Aspect Ratio Issue on my New System

[Lee A Stewart]

You need to feed your display this type of image. It shows if your display is overscanning.

[Buster Friendly]

Originally Posted by chip75

[B][I][CENTER]1.34:1 (almost 4:3)

Originally Posted by pferreira

Well that's amazing because my viewing experience has never looked like that on standard blu-ray.

That's what my TNG blu-rays and classic Doctor Who looks like - black bars at the side but the vertical image reaches the top and bottom of the screen.

Isn't that what it's supposed to look like for an old 4:3 TV show on a modern widescreen TV?

Not sure why you'd watch either of those in a shrunken viewing "window" with black bars top and bottom?

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by roar

Further to Rodchester's comment, 1.85 should have very tiny bars top and bottom and may actually look like full screen if you're not paying attention because the aspect ratio of your TV is likely 1.78...so super close. Confirm your content is indeed 1.85 and look for slivers of bars at the top and bottom, 2.35 or > should of course have larger bars.

But note that many 1.85 movies are "opened up" on Blu-ray (and streaming) to 16:9 (1.78) so there aren't even tiny black bars at the top and bottom. And the reverse is true: some TV shows (like the last season of "Game of Thrones" and the last season of "Stranger Things") were shot and presented 1.85 even though they were always intended for TV, so they do have a few pixels of black bars top and bottom.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by pferreira

Well if it's 2:35:1 like Ghostbusters the black bars should be thick right? Back to the Future is 1:85:1 so it should have black bars but thinner ones. On my previous TV and blu-ray player that's how the movies were presented. For TNG Remastered blu-ray however it should be presented in a 4:3 window, not with just black bars on the sides.

A thought popped into my head:

https://www.support.com/how-to/how-t...levision-13092

My previous Samsung TV was 40 inches. My new TV is 43 inches. Is it possible the TV is working the way it should and that the lack of black bars is due to the bigger the screen the thinner the black bars you get? Why do you guys think?

Absolutely not.

For a 2.35 movie, the black bars should be thick, but top and bottom only. I suspect you're enlarging the image on your TV. Most TV's have settings for idiots who don't want to see black bars that enlarges the picture. On Sony sets it's called "Wide Mode" and the proper setting is "Full". It might have different syntax on your TV. There could be a similar setting on your BD player.

[pferreira]

Sorry I haven't got back to you guys yet. I sent off my 4K player for the more expensive UB820 one because it comes with the kind of proper remote I had before and a LCD display. Tested it and same problem (which I didn't expect to resolve with a more expensive player anyway). So with the knowledge I have I've been doing some research and this is what I've been able to find out:

- 1080 blu-ray discs were tested already on my previous 1080 player with my new Samsung 4K Smart TV. Aspect ratio was how it should be with the correct level of black bars for different ratios. 1:85:1, 2:35:1 and 4:3 were presented as I had it before on my old non-4K TV. I also tested various aspect ratio discs on my parents 1080 Sony player with their Samsung 4K TV. No problem, as predicted business as usual. Since I had the opportunity I decided to hook up my new Panasonic 4K player to their TV. Surprise surprise I get the exact same problems with the aspect ratio! May I remind you both our TVs are set to 16:9. We've figured out it's not the TV itself that needs adjusting it's the player that is the center of the problems. Their Sony player has an aspect ratio setting which allows them to change the aspect ratio so theirs is set to 4:3. My Panasonic player doesn't have that option.

- Auto Wide is still greyed out on my 4K TV.

- Contacted Panasonic tech support via live chat. After half an hour trying to get them to understand what I was going on about I gave them the below picture example. They finally understood but said they don't understand how to fix the issue themselves so escalated by problem. Not sure if they'll get back to me.

- What tech support did find out is my TV isn't capable of 4K output of 50/60p as my HDMI cable is not 18gbp. I know this because I tried this 4K option and my TV is really fuzzy and not clear. My TV can only manage 4K 20p output. I doubt this has anything to do with aspect ratio but it's something to consider.

- Again to clarify what I'm going on about:



From experience the above image is 1:85:1. This is the kind of aspect ratio I expect to see on movies like Back to the Future (1985), ET (1982), Clue (1985), Spider-Man (2002), etc.

Currently the ABOVE image is what I get with 2:35:1 or similar ratios. For it to be the correct ratio presentation the picture needs to be more letterbox, the black bars need to be bigger on the top and bottom. THIS is what I need help with changing. Again I'm new to 4K so if the stretching of the picture is how 4K does things with widescreen I wouldn't know this.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

Absolutely not.

For a 2.35 movie, the black bars should be thick, but top and bottom only. I suspect you're enlarging the image on your TV. Most TV's have settings for idiots who don't want to see black bars that enlarges the picture. On Sony sets it's called "Wide Mode" and the proper setting is "Full". It might have different syntax on your TV. There could be a similar setting on your BD player.

