[DenzilTK421]

Guys & Girls

Tried to play the special edition DVD last night and could only get it to play as a box in the middle of the TV. Had a quick scan on internet and found that is because the DVD is not anamorphic and plays as a wide screen under 4:3 restrictions! I can't remember it being this way - but maybe it has just been that long since I last watched it, and I haven't ever actually watched it on a wide screen TV.

Can anyone confirm this or provide a work around?

Cheers in advance.

[Todd Tomorrow]

The Abyss was only ever released as a non-anamophic, letterboxed DVD. There must be a zoom option to change the ratio on your telly so the image fits.

[200p]

Originally Posted by DenzilTK421

Guys & Girls

Tried to play the special edition DVD last night and could only get it to play as a box in the middle of the TV. Had a quick scan on internet and found that is because the DVD is not anamorphic and plays as a wide screen under 4:3 restrictions! I can't remember it being this way - but maybe it has just been that long since I last watched it, and I haven't ever actually watched it on a wide screen TV.

Can anyone confirm this or provide a work around?

Cheers in advance.

If it's only playing with black bars on all 4 sides, if your TV has a zoom function try that (it might have different zoom options). The zoom option might be on the remote and/or in one of the TV's menus. If your TV has a zoom option (it might be under "Size" or "Screen Mode" in the menu) but it isn't letting you change it and you are outputting the DVD through a Blu-ray or upscaling player (eg. through HDMI) try reducing the output resolution of the player - outputting at 576i might give you more zoom options than at 1080p.

[DenzilTK421]

mmm thought as much - didn't really want to have to resort to the zoom function.

Thanks for your help though.

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by DenzilTK421

mmm thought as much - didn't really want to have to resort to the zoom function.

Thanks for your help though.

The zoom or 4:3 Letterbox mode is the only way to see non anamoprhic DVD's at the right aspect ratio height otherwise, it is just squashed.

Btw, you shouldn't be getting black on all 4 sides but just really big borders top and bottom than normal. The zoom mode then reduces the top and bottom so it gets to the right 2.35:1 aspect ratio size.

Make sure the player is set to 16:9 and not 4:3 then use the right zoom mode.

It really needs a proper Blu Ray release after all this time. It seems Cameron hasn't signed off a 16:9 version yet.

[beecee]

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

Btw, you shouldn't be getting black on all 4 sides but just really big borders top and bottom than normal. The zoom mode then reduces the top and bottom so it gets to the right 2.35:1 aspect ratio size.

Make sure the player is set to 16:9 and not 4:3 then use the right zoom mode..

yes he should be getting it on all 4 sides, non anamorphic dvds display that way even when the dvd player is set at 16;9.

the only way to to remove the side bars is to use the zoom mode.

it is already displaying in the correct aspect ratio just not filling the screen.

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by beecee

yes he should be getting it on all 4 sides, non anamorphic dvds display that way even when the dvd player is set at 16;9.

the only way to to remove the side bars is to use the zoom mode.

it is already displaying in the correct aspect ratio just not filling the screen.

I have been dealing with non anamorphic since Laserdisc. With a widescreen TV, he should be be getting larger borders top and bottom as usual. It will be squashed, and when using the zoom, the aspect ratio will be corrected to the right height. With 2.35:1 like The Abyss, the borders will be reduced top and bottom so they are correct size. With 1.85:1 it will fill the screen after zooming (as long as overscan is used). There will still be thin top and bottom borders if there is no overscan.

If he has borders all around then it sounds like he has the player set to 4:3 not 16:9. Since the TV is new, it could be.

[mikegambit]

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

I have been dealing with non anamorphic since Laserdisc. With a widescreen TV, he should be be getting larger borders top and bottom as usual. It will be squashed, and when using the zoom, the aspect ratio will be corrected to the right height. With 2.35:1 like The Abyss, the borders will be reduced top and bottom so they are correct size. With 1.85:1 it will fill the screen after zooming (as long as overscan is used). There will still be thin top and bottom borders if there is no overscan.

