aspect ratio problem

I've recently hooked up a Toshiba SD-5970 DVD player to Sony KD-34XS955 TV
and have discovered that when I play a 1.33:1 (4:3) disc the image displayed
is stretched horizontally to fill the 1.77:1 (16:9) screen. Strange. Any
widescreen disc works just fine. And the TV plays television programs and
VHS signals without a problem.

I am using an HDMI cable to connect to the TV and the signal comes in on
Video 7. If I use component cables connected into Video 5, I get the proper
aspect ratio, but I do not get the high def signal: it defaults back to
480i/480p. That hardly seems like a solution. Where's my 1080i? I'm not
getting the high def image these pricy Criterion's should be providing. And
I think the high def DVD's "upconversion" function isn't doing much either.

I suppose I could connect the DVD player twice: once via the HDMI cable into
Video 7 and again via the component cables to Video 5. Does anyone know if
this would cause a problem? The TV is used to having different inputs, but
can the DVD player have different outputs connected simultaneously? Then I
could toggle over to Video 5 for a 1.33:1 DVD (at a lower resolution) and
toggle back to Video 7 for the rest.

But this hardly seems proper, and frankly, I'm stumped. Surely there must
be a way to use the HDMI cable and get a proper aspect ratio from a 1.33:1
source, but I can't figure it.

Can anyone offer any advice?

barnaby

"barnaby" <> wrote in message
news:ZvJKd.202055$8l.4755@pd7tw1no...
> I've recently hooked up a Toshiba SD-5970 DVD player to Sony KD-34XS955 TV
> and have discovered that when I play a 1.33:1 (4:3) disc the image
> displayed is stretched horizontally to fill the 1.77:1 (16:9) screen.
> Strange. Any widescreen disc works just fine. And the TV plays
> television programs and VHS signals without a problem.
>
> I am using an HDMI cable to connect to the TV and the signal comes in on
> Video 7. If I use component cables connected into Video 5, I get the
> proper aspect ratio, but I do not get the high def signal: it defaults
> back to 480i/480p. That hardly seems like a solution. Where's my 1080i?
> I'm not getting the high def image these pricy Criterion's should be
> providing. And I think the high def DVD's "upconversion" function isn't
> doing much either.
>
> I suppose I could connect the DVD player twice: once via the HDMI cable
> into Video 7 and again via the component cables to Video 5. Does anyone
> know if this would cause a problem? The TV is used to having different
> inputs, but can the DVD player have different outputs connected
> simultaneously? Then I could toggle over to Video 5 for a 1.33:1 DVD (at
> a lower resolution) and toggle back to Video 7 for the rest.
>
> But this hardly seems proper, and frankly, I'm stumped. Surely there must
> be a way to use the HDMI cable and get a proper aspect ratio from a 1.33:1
> source, but I can't figure it.
>
> Can anyone offer any advice?
>
>

Your settings sound fine. Widescreen films (those that are 16:9 Enhanced,
anyway) should fill
the screen and 4:3 films (P&S) should stretch since the TV is set to
"Normal" (which is a 16:9
screen). You have to switch the TV display for 4:3 (or "Narrow") to see 1:33
PS films/TV show DVDs
properly. There should be a button on your remote for "Format" that cycles
through "Narrow",
"Normal", "Zoom", Stretch", etc. On my 65" HD Minsubishi I can cycle any
format on my TV,
LaderDisc, VCR inputs, but on my DVD & HDTV inputs (because they're
composite inputs) I
can only cycle between the "Narrow" (for 4:3) and "Normal" (16:9) settings,
this lets me easily
switch between only two formats instead of like 5 for the other inputs.

You need the component cables to receive the 1080i signal, component cables
can't handle the
higher signals, that's why your HD disappears when you switch to the
component cables. Your
connection with the composite cables is absolutely correct, there's nothing
wrong with your
hook up from what I read and your TV sounds as if it's behaving correctly,
just switch formats
on your TV's remote to solve the "stretching" issue for 4:3 pictures.

