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Home: Video University Forums: HDV:
Down converting HD to SD and Widescreen Versus Letter Box

Ron Priest
Veteran

Jun 30, 2008, 12:04 AM

Post #1 of 5 (1210 views)
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Down converting HD to SD and Widescreen Versus Letter Box	Can't Post

So I edit a photo montage in HD and down converted it to SD for DVD widescreen delivery. I had assumed that if one played the DVD on a standard 4:3 TV that it would automatically display letterbox, but I suppose I was wrong. Am I correct in understanding that if I want it to play letterbox on a SD 4:3 TV that I have to output is as letterbox? Then in this case, it will show letterbox on a widescreen TV right?
___________________
Ron

diegopocovi
Novice

Jul 13, 2008, 7:44 PM

Post #2 of 5 (1064 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] Down converting HD to SD and Widescreen Versus Letter Box [In reply to]	Can't Post

Ron, let me see if this helps... that will work same as video....your video 720x480 16:9 (anamorphic) automatically will play perfect wide screen when is connected thru the component or the HDMI output of the DVD player and will look letterbox when using the rca composite or S-video out by default too. at least that is something my DVD workshop has as option but all the dvd author programs work like that by default...is hard to find regular 4:3 tv's with component input , BDW when I deliver a 16:9 DVD I insist the client to connect the DVD to the Widescreen TV thru Component or HDMI, if not my work will lose %50 of quality and the flavor of watch it full screen without distortion..... ....all the best!
Diego Pocoví Event Cinematographer
diegopocovi.com

Ron Priest
Veteran

Jul 13, 2008, 8:02 PM

Post #3 of 5 (1061 views)
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Re: [diegopocovi] Down converting HD to SD and Widescreen Versus Letter Box [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

BDW when I deliver a 16:9 DVD I insist the client to connect the DVD to the Widescreen TV thru Component or HDMI, if not my work will lose %50 of quality and the flavor of watch it full screen without distortion..... ....all the best!

Thanks Diego, I think I have it figured out. That's a good idea to tell your clients to connect the DVD to a Widescreen TV through Component or HDMI. I have discovered that quality lose myself. I took the Widescreen SD DVD to Wal-Mart and played it on an up-convert DVD player via component connections and it looked great. I then realized it looked like crap because I was playing it from my old DVD player connected via RCA output. Took it back home and played it on my Play Station via HDMI and it looked just as good if not better then over at Wal-Mart.
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Ron

dvpro
User

Aug 21, 2008, 1:33 PM

Post #4 of 5 (723 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] Down converting HD to SD and Widescreen Versus Letter Box [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Ron,

I have several brands of DVD players thoughout the home, and have found that some do NOT automatically letterbox my 16:9 DVDs on a 4:3 display.

I had to actually go into DVD player menu and tell it if the display is 4:3 or 16:9 then it works right

Jeff Pulera
Digital Vision

Ron Priest
Veteran

Aug 21, 2008, 2:24 PM

Post #5 of 5 (720 views)
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Re: [dvpro] Down converting HD to SD and Widescreen Versus Letter Box [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Hi Jeff

Yes your right on! I had realized that I wasn't doing that, and that was my problem for sure. Thanks for the input.
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Ron