If he has borders all around then it sounds like he has the player set to 4:3 not 16:9. Since the TV is new, it could be.

You are wrong.

A non anamorphic dvd does not contain the 16:9 flag which is why its letterboxed.

Without the 16:9 flag the player will output it as 4:3 regardless of what its set to.

If the player is set to 16:9 it means its set to read the 16:9 flag on discs and then stretch the picture but The Abyss has no flag for the player to read

A non anamorphic dvd will display borders on top and bottom of a 4:3 tv and without a 16:9 flag will also have borders on the sides of a wide tv as it will read it as 4:3.

I've been watching letterboxed material since VHS and LD too.

My player is also set to 16:9 and I've just dug out The Abyss to test.

As expected the film had borders on all 4 sides. I used the zoom mode and filled the screen but still had the regular size borders top and bottom

Best way to check is to look at the menus which ARE 16:9 as are the copyright notices.

On my player the menus open out correctly then go to 4:3 when the film starts so the OP has done nothing wrong

Thats what happens if the player is set to 16:9 and your tv is set to AUTO switch between 4:3 and 16:9.

Obviously different settings on the tv can change the way discs are displayed.

Many punters have everything stretched even if its not wide

Can the OP confirm his screen is filled when the menus appear?

[nwgarratt]

Not wrong.

I never said anything about the 16:9 flag.

Most people will have players set to 16:9 as BD and most DVD's are 16:9.

Notice the extra big borders top and bottom and no left and right borders. It is squashed.

http://www.apah20.dsl.pipex.com/pics/169.jpg

Now with zoom mode (called 4:3 expanded on my TV). The borders are the right size and the correct aspect ratio.

http://www.apah20.dsl.pipex.com/pics/expanded.jpg

If the player is set to 4:3, I get borders top and bottom and at the sides as the non anamorphic is shown at the correct aspect ratio. It is not squashed but it only uses the middle of the screen. I have to manually set it to 4:3 expanded to fill the screen properly. That is why I said his player may be set to 4:3.

[DenzilTK421]

Good evening chaps - I see this has caused a small debate.

FYI - the TV and the dvd player are both set 16:9. The copyright & warnings are full frame and fill the screen, as is the menu of the film. Once the film starts its the black bars on all four edges.

I'll be happy to post some screen shots if it helps.

[beecee]

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

Not wrong.

I never said anything about the 16:9 flag.

Most people will have players set to 16:9 as BD and most DVD's are 16:9.

Notice the extra big borders top and bottom and no left and right borders. It is squashed.

http://www.apah20.dsl.pipex.com/pics/169.jpg

Now with zoom mode (called 4:3 expanded on my TV). The borders are the right size and the correct aspect ratio.

http://www.apah20.dsl.pipex.com/pics/expanded.jpg

If the player is set to 4:3, I get borders top and bottom and at the sides as the non anamorphic is shown at the correct aspect ratio. It is not squashed but it only uses the middle of the screen. I have to manually set it to 4:3 expanded to fill the screen properly. That is why I said his player may be set to 4:3.

i think what your tv is doing is to do with the 16:9 flag, its detecting it on the start up menu, but not reverting to 4:3 for the film, as you state if the dvd player is set to 4;3 you get the boxed image.

and the expand image feature is more to do with pal/ntsc and an rgb signal than the aspect ratio.

[Marv]

Just manually set your t.v to 16:9 when playing. It will 4:3 the image as its not anamorphic and as the film has an Aspect ratio of 2:35:1 the black bars will look alot more intruding if it was a non anamorphic 1:85:1 it would'nt look as bad.

[mikegambit]

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

Not wrong.

I never said anything about the 16:9 flag.

Most people will have players set to 16:9 as BD and most DVD's are 16:9.

Notice the extra big borders top and bottom and no left and right borders. It is squashed.

http://www.apah20.dsl.pipex.com/pics/169.jpg

Now with zoom mode (called 4:3 expanded on my TV). The borders are the right size and the correct aspect ratio.

http://www.apah20.dsl.pipex.com/pics/expanded.jpg

If the player is set to 4:3, I get borders top and bottom and at the sides as the non anamorphic is shown at the correct aspect ratio. It is not squashed but it only uses the middle of the screen. I have to manually set it to 4:3 expanded to fill the screen properly. That is why I said his player may be set to 4:3.