This is what I need help with. On my TV Auto Wide is always greyed out and I have my TV set to 16:9 Standard which apart from 4:3 and Custom is the only options.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by pferreira

- Again to clarify what I'm going on about:



From experience the above image is 1:85:1. This is the kind of aspect ratio I expect to see on movies like Back to the Future (1985), ET (1982), Clue (1985), Spider-Man (2002), etc.

That's not 1.85:1. The image itself is about 1.32:1 and without the black bars it's 1.80:1.

If that's an actual picture of a TV it's a 4:3 TV!

[chip75]

Originally Posted by pferreira

- Contacted Panasonic tech support via live chat. After half an hour trying to get them to understand what I was going on about I gave them the below picture example. They finally understood but said they don't understand how to fix the issue themselves so escalated by problem. Not sure if they'll get back to me.

I honestly don't think there's a problem to solve, if your BDs are displaying like the pictures I posted on the previous page they are 100% correct.

Originally Posted by pferreira

What tech support did find out is my TV isn't capable of 4K output of 50/60p as my HDMI cable is not 18gbp. I know this because I tried this 4K option and my TV is really fuzzy and not clear. My TV can only manage 4K 20p output. I doubt this has anything to do with aspect ratio but it's something to consider.

If you're trying to force output 3840 x 2160 60Hz 10/12bit 4:4:4 you will run into problems as it's over 18Gbps. You'd have to output at 8 bits.

Not sure if the player even allows you to try 60Hz 12bit at 4:4:4, I'd have to double-check.

[Barry_NJ]

Sounds to me like your looking for a Bit Mapped or Direct output from the player and a similar interpretation by your TV, while one or the other is upscaling the image to 4K. See if there is a direct option for them.

P.S. Not sure why you'd want that, but to each their own... As long as the aspect ratio isn't distorted, you should be happy

[Buster Friendly]

Originally Posted by chip75

I honestly don't think there's a problem to solve, if your BDs are displaying like the pictures I posted on the previous page they are 100% correct.

I agree - your setup should automatically be keeping the correct aspect ratio and simply making the image as large as is possible without cropping anything off.

Old 4:3 stuff like TNG (as per your pictures) should be filling a widescreen TV from top to bottom with black bars only on the sides.

Films like Lawrence Of Arabia should be filling a widescreen TV from left to right with black bars only on the top and bottom.

I'm at a bit of a loss to understand why the OP expects or wants black bars on the sides AND the top and bottom of TNG?

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Buster Friendly

I'm at a bit of a loss to understand why the OP expects or wants black bars on the sides AND the top and bottom of TNG?

As I said all remastered 4:3 TV shows on blu-ray have shown up as that. One of the few that takes up the entire screen is Street Hawk.

Non-remastered stuff or stuff on DVD just have black bars on the left and right.

Originally Posted by Barry_NJ

Sounds to me like your looking for a Bit Mapped or Direct output from the player and a similar interpretation by your TV, while one or the other is upscaling the image to 4K. See if there is a direct option for them.

P.S. Not sure why you'd want that, but to each their own... As long as the aspect ratio isn't distorted, you should be happy

I don't understand your first paragraph but as to your second paragraph yeah on my previous blu-ray player setup and my parents it wasn't cropped. Black bars top and bottom were how'd I'd expect them to look.

UPDATE: I asked somewhere else about this problem and everybody pretty much said I need to get a 4K cable of 18gbps. They say the signal being transmitted in 1080 is probably not displaying properly from 4K to 4K equipment. I ordered myself a cable and it just arrived. Even if a cable doesn't solve my problem it will at least allow me to view stuff in 4K when that definitely wasn't possible before. Perhaps the Auto Wide on the TV will not be greyed out then?

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by pferreira

As I said all remastered 4:3 TV shows on blu-ray have shown up as that. One of the few that takes up the entire screen is Street Hawk.

Non-remastered stuff or stuff on DVD just have black bars on the left and right.

Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 1

Befitting a television series produced in the 1960s, the 'Star Trek' Blu-ray set retains the show's original 4:3 aspect ratio, pillarboxed into the center of the 16:9 frame.

https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/675...rektos_s1.html

[oddbox83]

I’ve been keeping up with mild horror at this thread. It’s either a wind-up, or stuff was simply displayed wrong on the old setup and the new one is correct.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by oddbox83

I’ve been keeping up with mild horror at this thread. It’s either a wind-up, or stuff was simply displayed wrong on the old setup and the new one is correct.

It's not a wind-up.

