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    Widescreen question

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by xatuuatx, Aug 4, 2007.

  1. xatuuatx

    xatuuatx Notebook Guru

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    If I have a widescreen laptop, why, when I play a widescreen DVD does it still have the annoying black bars on the top and bottom of the picture?
     
    xatuuatx, Aug 4, 2007
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  2. dc74

    dc74 Notebook Consultant

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    Widescreen TV = 16:9
    Widescreen monitor= 16:10

    ie. a widescreen monitor is "taller" than a widescreen TV (and, hence, widescreen DVD). Also, if you are watching a theatrical movie, then most are not 16:9. They are usually much wider, ie 2.35:1 is a common movie aspect ratio. Such a DVD movie will have black bars top & bottom even on a widescreen TV.
     
    dc74, Aug 4, 2007
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  3. xatuuatx

    xatuuatx Notebook Guru

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    Ohh.. ok, so the bars are smaller than putting a dvd in a 4:3 tv, but they're still there.
     
    xatuuatx, Aug 4, 2007
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  4. dc74

    dc74 Notebook Consultant

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    Exactly :)
     
    dc74, Aug 4, 2007
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  5. ATR90

    ATR90 Notebook Evangelist

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    Just a quick statement... if you're watching a movie on a widescreen TV and you have the black bars on top and on bottom, set your TV's picture mode to "Wide Zoom". I leave my TV on this setting all the time, no matter what I watch. It will stretch the picture vertically, getting rid of the black bars. It will also make things look a lot more proportional. For example, if your TV source (cable box / satellite receiver) is in 4:3 format, people will look much fatter on a widescreen TV. Wide Zoom fixes that. Of course, you are cutting a bit from the top and bottom of the picture. However, it usually isn't that big a problem.
     
    ATR90, Aug 4, 2007
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  6. jlcool007

    jlcool007 Notebook Enthusiast

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    also depends on if your movie is in 16:9 or if it is a 2.35:1 (or even 2.40:1) film. Either way, you're gonna have black bars
     
    jlcool007, Aug 5, 2007
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  7. HappyFunBall

    HappyFunBall Notebook Consultant

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    Hmm, small black bars also appear in the middle of my screen sometimes when I'm watching certain things that somehow got censored... just kidding. No really! :p
     
    HappyFunBall, Aug 5, 2007
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