Basic DVD advise needed

G

griersm

Guest
Hi,

My old VHS video player died on me recently so I decided to take a look at DVD players. In the end I opted for a combi DVD/VCR (Toshiba SD-22VB). I have a normal TV with one scart input.

I'm a total beginner in this field so sorry if this is all a little basic

1) I noticed that DVD's are all in widescreen format. What is anamorphic wide screen format?

2) All DVD's played back on my TV have black bars top and bottom, sometimes reducing the movie size to half the screen. Is my only way out of this to buy a widescreen TV, or is there a trick to get DVD movies to fill a normal (4:3) size TV screen.

3) In the DVD menu sceen I can select Video or RGB output. What are these and what one is best?

many thanks for any advise given

Please advise another forum if this one is inappropriate.
 
Originally posted by griersm

1) I noticed that DVD's are all in widescreen format. What is anamorphic wide screen format?

One explanation
2) All DVD's played back on my TV have black bars top and bottom, sometimes reducing the movie size to half the screen. Is my only way out of this to buy a widescreen TV, or is there a trick to get DVD movies to fill a normal (4:3) size TV screen.

You need to set up your correct TV shape in the SD22VB's "Set Up" menu. On page 37 iirc.
4:3, 4:3 letterbox, or Widescreen. You want 4:3?!

3) In the DVD menu sceen I can select Video or RGB output. What are these and what one is best?

It is the choice of Video/S-video or RGB you're making at this point. Have you got a TV that takes RGB, S-video, and PAL?
Try RGB if you can.
 
Originally posted by kevenh
You want 4:3?!

Obviously, James45 is right. I meant with the TV that you currently have.
Ideally, you want a widescreen. Make that your next upgrade.
 
You need to set up your correct TV shape in the SD22VB's "Set Up" menu. On page 37 iirc.

Thanks kevenh for your help. Regarding the set up on my SD22VB.

Take star wars II as an example. If I choose 4:3 mode in the set up then the movie plays ok but has deep black bars top and bottom. Is that normal or should the DVD adjust the image to fill the entire screen?

I tried the other setting also. 4:3 letter box made no difference. Wide screen distorted the image vertically to fill more but not all of my 4:3 screen.
 

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