Rob Mac

"Rob Mac" <> wrote in message
news:XcGdnZw1RcZkEGbcRVn-...
>
> "barnaby" <> wrote in message
> news:ZvJKd.202055$8l.4755@pd7tw1no...
>> I've recently hooked up a Toshiba SD-5970 DVD player to Sony KD-34XS955
>> TV and have discovered that when I play a 1.33:1 (4:3) disc the image
>> displayed is stretched horizontally to fill the 1.77:1 (16:9) screen.
>> Strange. Any widescreen disc works just fine. And the TV plays
>> television programs and VHS signals without a problem.
>>
>> I am using an HDMI cable to connect to the TV and the signal comes in on
>> Video 7. If I use component cables connected into Video 5, I get the
>> proper aspect ratio, but I do not get the high def signal: it defaults
>> back to 480i/480p. That hardly seems like a solution. Where's my 1080i?
>> I'm not getting the high def image these pricy Criterion's should be
>> providing. And I think the high def DVD's "upconversion" function isn't
>> doing much either.
>>
>> I suppose I could connect the DVD player twice: once via the HDMI cable
>> into Video 7 and again via the component cables to Video 5. Does anyone
>> know if this would cause a problem? The TV is used to having different
>> inputs, but can the DVD player have different outputs connected
>> simultaneously? Then I could toggle over to Video 5 for a 1.33:1 DVD (at
>> a lower resolution) and toggle back to Video 7 for the rest.
>>
>> But this hardly seems proper, and frankly, I'm stumped. Surely there
>> must be a way to use the HDMI cable and get a proper aspect ratio from a
>> 1.33:1 source, but I can't figure it.
>>
>> Can anyone offer any advice?
>>
>>
>
> Your settings sound fine. Widescreen films (those that are 16:9 Enhanced,
> anyway) should fill
> the screen and 4:3 films (P&S) should stretch since the TV is set to
> "Normal" (which is a 16:9
> screen). You have to switch the TV display for 4:3 (or "Narrow") to see
> 1:33 PS films/TV show DVDs
> properly. There should be a button on your remote for "Format" that cycles
> through "Narrow",
> "Normal", "Zoom", Stretch", etc. On my 65" HD Minsubishi I can cycle any
> format on my TV,
> LaderDisc, VCR inputs, but on my DVD & HDTV inputs (because they're
> composite inputs) I
> can only cycle between the "Narrow" (for 4:3) and "Normal" (16:9)
> settings, this lets me easily
> switch between only two formats instead of like 5 for the other inputs.
>
> You need the component cables to receive the 1080i signal, component
> cables can't handle the
> higher signals, that's why your HD disappears when you switch to the
> component cables. Your
> connection with the composite cables is absolutely correct, there's
> nothing wrong with your
> hook up from what I read and your TV sounds as if it's behaving correctly,
> just switch formats
> on your TV's remote to solve the "stretching" issue for 4:3 pictures.

Thanks for trying Rob, but I've been down that road. For some reason, when
connected via the HDMI cable, the "Normal" setting for the screen disappears
and I am left with choices known as "Full," "Zoom," "Wide Zoom" and
"Vertical Expand." Only in the last of these is the picture not distorted.
The stretching of the picture vertically seems to compensate for what the
"Full" setting does, but the top and bottom are lopped off in some cruel
parody of P&S - just another kind of butchering of the original.

By the way, when I hook up via component video cables, I do have a "Normal"
display setting and "Vertical Expand" disappears as a choice. The manual
suggests that different options are available depending on the source: one
set for Standard Definition sources, another for High Definition sources.

Weird eh?

According to the Sony manual, "Full" should play the high def source at it's
original size, but it somehow misreading the source and playing stretching
the picture horizontally.

Any thoughts on what would happen if I double connect the DVD player? I'm
thinking it might be bad because the DVD player seems to require one set of
set-up programming per type of connection. Will I blow its little brain if
I use simultaneous connections?