We connected the cable and no change to the aspect ratio. I'm starting to understand where Chip is coming from. I mentioned before that both my TV and my parents were set to 16:9 but my parents Sony player was set to 4:3. This certainly seems to account for the heavier use of black bars I'm used to. I was actually able to recreate my problem on their player. It's simply the fact my Panasonic player doesn't give the ability to set aspect ratios. It's always immediately set to 16:9. I guess it's an option they got rid of with 4K players?

The presentation of how I watch stuff now is just something I'm going to have to get used to. Buying the 4K cable wasn't a waste of money however. I can now take advantage of the 4K option on my TV and player as the output before could only be set to 24fp and 1080p so at least something good came out of buying a cable.

I still have some questions:

1) Has it been confirmed the Panasonic 4K BD820 has no option to switch ratios?

2) Why throughout this whole thing has Auto Wide been greyed out on my TV? Even with a 4K cable it is still greyed out.

3) The problem of connecting a 4K cable is that it's greyed out more options that I had before like the Screen Fit option. I mean it was set to Auto but is this normal?

[oddbox83]

You'll just have to get used to watching it properly as you should have been all these years but weren't. You've been watching a picture reduced in size with extra black bars for no reason other than you'd set it up wrong.

I can see the funny side because it reminds me of my first 5.1 setup, just over 20 years ago. It was a basic PC-peripheral type setup from Creative, but I'd wired the front stereo and surrounds the wrong way so for months I thought stereo was supposed to come from behind you in a 5.1 system. And I was "enjoying" 5.1 with the only correct speaker being the centre one. I can't, now, understand how I could bear it and didn't realise something was wrong right away, but ignorance is bliss at times.

I bet even current experts did some exceedingly stupid things when they had a lot less experience, you've just got to learn from it and move on.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by pferreira

I still have some questions:

1) Has it been confirmed the Panasonic 4K BD820 has no option to switch ratios?

2) Why throughout this whole thing has Auto Wide been greyed out on my TV? Even with a 4K cable it is still greyed out.

3) The problem of connecting a 4K cable is that it's greyed out more options that I had before like the Screen Fit option. I mean it was set to Auto but is this normal?

They don't have options to switch ratios.

Different content types allow for different options, there's no Auto Wide because the content doesn't allow it (or need it).

Not sure why it's not an option, what was your TV model again? As long as you're displaying video like the images posted previously, then I wouldn't worry about it.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by chip75

Not sure why it's not an option, what was your TV model again? As long as you're displaying video like the images posted previously, then I wouldn't worry about it.

Samsung 4K 43inch Smart TV. With my previous 1080p cable I had the Screen to Fit option but since connecting the new 4K cable it greyed it out. At least it's set to Auto.

As for the player Sony for the 1080p players I guess still allow you the option to switch aspect ratios. Maybe they also got rid of the option for 4K like Panasonic?

Originally Posted by oddbox83

You'll just have to get used to watching it properly as you should have been all these years but weren't. You've been watching a picture reduced in size with extra black bars for no reason other than you'd set it up wrong.

Technically it wasn't wrong, just old school. I've been viewing stuff up until now from TVs set to 16:9 through a player set to 4:3.

At least I won't be losing any picture. The only reason it still annoys me is because watching 4:3 on a TV set set to 16:9 makes it look more cinematic.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by pferreira

As for the player Sony for the 1080p players I guess still allow you the option to switch aspect ratios. Maybe they also got rid of the option for 4K like Panasonic?

I think it's probably more or less just the Panasonic players, I think the Sony's do have a 4:3 option.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by chip75

I think it's probably more or less just the Panasonic players, I think the Sony's do have a 4:3 option.

That kind of sucks if Sony kept the 4:3 option for 4K players but Panasonic doesn't. I'm not used to what I once saw as letterbox now being 1:85:1 or an equivalent ratio such as Back to the Future.

I have a new problem I'd like you guys advice on. Testing my DVDs now and they look really horrible. In Movie mode and Warm Tone they don't look sharp any more. They also look desaturated. What options should I set to get DVDs looking better? I mean I know people aren't fans of the movie but my old copy of Free Jack had a great DVD transfer by WB but now it looks desaturated and blurry. What TV or 4K Panasonic player options do you guys pick for DVDs?

[chip75]

Originally Posted by pferreira

I have a new problem I'd like you guys advice on. Testing my DVDs now and they look really horrible. In Movie mode and Warm Tone they don't look sharp any more. They also look desaturated. What options should I set to get DVDs looking better? I mean I know people aren't fans of the movie but my old copy of Free Jack had a great DVD transfer by WB but now it looks desaturated and blurry. What TV or 4K Panasonic player options do you guys pick for DVDs?

I generally leave everything alone and know what things will look like due to their source limitations, you can play around with the picture settings, but I think you'll just get used to how your new TV and player look after a while.

I'd also like to know if you're going to fix the settings on your Mum's and dad's player? they're hurting their picture quality with those 4:3 settings on a 16:9 display!