16:9 vs 4:3

[Pokewhiz7]

The pictures don't line up exactly, but you can see how much you're losing with 16:9 as opposed to 4:3.
16:9 Orange Bricks
4:3 Dragon Boxes
Entire frame of animation

[Budogenkai]

I'm probably going to sound like an idiot for this, but is there any way I can make it so that the picture of the blu-ray fills the entire screen when watching? Here's what it looks like when I'm watching:



Is there any way to have it fullscreen and get rid of the black bars on the sides, or is that not possible? I'm using a PS3 with an HDMI.

[VegettoEX]

I'll preface this by saying that DVD and Blu-ray handle 4:3 material differently. Within the DVD standard, there is an option to encode the video data as either 4:3 or 16:9 without physically encoding black bars into it at all (this is what we call "anamorphic widescreen" -- the data is stored at 720x480 pixels either way, but if it's widescreen, it has a special flag that it kicks over to the DVD player hardware that says, "Bitches, yo, show me in widescreen!"). There is no such flag in the Blu-ray standard -- the video is encoded in a widescreen aspect ratio (traditionally 1920x1080) no matter what the content is, so if it's 4:3 video content, a 240-pixel black border is physically encoded on both the left and right sides).

You have two options if, for whatever reason, you want to "fill" your screen:

(1) You can zoom in on the picture, whereby you'll crop off the top and bottom of the screen, bringing the middle section forward so that the entire 16:9 area of your screen has video playing in it. Look for a button called "Zoom" or "Screen Size" on your TV's remote, and press it for its options.



(2) You can stretch the image horizontally, whereby nothing is "lost" either up, down, left, or right. Again, same button on your remote.



Both of these are incredibly stupid. In the first example, you're losing 20% of the image. In the second, everyone gets stretched fat.

DBZ TV footage is 4:3. It just is. That's what it is. Why does it matter if your TV is widescreen? DBZ TV footage doesn't change depending on what you view it on -- it's still exactly the same. You're not losing anything in the size by playing it in 4:3 on a 16:9 screen, or anything. It's just that the old footage is ~square and your new TV is rectangle. So what?

Getting back to how I started out this reply, the only time you'd ever want to mux around with the image is if you happen to still have an old 4:3 tube TV and are watching a Blu-ray of DragonBall Kai. Due to the way the Blu-ray is encoded, you'll have black bars on the left and right side. Simultaneously, to "preserve" the 16:9 aspect ratio native to the Blu-ray, the old TV will also display black borders on the top and bottom of the image, resulting in a boxed display:



This is possibly the only time I would recommend breaking out that "Zoom" button on your remote. If you're playing a Blu-ray on a 4:3 TV, though, you're likely in a position where you could also upgrade your TV to something larger and widescreen .

You cannot take a 4:3 image and magically turn it into 16:9 without losing something. You just can't. You're either going to remove a part of the image, or you're going to stretch it out. Both are dumb. Anyone who does it is dumb. There, I said it. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Poopie heads ruinin' mah shit.

[Ashura]

The simple version is you can pretty much just use the zoom button to crop it to 16x9 much like they did for the tv broadcast. It cuts off part of the top and bottom, the end. If you like it that way and don't mind cutting off part of the picture, go for it.

I think the previous message is a little more confusing than it needs to be, since for HD content most TVs don't even allow that stretch you're talking about because the very reason that was stated; BluRay video is natively HD 16:9 (1920x1080 or 1280x720) and the black area is encoded into the video.

I also know that was explained before, but it's a bit easier to show him visually.

This is more-or-less what a DVD with 4:3 video looks like in the native stream:


This is more-or-less what a BluRay with 4:3 video looks like in the native stream:


There's stretch and panoramic stretch for SD content depending on how good your tv is, but TVs that actually allow stretching HD the same way as SD content are far fewer. Since he's got an Insignia TV, I highly doubt it's even an option for him.

[VegettoEX]

I can still stretch a 16:9 image on a 16:9 display -- it looks ridiculous, but I can do it. I suppose it does depend on the TV and/or receiver being used, but yeah.

[Ashura]

I can still stretch a 16:9 image on a 16:9 display -- it looks ridiculous, but I can do it. I suppose it does depend on the TV and/or receiver being used, but yeah.

I know some TVs can do it, but most just interpret HD content as being the correct aspect already (which it is) and pretty much refuse doing the stretch and just allow a zoom.

Does your TV allow you to do the panoramic stretch on HD content too, that stretches the sides out but keeps the middle the same aspect? AKA: The wide shoulders and small heads effect? I've never seen a TV that can do that with HD 16:9 content, so I'm curious.

[Gaffer Tape]

Hmm. I've never seen a 16:9 TV that doesn't allow you to stretch. If what you're saying is true, then great. More TVs need to get rid of that option. It never should have existed to begin with.

