Is my DVD Player Defective?

[MadRabbit]

Before I complain to Samsung about my standalone DVD player, I need to know this.

If I'm playing a 4:3 NTSC DVD, can I expect that my DVD player will display the picture at that exact resolution? As it is, all 4:3 DVD's are displayed at the original mpeg resolution of 720 x 480 which means the right and left margins are offscreen and the visible picture is slightly distorted.

I have tried all three of the player's display settings (4:3 Letterbox, 4:3 Pan & Scan, 16:9 Widescreen), but none of them have an effect on the picture. I have tested this with many retail DVDs.

Is something wrong?

[setarip]

A COMMERCIAL DVD, with the typical 4:3 "This video has been reformatted to fit your television screen" notice, should occupy the ENTIRE screen of a conventional television.

These DVDs are not affected (as are some 16:9 DVDs) by any of the DVD player's size options (4:3 Letterbox, 4:3 Pan & Scan, 16:9 Widescreen).


You might check to see if your television itself has "picture" or "vertical/horizontal size" settings...

[MadRabbit]

The DVD video does occupy the entire screen - it's just distorted. I don't think the TV is to blame because video tapes and live broadcasts are displayed correctly.

[setarip]

"I don't think the TV is to blame because video tapes and live broadcasts are displayed correctly."

Sometimes the intensity of the output signals vary from broadcast to videotape to DVD - therefore necessitating different adjustments (brightness, color, tint, picture intensity, etc.) for the different media...

[scdlcgs]

Some dvds cant be changed of their original resolution, as setarip said, but i own a RCA DVD Player, and i havent found a dvd with a set resolution (like full screen, etc...) that it cant be changed... Have yout tried with other dvds?

[MadRabbit]

I am not trying to change the DVD's original resolution. The DVDs are 4:3 and that's the way I would like/expect to view them. My DVD player, however seems to be ignoring ratio flag and using the original mpeg resolution of 720x480 instead.

[MadRabbit]

Here's an example.

This is the picture screen as it supposed to be displayed.

http://madrabbit.net/temp/proper.jpg

Here's how it looks with my DVD Player

http://madrabbit.net/temp/incorrect.jpg

By now I'm certain that this machine is garbage. I hope it's not too late to return it.

[setarip]

"As it is, all 4:3 DVD's are displayed at the original mpeg resolution of 720 x 480 which means the right and left margins are offscreen"

I originally interpreted this to mean that the DVDs exhibited narrow, less-than-straight, black margins on the left and right, but now that I see your two examples:

If, as you say, this happens with ALL COMMERCIAL DVDs - how have you determined that there's ANYTHING offscreen to the left and the right? Compared to what? The examples you've posted here appear to be two broadcast television images and not an image from a commercial DVD. It appears that you've taken the first image and cropped a little bit off each side to create the second image. Also, perhaps it's my faulty vision, but I don't see any distortions in the second image versus the first.

[MadRabbit]

Originally posted by setarip
If, as you say, this happens with ALL COMMERCIAL DVDs - how have you determined that there's ANYTHING offscreen to the left and the right? Compared to what?

Here's a couple of more examples. This time with a commercial 4:3 DVD.

This is the correct display as seen using my DVD drive and PowerDVD. Notice that you can see the sign-post on the right side.

http://madrabbit.net/temp/good.jpg

My Samsung DVD player displays it as this.

http://madrabbit.net/temp/bad.jpg

I zoomed in on the "House of Love" sign so you can see the distortion.

http://madrabbit.net/temp/distortion.jpg

I also have this video on a commercial VHS. When played, it appears on my TV screen exactly like 'good.jpg'

It's apparent that DVD drive is reading the disc correctly and resizing the mpeg to properly display at a 4:3 ratio. My Samsung is ignoring the specification and using the mpeg2 default resolution of 3:2. None of the player's display settings have any affect on the picture. I consider this a serious flaw.

[SKD_Tech]

damn from the pictures I can't tell anything is wrong.

[MadRabbit]

Originally posted by SKD_Tech
damn from the pictures I can't tell anything is wrong.

Open each in a seperate window at the same position and toggle between them.

[allentron]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but

I am under the impression that a TV always crops the image no matter what the source is.

When i connect my cable box to my pc so that i can watch movies or something I get more of an image than when it's connected to any tv in the house.

[MadRabbit]

Originally posted by allentron
I am under the impression that a TV always crops the image no matter what the source is.

Maybe, but that's not the real problem here. I could deal with losing a little bit of the edges. But in this case, the horizontal resolution is too wide, which distorts all of the visible picture. You can see it here.

[setarip]

To MadRabbit

Something about all of these images you've posted has me completely mystified - How are you capturing the so-called "bad images" from your television? Or are you outputting from your Samsung standalone DVD player to your PC?

If it's (as I suspect) the latter, I'd suggest to you that you may be "chasing your tail", as televisions are not the same as computer monitors - and standalone DVD players are intended for output to televisions.

If you want to frighten yourself with a somewhat opposite example (not exactly analogous), play a compliant VCD (352x240 NTSC, 352x288 PAL) fullscreen on your PC with PowerDVD. You'll note that it's vertically distorted. Then play it on your television via your standalone Samsung DVD player. It will automatically occupy the full screen without distortion.

[MadRabbit]

Re: To MadRabbit

The "bad" images are simulated by taking screen captures of the DVD at a resolution of 3:2.

Originally posted by setarip
...as televisions are not the same as computer monitors

I'm not sure what differences would apply here. NTSC TVs and monitors both use a screen resolution of 4:3

Although the mpeg2 format uses a 3:2 aspect ratio, it should never be rendered as such by any DVD player. PowerDVD makes the proper adjustment. My standalone player should do the same.

...and standalone DVD players are intended for output to televisions.

And that's why I expect my DVD player to play a DVD at a resolution that's compatible with my television.