Gray Bars, Instead Of Blk Bars - WinDVD9+Blu-Ray - Blu-ray Forum

WuNGuN · 10-22-2008, 09:00 AM

Hi.. i've just installed WinDVD9+Blu-Ray, because i was having too many issues with PowerDVD. it works gr8, all the latest BD titles work, just having problem with darkish gray bars that should be totally black (top/bottom of screen), while viewing a Blu-Ray WS Movie. BTW, i didn't have this problem with PowerDVD 8 Ultra. i know the bars are supposed to be there because it's a WS format, duh... but they should be dark black, not gray, or dark gray like they currently are. and this is only happening with Blu-Rays, not WS regular DVD's.. i just popped in a WS DVD, and WS Terminator - TSCC and they both work correctly, with Totally Blacked out bars. a few pic samples/Sys info below... in the image you can see smaller Blk bars very top and bottom, this something to do with "Fixed-aspect ratio", i can disable that in WinDVD9, and they go away. but the gray bars are still gray, not black like they should be.

here's link to full size image...

hope someone can help me out here!

thanks, rob

OS: Vista SP1 32bit.
Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 226BW @ 1680x1050.
Blu-Ray Drive: Pioneer BDC-2202 w/Latest Firmware.
MB: GB - GA-X38-DQ6.
GPU: Nvidia 9800GTX 512MB, Driver: 175.19.
Sys RAM: 4GB.

Obiit · 10-22-2008, 03:54 PM

Most PC monitor are 16:10 not 16:9 so you will get some black bars past the normal black bars of a wide screen picture so could your contrast/brighness be too high? Or could WinDVD 9 have the fill black bars in with grey (seen that somewhere as a setting for a program but cannot remember where nor the program????)?

dadkins · 10-22-2008, 05:35 PM

Depending on the Aspect Ratio of the movie itself, there will be differing size bars when playing back a Blu-ray Disc - even widescreen DVDs.

The "gray" you see is light bleeding through, a monitor setting if not a monitor flaw.
Try turning down the brightness and/or contrast.

1920x1200 will always get you small bars even with 1.78:1 Aspect ratio BDs - the whole 16:10 vs 16:9 thing stated by Obiit.

WuNGuN · 10-22-2008, 10:19 PM

thanks for the replies guys! well, like i mentioned, i can get rid of the smaller blk bars by disabling 'fixed aspect ratio' in WinDVD9 Advanced Settings, but the normal ones are still gray, when they should be black. the thing is, and as most folks know, you can't adjust any color, or brightness/contrast settings within whatever program you're using, when a BD is being played, due to 'Hardware Acceleration' being used. so only option is the settings on my monitor. and when i use them, i end up making the display, or movie too dark to almost see, just to get the bars blacked out. i'm thinking it has something to with the 'Hardware Acceleration' itself, and how WinDVD9 is using it. because when i used PwrDVD8Ultra, and viewed a Blu-Ray, the bars were black. that's why i was hoping i could find someone familiar with the WinDVD9+Blu-Ray program. i've left a question at Corel's tech support section. still waiting on a answer.

and btw, i just tested a regular DVD again, with 'Hardware Acceleration' on and off, and i see totally blacked out bars either way. so i'm thinking it's a issue within WinDVD9 and how it's using 'Hardware Acceleration' for Blu-Rays.. since regular DVD's look like they should (with black bars, not gray)

dadkins · 10-22-2008, 10:39 PM

Here, on these VAIOs, I can use Fn + F5 or F6 to adjust brightness - at any time. Even when playing a Blu-ray.

The image you provided is showing light bleeding through whatever is providing the bars.
Now, whether those pars are being sent as full on black or not, they are bleeding backlight through.
Perhaps it is some quirk of WinDVD - I rarely use it.
I prefer ArcSoft myself.

djluis2k6 · 10-23-2008, 12:48 AM

I think you might have your monitor's brightness up too much.

WuNGuN · 10-23-2008, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djluis2k6

I think you might have your monitor's brightness up too much.

well, thing is, when i was using PowerDVD8ultra... it was fine, i saw blk bars while viewing Blu-Rays. i can't even get that program to run now, i can't get my Key to activate, and every time i try to start the program, it just errors out, and says.. 'PwrDVD8 has stopped', and it closes. but that's another issue entirely, and why i'm using WinDVD9 now.

but like dadkins mentioned, i think it's some quirk in WinDVD9. still awaiting an answer from them.

Ernest Rister · 10-23-2008, 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WuNGuN

well, thing is, when i was using PowerDVD8ultra... it was fine, i saw blk bars while viewing Blu-Rays. i can't even get that program to run now, i can't get my Key to activate, and every time i try to start the program, it just errors out, and says.. 'PwrDVD8 has stopped', and it closes. but that's another issue entirely, and why i'm using WinDVD9 now.

but like dadkins mentioned, i think it's some quirk in WinDVD9. still awaiting an answer from them.

I hate grey bars. Hate them.

WuNGuN · 10-23-2008, 02:53 AM

ok, i've found a temporary fix for my problem with the gray bars.. i just went into Nvidia CP, and if you look near the bottom of the list it you have 'Video & Television' settings. then you go to the first sub tab which is: Adjust video color settings.. then i switched the settings for: How do you make color adjustments?.. i chose to use Nvidia settings, instead of the settings within said video player. there i slid the Brightness down to 42, from 50, and raised the Contrast from 50 - 55. and get the normal gray bars to darken, and match up with the smaller blk bars @ very top and bottom. only bad thing is, by going this route, it darkens the movie a little too much.

it seems while playing Blu-Rays, WinDVD9 is boosting the Brightness too much. see, PwrDVD8Ultra wasn't doing that.

oh well, that'll work for now i guess. thanks guys... still though, anyone comes across this post, and has had a similar issue with WinDVD9 doing this while playing Blu-Rays, please share!

rob

snyders6dogrecipe · 10-27-2008, 08:59 AM

I believe I have the same problem as you. I just bought a drive with nightmare before christmas and the fall, using powerdvd 7, and the image is very light, the colors are not intense, the blacks are shallow, hence the bars being gray. I think I might need different software?