What his player is set to is irrelevant if the disc has no 16:9 flag.

But the fact that his menus fill the screen and the film does not shows that his player is set to 16:9 and what I said was completely correct.

If a disc has no 16:9 flag then any squashed images are purely down to incorrect settings on your tv because if its a 4:3 disc then there are no anamorphically squeezed images on the disc

The Abyss has no 16:9 flag so whether your BD or dvd player is set to 16:9 is irrelevant. If it is set to 16:9 the disc will still display with 4 borders .

This all assumes that tv's are set to display 4:3 images as 4:3 and not stretched in any way.
If the tv is set to any other setting then it won't switch between 4:3 and 16:9 automatically and 4:3 images might well be squashed or stretched but that is purely down to the tv being set wrong

I find it hard to believe that this very basic "problem" can still cause hassle more than 10 years since anamorphic presentations appeared

One other point - not all tv's will lable their ratios the same.
I've seen tv's where the AUTO setting means AUTO stretching everything.
I've seen tv's where in order for the tv to auto switch between ratios he tv has to be set to 4:3.

[DenzilTK421]

Originally Posted by mikegambit

I find it hard to believe that this very basic "problem" can still cause hassle more than 10 years since anamorphic presentations appeared

Because of user ignorance?

[Marv]

Originally Posted by mikegambit

I find it hard to believe that this very basic "problem" can still cause hassle more than 10 years since anamorphic presentations appeared

This lad i work with zooms alot of his dvds as "they have borders" i try to explain to him that films shot in certain aspect ratio's will still have borders even on a WS t.v as thats how there were shot and ment to be viewed, but he just dos'nt get it.

[imdurc]

Exactly Marv. You have it 100%. The bars on the left and right are there because of the non-anamorphic transfer he is viewing on his widescreen tv. On a 4:3 shaped tv, it'll look like it fills the screen, except for the top and bottom bars which, btw, are part of the filmmaker's chosen presentation. In other words, those top and bottom bars would still be there if the Abyss print was an anamorphic transfer playing on a widescreen tv.

So, to the original OP - the best advice is to zoom the screen with your tv setting. That's kinda what it's there for. If this isn't possible, not much can be done, if anything. Sorry!

[MAX1210]

Erm if you guys look at the review on this very site for The Abyss Special Edition you will see it (well region 2 copy anyway) is listed as being anamorphic. Tried my copy last night and it definately goes straight into widescreen with no issues at all

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by MAX1210

Erm if you guys look at the review on this very site for The Abyss Special Edition you will see it (well region 2 copy anyway) is listed as being anamorphic. Tried my copy last night and it definately goes straight into widescreen with no issues at all

Then the review is wrong. The film has never been issued as an anamorphic release either on R1 or on R2.

[MAX1210]

a reviewer for avforums got something wrong!! My world has just collapsed around me and guess my own eyes deceived me last night as well

[Todd Tomorrow]

Looks like it.

[mikegambit]

Originally Posted by MAX1210

Erm if you guys look at the review on this very site for The Abyss Special Edition you will see it (well region 2 copy anyway) is listed as being anamorphic. Tried my copy last night and it definately goes straight into widescreen with no issues at all

Did you actually look at the film ?

The menus and everything else on the disc are anamorphic but the film itself is not

Like the original R1 Planet of the Apes boxset , this film was being prepared at the crossover point for Fox changing to anamorphic presentation so we just got lucky with the menus

If you have a genuine 16:9 dvd of The Abyss I should stick it on ebay - it would be worth a fortune

http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=21

[Gromit]

Originally Posted by Todd Tomorrow

The film has never been issued as an anamorphic release either on R1 or on R2.

Wrong!

The Scandinavian Theatrical DVD release is the ONLY version in 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen.