Why dvds play in super stretched-out thin aspect ratio ?

Question

I'm so tired of technology how it is made and what is required to 'keep up' with it.
When I switched from my old boob-tube TV to a reasonably nice, 42" widescreen LCD tv, I thought I would get the much-desired widescreen aspect ratio that everyone seems to rave about these days.

Well, I did--in a way.......I got a super-wide, and also not-very-high one.  So when I watch movies, yes the width of the image is all the way to the edge of my screen, but only about 60 PERCENT of the height of my TV is utilized.  Now that is really sad.

I DO NOT think this is better than the old "non-widescreen, but used all the screen height", in fact, i think it is worse. 
It's hard to follow a movie when your tv screen is 25 inches tall, but only 13 of those are actually used in the height of the image.  That is just STUPID.

It seems like dvds are made in order to play best on the "highest common denominator" of technology - in other words, the guy that's got the biggest widescreen tv in the world, for him, the movie probably adjusts aspect ratio correctly.  

Isn't that HORRIBLE programming practice?  When I develop database applications, and I'm thinking about my user audience and the various versions of their technology/environment, I develop to the LEAST common denominator, not the highest...........

WTF ??   (and yes, i've tried switching the aspect ratio on my tv, there are only 2 options - the old way just makes a tiny picture with a bunhc of blank space in all directions.........the "new way" makes a super short, super wide picture...............................
And finally, not sure it's even worth asking this since obviously no one can change it by answering me, but why the heck can tv do a fine job of filling up my screen on all my HD channels, but dvd's can't figure out how to make a movie that auto adusts correctly, or at least is programmed for the lowest common denominator in flatscreen tv'.s..

Farah H · Accepted Answer

To fix this problem you will not use your TVs menu. Instead, you need to change the aspect ratio on your DVD player. Go to menu, then video, change from 4x3 to 6x9 and you will be all set. 

I agree that DVD players should be auto set to the best aspect ratio for the DVD and tv. Some older DVDs really anger me. Like my old Armageddon DVD is not formatted for a 6x9 tv so it has black bars on all sides of the screen.

Anyway good luck.

Grumpy Mac · Answer

"but why the heck can tv do a fine job of filling up my screen on all my HD channels, but dvd's can't figure out how to make a movie that auto adusts correctly".

All HDTV stations broadcast in exactly 16:9 ratio. So this exactly fills your screen.

Movies shot for the theater can be in DOZENS of different ratios.  Watching a movie in OAR (Original Aspect Ratio) will usually give you some black bars.  Some have HUGE black bars, others have tiny ones - all depending on the orignal ratio of the film. (It's not the same for all movies).

Do you remember the old movie theaters that use to have those red-velvet curtains framing the screen?  These used to move in/out or up/down to frame the image so you did not notice the "black bars" in the movie theater.  Modern Megaplix's use lenses to fix this - but you did used to have black bars in the movie theaters.

chien · Answer

between the funniest became this guy who became approximately 60, he regarded like a homeless man or woman yet certainly had a place to stay. He of course had some psychological subject concerns (yet i'm not making relaxing of that). He walked all around and regarded completely happy. I observed him in a delightful's ice cream parlor sooner or later sitting on the counter. He became eating an ice cream cone, had it throughout his face, moustache, beard, and it in simple terms regarded so lovable because of the fact he did not care, he became in simple terms lovin' it!

Trending News

Why dvds play in super stretched-out thin aspect ratio ?

3 Answers