DVD Demystified

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Figure 3.19
Expand (theater)
mode on widescreen
TV
Chapter 3
NOTE: Expand mode should only be used for video that is already
letterboxed into a 4:3 picture, as on a laserdisc, a letterbox-only DVD, or
other nonanamorphic source. Letting the DVD player autoletterbox
anamorphic video causes a loss of resolution, which is amplified when
the TV expands the picture (see Figure 3.17j).
When DVD contains widescreen video, the different output modes of the
player can be combined with different widescreen TV display modes to create
a confusing array of options. Figure 3.17 shows how the different DVD
output modes look on a regular TV and on a widescreen TV. Note that there
is one “good” way to view widescreen video on a regular TV (see Figure
3.17e) but that a very large TV or a widescreen TV is required to do it justice.
Also note that there is only one good way to view widescreen video on
a widescreen TV, and this is with widescreen (anamorphic) output to wide
mode (see Figure 3.17o).
Clearly, it is very easy to display the wrong picture in the wrong way. In
some cases, the equipment is smart enough to help out. The player can send
a special signal embedded in the video blanking area or via the s-video connector
to the widescreen TV, but everything must be set up properly:
TEAMFLY
1. Connect the DVD player to the widescreen TV with an s-video cable.
2. Set the widescreen TV to s-video in (using the remote control or the
front-panel input selector).
3. Set the TV to automatic or normal mode.
4. Set the DVD player to 16:9 output mode (using the on-screen setup
feature with the remote control or with a switch on the back of the
player).
If everything is working right and the TV is equipped to recognize
widescreen signaling, it will automatically switch modes to match the format
of the video.