a high-def DVD player), and I find that a good number of DVDs that I have burned from AVI files converted to MPEG2 do not fill the screen on the TV.

Do note it's time to chuck those AVI conversions and move on to the real deal if you really want to enjoy your new purchase.

[jman98]

Store-bought discs seem to be OK. The ones I've tried so far don't fill the screen on all four sides; there is still black on top & bottom, but I figure that's because the aspect ratio of that particular DVD is not exactly 16:9 (like the TV).

You are correct. The aspect ratio of many widescreen films is actually greater than 16:9 and such films will always have black bars at the top and bottom of your screen unless you do something ugly like use a "zoom in" feature on the TV.

Tools that encode AVI to DVD usually encode everything as 4:3 to make it simple for newbies to use the tool without complaining. Whether the tool you are using will let you encode to 16:9 or not I don't know because we don't know what you are using. Fixing this kind of problem is possible, but it's an advanced topic.

[Bondiablo]

It's because your DVDs are 4:3 Letterboxed. The solution is simply changing the aspect ratio setting on your TV. The TV should have at least 3 settings though what they are called vary by manufacturer. (4:3, Standard, Normal...) (16:9, Wide, Full...) and (Zoom, Stretch...) Zoom would be the right setting for letterboxed videos but not all TVs have that setting, personally if it doesn't I'd get a different TV. You may find some older commercial DVDs will have the same problem and some broadcasts, all widescreen VHS & VCDs... The DVD player should always be set to 16:9 when connected to a widescreen TV. For future discs you don't change the resolution, you set the aspect ratio to 16x9 so you'll be making an anamorphic DVD.

[ibzomie]

Bondiablo, thanks for your reply and for your illustration. The picture labeled '1:1' is exactly what I'm talking about. But I thought that I had used the 16:9 setting when I did the conversion.

In the future, rather than eyeballing the AVI file that I'm about to convert, should I maybe check it with G-Spot, and then use a setting that matches whatever it says? For instance, if the image looks like widescreen, but G-Spot says that it is 4:3, then I should use the 4:3 setting when I do the conversion, correct? I'll explore that and see what happens with some of the stuff I've got waiting on my hard drive.

About using the aspect ration setting on the TV: There is one, with a choice of 4:3, 16:9, or Set By Program. Choosing the 4:3 setting does make the image fill the screen more, but it also squashes it in at the sides so the actors are taller and thinner. Using the 16:9 setting makes the image smaller, but keeps the correct proportions.

[MysticE]

if the image looks like widescreen, but G-Spot says that it is 4:3, then I should use the 4:3 setting when I do the conversion, correct?

Not necessarily. I convert a lot of PAL music vids to NTSC. These are ripped VOBs that are usually 4:3 letterboxed WS. If I just do a straight 4:3 conversion they look fine on my CRT TV, but on my 16:9 Pany they don't, the AR is off (if I want to fill the screen without pillars). I crop out the bars and convert all as 16:9. The end result now looks fine on both sets. Proper AR on both.

[Bondiablo]

Here is how a DVD should look at the different settings on most widescreen TVs. I don't know what program you use to make your DVDs so I can't say what settings you need. I use TMPGEnc and with it the important settings to make an anamorphic DVD from an AVI are, on the Video tab set Aspect Ratio to 16x9 and on the Advanced tab usually set Source Aspect to 1:1 and Arrange Method to Full Screen Keep Aspect Ratio but those 2 can vary depending on your source file.

Full Screen

Wide Letterboxed

Wide Anamorphic