bfrg1513 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Does anyone know why the menus of DVDs have a different aspect ratio from the movie? I always have to enlarge the picture when the movie starts, but then I can't see the bottom of the menu page when it comes back. And my husband is convinced that the setting that's right for the menu is the one that's right for the movie, and I can't convince him otherwise, so when he watches with me, we watch tiny movies on a big-screen TV. Argh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVortex Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Dear Madame, I am not sure I understand you but I shall make an attempt. For a film which is WIDESCREEN,therefore LETTERBOX there are four sizes each showing diminutively compared to a motion picture screen the proper film as it was meant to be seen. But if the film you are viewing is not WIDESCREEN,shot before this process of cinematography was used,,then you can choose the first size or second on your television. If you go to the third or fourth then unlike WIDESCREEN-LETTERBOX with the third size the persons are expanded to be fatter and squatted ; if you go to the fourth the entire enlarged picture will be cropped. I do not know what you mean by wanting to see the bottom of the menu page when it comes back? Why would you want that on your television screen disturbing the viewing of the film? God Bless, The Vortex Edited by: TheVortex on Feb 28, 2014 8:58 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfrg1513 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 I can see I didn't make myself clear. I understand aspect ratios and how to get a movie, whether widescreen or not, as large on the screen as possible without messing up the original ratio between height and width. What I don't understand is why the menu seems to never be the same ratio as the movie. The menus all seem to be 4:3, while the movies are all 16:9 or higher. So we have it at 4:3 to see the menu, then when the movie starts we change it to fit the movie. After watching the movie, when the menu comes back, the bottom line is below the screen, and we have to switch back to 4:3 to see it. Is it just my TV or DVD player? Do others not have this problem? Should it be switching for me automatically? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 >Do others not have this problem? Yes, all the time. Directv standard definition transmits to my receiver in 4:3, as if it is still 1959 or thereabouts. My 16:9 TV was made in the 21st Century. My Letterbox films are on the small side. If I enlarge the screen, the picture goes fuzzy. And my 1938 Studebaker requires leaded gasoline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaytonf Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 The reason this happens is that you have your DVD on the one hand, and your TV on the other. The DVD doesn't know what's happening in the TV. If you enlarge the picture with your TV zoom features, everything coming from the DVD player gets enlarged. There may be a zoom feature on your DVD. If you use that, the menu will stay visible. But I have found those don't work so well. So, it looks like you are stuck with having to zoom out and in. The trick, I have found, is to find some way for the movie coming into your TV from your signal source display full size on your TV. That way, your DVD will record the movie so you won't have to enlarge it. I usually find that if I record on the Standard Definition channels, I don't have to enlarge the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValentineXavier Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 >The menus all seem to be 4:3, while the movies are all 16:9 or higher. So we have it at 4:3 to see the menu, then when the movie starts we change it to fit the movie. After watching the movie, when the menu comes back, the bottom line is below the screen, and we have to switch back to 4:3 to see it. Is it just my TV or DVD player? Do others not have this problem? Should it be switching for me automatically? This is actually pretty strange. Most modern DVDs are anamorphic, aka "enhanced for wide screen." That means, assuming you are using a HDMI, or component output to your TV, you shouldn't have to zoom for the picture to fill the screen side to side, and nothing of the menu would be cut off. Some older DVDs are wide screen letter boxed, so the black bars top and bottom are part of the DVD frame. You would have to zoom one of them to fill the frame from side to side, and you would lose the top and bottom of the menu frame, while zoomed. Do you have to zoom HD channels, to fill the screen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliehharding Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 On my DVD player I go to menu and set the picture to 16.9 and not 4.3. I also select 1080i for my Dish menu.That way they both are the same the DVD menu and the movie. The provider such as Dish or Comcast also transmits the image differently which can further complicate the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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