barnaby

"barnaby" <> wrote in message
news:sKPKd.204387$6l.124360@pd7tw2no...
>
> "Rob Mac" <> wrote in message
> news:XcGdnZw1RcZkEGbcRVn-...
>>
>> "barnaby" <> wrote in message
>> news:ZvJKd.202055$8l.4755@pd7tw1no...
>>> I've recently hooked up a Toshiba SD-5970 DVD player to Sony KD-34XS955
>>> TV and have discovered that when I play a 1.33:1 (4:3) disc the image
>>> displayed is stretched horizontally to fill the 1.77:1 (16:9) screen.
>>> Strange. Any widescreen disc works just fine. And the TV plays
>>> television programs and VHS signals without a problem.
>>>
>>> I am using an HDMI cable to connect to the TV and the signal comes in on
>>> Video 7. If I use component cables connected into Video 5, I get the
>>> proper aspect ratio, but I do not get the high def signal: it defaults
>>> back to 480i/480p. That hardly seems like a solution. Where's my
>>> 1080i? I'm not getting the high def image these pricy Criterion's should
>>> be providing. And I think the high def DVD's "upconversion" function
>>> isn't doing much either.
>>>
>>> I suppose I could connect the DVD player twice: once via the HDMI cable
>>> into Video 7 and again via the component cables to Video 5. Does anyone
>>> know if this would cause a problem? The TV is used to having different
>>> inputs, but can the DVD player have different outputs connected
>>> simultaneously? Then I could toggle over to Video 5 for a 1.33:1 DVD
>>> (at a lower resolution) and toggle back to Video 7 for the rest.
>>>
>>> But this hardly seems proper, and frankly, I'm stumped. Surely there
>>> must be a way to use the HDMI cable and get a proper aspect ratio from a
>>> 1.33:1 source, but I can't figure it.
>>>
>>> Can anyone offer any advice?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Your settings sound fine. Widescreen films (those that are 16:9 Enhanced,
>> anyway) should fill
>> the screen and 4:3 films (P&S) should stretch since the TV is set to
>> "Normal" (which is a 16:9
>> screen). You have to switch the TV display for 4:3 (or "Narrow") to see
>> 1:33 PS films/TV show DVDs
>> properly. There should be a button on your remote for "Format" that
>> cycles through "Narrow",
>> "Normal", "Zoom", Stretch", etc. On my 65" HD Minsubishi I can cycle any
>> format on my TV,
>> LaderDisc, VCR inputs, but on my DVD & HDTV inputs (because they're
>> composite inputs) I
>> can only cycle between the "Narrow" (for 4:3) and "Normal" (16:9)
>> settings, this lets me easily
>> switch between only two formats instead of like 5 for the other inputs.
>>
>> You need the component cables to receive the 1080i signal, component
>> cables can't handle the
>> higher signals, that's why your HD disappears when you switch to the
>> component cables. Your
>> connection with the composite cables is absolutely correct, there's
>> nothing wrong with your
>> hook up from what I read and your TV sounds as if it's behaving
>> correctly, just switch formats
>> on your TV's remote to solve the "stretching" issue for 4:3 pictures.
>
> Thanks for trying Rob, but I've been down that road. For some reason,
> when connected via the HDMI cable, the "Normal" setting for the screen
> disappears and I am left with choices known as "Full," "Zoom," "Wide Zoom"
> and "Vertical Expand." Only in the last of these is the picture not
> distorted. The stretching of the picture vertically seems to compensate
> for what the "Full" setting does, but the top and bottom are lopped off in
> some cruel parody of P&S - just another kind of butchering of the
> original.
>
> By the way, when I hook up via component video cables, I do have a
> "Normal" display setting and "Vertical Expand" disappears as a choice.
> The manual suggests that different options are available depending on the
> source: one set for Standard Definition sources, another for High
> Definition sources.
>
> Weird eh?
>
> According to the Sony manual, "Full" should play the high def source at
> it's original size, but it somehow misreading the source and playing
> stretching the picture horizontally.
>
> Any thoughts on what would happen if I double connect the DVD player? I'm
> thinking it might be bad because the DVD player seems to require one set
> of set-up programming per type of connection. Will I blow its little
> brain if I use simultaneous connections?
>
>

I wouldn't expect so.

My HT setup has a LaserDisc player that can play DVDs (I also have a 300-DVD
changer,
so I use the LD player as backup or to play DVDs I plan on playing once,
like TV show discs),
in any event, my LD/DVD player has 2 connections, one for DVD output and one
for LaserDiscs,
so on my TV I have 2 inputs, and I have to switch between them depending on
what I'm watching.

I don't have to switch anything on my LD player if I play a DVD or LD, and
the player is smart
enough to figure out what I'm watching, but some players make you fiddle
with the Setup Menu
before putting a disc in to switch outputs, so check the manual.

Seems an odd and annoying problem you've got there, indeed. Good luck.