[Ashura]

Hmm. I've never seen a 16:9 TV that doesn't allow you to stretch. If what you're saying is true, then great. More TVs need to get rid of that option. It never should have existed to begin with.

Don't get me wrong; Most TVs DO allow the stretch... if it's SD content. 480i/p, yahknow. (Some lower end tvs don't even allow that though, check out some smaller Vizios.) Stretch has to exist in some capacity for SD content because there's no way for the TV to know the correct aspect.

For HD content (720p and above), I've seen far fewer TVs that allow you to stretch it.

[obiwan23s]

I'm probably going to sound like an idiot for this, but is there any way I can make it so that the picture of the blu-ray fills the entire screen when watching? Here's what it looks like when I'm watching:

omfg hueg image combo breaker

Is there any way to have it fullscreen and get rid of the black bars on the sides, or is that not possible? I'm using a PS3 with an HDMI.

I use the same setup (PS3, HDMI, widescreen TV) and DBZ looks fine whether viewing a Dragon Box disc or a Kai Blu-Ray. Just get over the fact that there's vertical letterboxing. It's really not that difficult to get used to. Props on the Turtle Beach cans though, I have the same ones. Come in real handy when playing Black Ops.

[Budogenkai]

I'm probably going to sound like an idiot for this, but is there any way I can make it so that the picture of the blu-ray fills the entire screen when watching? Here's what it looks like when I'm watching:

omfg hueg image combo breaker

Is there any way to have it fullscreen and get rid of the black bars on the sides, or is that not possible? I'm using a PS3 with an HDMI.

I use the same setup (PS3, HDMI, widescreen TV) and DBZ looks fine whether viewing a Dragon Box disc or a Kai Blu-Ray. Just get over the fact that there's vertical letterboxing. It's really not that difficult to get used to. Props on the Turtle Beach cans though, I have the same ones. Come in real handy when playing Black Ops.

Yeah It's not really that much of an issue for me, as long as I know It's the best quality of Kai possible, I don't mind the letterboxing. And yeah I love my turtle beach headset

[Pokewhiz7]

I don't see why people hate black bars so much.

[Budogenkai]

I don't see why people hate black bars so much.

It's not really hate, it's just not what I'm used too for watching stuff. It really is just widescreen on the sides though, not that huge a deal.

[AgitoZ]

I don't see why people hate black bars so much.

It's not really hate, it's just not what I'm used too for watching stuff.

I don't remember anyone complaining about it with 4:3 TVs.

[Adamant]

I don't see why people hate black bars so much.

It's not really hate, it's just not what I'm used too for watching stuff.

I don't remember anyone complaining about it with 4:3 TVs.

Oh, they did. The complaining morons were still there, they just complained about the other format, since that's the one that had black bars on their TVs back then. Then they went out buying those dumbass editions of movies that crop 16:9 footage to 4:3, or used the zoom button to crop the footage themselves.

"Fuck quality, fuck how it was intended to be seen, just fill my entire stupid TV screen, dammit!"

[Gaffer Tape]

Wait. When did 4:3 TVs ever have a zoom function? But, yes, you're right. There have always been those annoying people who just freak out over having black bars on their TVs. However, I honestly never thought that there would be anything WORSE than cropping the footage to fit one's TV. Little did I know at the time that later TVs would allow you to stretch the image and make it look far worse than cropping ever could!

[Budogenkai]

There is a zoom in & cinema option on my TV, and while cinema does look good, you lose parts of the top/bottom of the picture. This isn't terrible but it feels like watching the orange bricks.

And then there's zoom, which is the worst option I've ever seen on a TV, the picture literally looks like your watching a bootleg or torrent.

[Adamant]

Wait. When did 4:3 TVs ever have a zoom function?

DVD players can have zoom functions. DVD players can be used on 4.3 TVs.

[Gaffer Tape]

Okay, okay, gotcha. But to be fair, that's not a function of the TV. It's a function of the player, which is why I was confused. I've also never personally seen anyone use that function on a 4:3 TV to actually watch the thing. The smallest zoom function any of my players have had is 4x, which takes it in so far and diminishes the resolution so much that I wouldn't think anyone would use it for anything other than finding details.

[Adamant]

The smallest zoom function any of my players have had is 4x, which takes it in so far and diminishes the resolution so much that I wouldn't think anyone would use it for anything other than finding details.

My assy old player (which I use on a 4:3 TV, yes) has 2x, 3x, 4x, 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4 functions. Wee.

And hey, people who are dumb enough to buy cropped movies won't take picture quality into estimation anyway, so they'll fuck around with their buttons until their screen is full.

[Budogenkai]

. . .I wouldn't think anyone would use it for anything other than finding details.

I never thought about this. I could see this as the only reason why someone would use the zoom function.