I thought it might be because both movies have an aspect ratio that fills up most of the screen, so more processing power must be used to decode the whole image, so color quality is lost...

snyders6dogrecipe · 10-28-2008, 06:03 AM

As a follow-up, I ripped the movie onto my computer as a m2ts file and played with a separate player using ffdshow codec, but it still looked very light compared to the other movies! I really can't figure this out.

10-22-2008, 10:19 PM	#4
WuNGuN Junior Member Member since:Jul 2008	thanks for the replies guys! well, like i mentioned, i can get rid of the smaller blk bars by disabling 'fixed aspect ratio' in WinDVD9 Advanced Settings, but the normal ones are still gray, when they should be black. the thing is, and as most folks know, you can't adjust any color, or brightness/contrast settings within whatever program you're using, when a BD is being played, due to 'Hardware Acceleration' being used. so only option is the settings on my monitor. and when i use them, i end up making the display, or movie too dark to almost see, just to get the bars blacked out. i'm thinking it has something to with the 'Hardware Acceleration' itself, and how WinDVD9 is using it. because when i used PwrDVD8Ultra, and viewed a Blu-Ray, the bars were black. that's why i was hoping i could find someone familiar with the WinDVD9+Blu-Ray program. i've left a question at Corel's tech support section. still waiting on a answer. and btw, i just tested a regular DVD again, with 'Hardware Acceleration' on and off, and i see totally blacked out bars either way. so i'm thinking it's a issue within WinDVD9 and how it's using 'Hardware Acceleration' for Blu-Rays.. since regular DVD's look like they should (with black bars, not gray) Last edited by WuNGuN; 10-22-2008 at 10:24 PM.

10-22-2008, 10:39 PM	#5
dadkins Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Hercules, CA Blu-ray collection:35 Blu-ray reviews:2	Here, on these VAIOs, I can use Fn + F5 or F6 to adjust brightness - at any time. Even when playing a Blu-ray. The image you provided is showing light bleeding through whatever is providing the bars. Now, whether those pars are being sent as full on black or not, they are bleeding backlight through. Perhaps it is some quirk of WinDVD - I rarely use it. I prefer ArcSoft myself. Last edited by dadkins; 10-23-2008 at 12:49 AM. Reason: Typo

10-23-2008, 02:53 AM	#9
WuNGuN Junior Member Member since:Jul 2008	ok, i've found a temporary fix for my problem with the gray bars.. i just went into Nvidia CP, and if you look near the bottom of the list it you have 'Video & Television' settings. then you go to the first sub tab which is: Adjust video color settings.. then i switched the settings for: How do you make color adjustments?.. i chose to use Nvidia settings, instead of the settings within said video player. there i slid the Brightness down to 42, from 50, and raised the Contrast from 50 - 55. and get the normal gray bars to darken, and match up with the smaller blk bars @ very top and bottom. only bad thing is, by going this route, it darkens the movie a little too much. it seems while playing Blu-Rays, WinDVD9 is boosting the Brightness too much. see, PwrDVD8Ultra wasn't doing that. oh well, that'll work for now i guess. thanks guys... still though, anyone comes across this post, and has had a similar issue with WinDVD9 doing this while playing Blu-Rays, please share! rob Last edited by WuNGuN; 10-23-2008 at 02:56 AM.

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10-22-2008, 03:54 PM	#2
Obiit Active Member Member since:Nov 2007 Location:Oldham, UK Home Theater Gallery:2 Blu-ray reviews:1	Most PC monitor are 16:10 not 16:9 so you will get some black bars past the normal black bars of a wide screen picture so could your contrast/brighness be too high? Or could WinDVD 9 have the fill black bars in with grey (seen that somewhere as a setting for a program but cannot remember where nor the program????)?

10-22-2008, 05:35 PM	#3
dadkins Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Hercules, CA Blu-ray collection:35 Blu-ray reviews:2	Depending on the Aspect Ratio of the movie itself, there will be differing size bars when playing back a Blu-ray Disc - even widescreen DVDs. The "gray" you see is light bleeding through, a monitor setting if not a monitor flaw. Try turning down the brightness and/or contrast. 1920x1200 will always get you small bars even with 1.78:1 Aspect ratio BDs - the whole 16:10 vs 16:9 thing stated by Obiit.

10-23-2008, 12:48 AM	#6
djluis2k6 Power Member Top contributor Member since:Feb 2007	I think you might have your monitor's brightness up too much.

10-27-2008, 08:59 AM	#10
snyders6dogrecipe Member Member since:Oct 2008 Blu-ray reviews:1	I believe I have the same problem as you. I just bought a drive with nightmare before christmas and the fall, using powerdvd 7, and the image is very light, the colors are not intense, the blacks are shallow, hence the bars being gray. I think I might need different software? I thought it might be because both movies have an aspect ratio that fills up most of the screen, so more processing power must be used to decode the whole image, so color quality is lost...

10-28-2008, 06:03 AM	#11
snyders6dogrecipe Member Member since:Oct 2008 Blu-ray reviews:1	As a follow-up, I ripped the movie onto my computer as a m2ts file and played with a separate player using ffdshow codec, but it still looked very light compared to the other movies! I really can't figure this out.

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