Rob Mac

"Rob Mac" <> wrote in message
news:qJqdncZpJoq6EmDcRVn-...
>
> "barnaby" <> wrote in message
> news:sKPKd.204387$6l.124360@pd7tw2no...
>>
>> "Rob Mac" <> wrote in message
>> news:XcGdnZw1RcZkEGbcRVn-...
>>>
>>> "barnaby" <> wrote in message
>>> news:ZvJKd.202055$8l.4755@pd7tw1no...
>>>> I've recently hooked up a Toshiba SD-5970 DVD player to Sony KD-34XS955
>>>> TV and have discovered that when I play a 1.33:1 (4:3) disc the image
>>>> displayed is stretched horizontally to fill the 1.77:1 (16:9) screen.
>>>> Strange. Any widescreen disc works just fine. And the TV plays
>>>> television programs and VHS signals without a problem.
>>>>
>>>> I am using an HDMI cable to connect to the TV and the signal comes in
>>>> on Video 7. If I use component cables connected into Video 5, I get
>>>> the proper aspect ratio, but I do not get the high def signal: it
>>>> defaults back to 480i/480p. That hardly seems like a solution.
>>>> Where's my 1080i? I'm not getting the high def image these pricy
>>>> Criterion's should be providing. And I think the high def DVD's
>>>> "upconversion" function isn't doing much either.
>>>>
>>>> I suppose I could connect the DVD player twice: once via the HDMI cable
>>>> into Video 7 and again via the component cables to Video 5. Does
>>>> anyone know if this would cause a problem? The TV is used to having
>>>> different inputs, but can the DVD player have different outputs
>>>> connected simultaneously? Then I could toggle over to Video 5 for a
>>>> 1.33:1 DVD (at a lower resolution) and toggle back to Video 7 for the
>>>> rest.
>>>>
>>>> But this hardly seems proper, and frankly, I'm stumped. Surely there
>>>> must be a way to use the HDMI cable and get a proper aspect ratio from
>>>> a 1.33:1 source, but I can't figure it.
>>>>
>>>> Can anyone offer any advice?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Your settings sound fine. Widescreen films (those that are 16:9
>>> Enhanced, anyway) should fill
>>> the screen and 4:3 films (P&S) should stretch since the TV is set to
>>> "Normal" (which is a 16:9
>>> screen). You have to switch the TV display for 4:3 (or "Narrow") to see
>>> 1:33 PS films/TV show DVDs
>>> properly. There should be a button on your remote for "Format" that
>>> cycles through "Narrow",
>>> "Normal", "Zoom", Stretch", etc. On my 65" HD Minsubishi I can cycle any
>>> format on my TV,
>>> LaderDisc, VCR inputs, but on my DVD & HDTV inputs (because they're
>>> composite inputs) I
>>> can only cycle between the "Narrow" (for 4:3) and "Normal" (16:9)
>>> settings, this lets me easily
>>> switch between only two formats instead of like 5 for the other inputs.
>>>
>>> You need the component cables to receive the 1080i signal, component
>>> cables can't handle the
>>> higher signals, that's why your HD disappears when you switch to the
>>> component cables. Your
>>> connection with the composite cables is absolutely correct, there's
>>> nothing wrong with your
>>> hook up from what I read and your TV sounds as if it's behaving
>>> correctly, just switch formats
>>> on your TV's remote to solve the "stretching" issue for 4:3 pictures.
>>
>> Thanks for trying Rob, but I've been down that road. For some reason,
>> when connected via the HDMI cable, the "Normal" setting for the screen
>> disappears and I am left with choices known as "Full," "Zoom," "Wide
>> Zoom" and "Vertical Expand." Only in the last of these is the picture
>> not distorted. The stretching of the picture vertically seems to
>> compensate for what the "Full" setting does, but the top and bottom are
>> lopped off in some cruel parody of P&S - just another kind of butchering
>> of the original.
>>
>> By the way, when I hook up via component video cables, I do have a
>> "Normal" display setting and "Vertical Expand" disappears as a choice.
>> The manual suggests that different options are available depending on the
>> source: one set for Standard Definition sources, another for High
>> Definition sources.
>>
>> Weird eh?
>>
>> According to the Sony manual, "Full" should play the high def source at
>> it's original size, but it somehow misreading the source and playing
>> stretching the picture horizontally.
>>
>> Any thoughts on what would happen if I double connect the DVD player?
>> I'm thinking it might be bad because the DVD player seems to require one
>> set of set-up programming per type of connection. Will I blow its little
>> brain if I use simultaneous connections?
>>
>>
>
> I wouldn't expect so.
>
> My HT setup has a LaserDisc player that can play DVDs (I also have a
> 300-DVD changer,
> so I use the LD player as backup or to play DVDs I plan on playing once,
> like TV show discs),
> in any event, my LD/DVD player has 2 connections, one for DVD output and
> one for LaserDiscs,
> so on my TV I have 2 inputs, and I have to switch between them depending
> on what I'm watching.
>
> I don't have to switch anything on my LD player if I play a DVD or LD, and
> the player is smart
> enough to figure out what I'm watching, but some players make you fiddle
> with the Setup Menu
> before putting a disc in to switch outputs, so check the manual.
>
> Seems an odd and annoying problem you've got there, indeed. Good luck.

Thanks. I'm hoping Somy tect support might, well, be supportive. Luck I'll
need.

barnaby