Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

I recently purchased a 5040 refurb after about a year-and-a-half of running
my own PC-based DVRs. I was using ShowShifter software, which allows you to
configure the TV type, e.g., standard 4:3, anamorphic widescreen, etc. Well
I noticed that there's no place in the RTV's setup that allows me to specify
what type of TV I have.

Well it just so happens that I splurged over the holidays and bought myself
a 17" widescreen LCD HDTV for the bedroom. I've got the 5040 connected to
this TV via my digital cable box. (RF to digital cable box, svideo/rca
audio to RTV, progressive video/rca audio to TV.) I have my TV configured
to "stretch" the standard 4:3 signal, which seems to be what gets sent to my
TV. Anyway, I'm wondering what the limiting factor is here. Is my digital
cable box only broadcasting in 4:3? Or is it the RTV? It seems that more
and more shows & movies are broadcast in anamorphic widescreen, and I'd like
to view it in this format on my widescreen TV. (Those black bars I see on
my standard TVs are about the same size on the widescreen, not smaller or
non-existent as they are when viewing DVDs in anamorphic widescreen format.)

Enlightenment much appreciated. :-)

Regards,

Margaret

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 16:32:29 -0400, Margaret Wilson
<twokatmew@nospam.msn.com> wrote:

> I recently purchased a 5040 refurb after about a year-and-a-half of
> running
> my own PC-based DVRs. I was using ShowShifter software, which allows
> you to
> configure the TV type, e.g., standard 4:3, anamorphic widescreen, etc.
> Well
> I noticed that there's no place in the RTV's setup that allows me to
> specify
> what type of TV I have.
>
> Well it just so happens that I splurged over the holidays and bought
> myself
> a 17" widescreen LCD HDTV for the bedroom. I've got the 5040 connected
> to
> this TV via my digital cable box. (RF to digital cable box, svideo/rca
> audio to RTV, progressive video/rca audio to TV.) I have my TV
> configured
> to "stretch" the standard 4:3 signal, which seems to be what gets sent
> to my
> TV. Anyway, I'm wondering what the limiting factor is here. Is my
> digital
> cable box only broadcasting in 4:3? Or is it the RTV? It seems that
> more
> and more shows & movies are broadcast in anamorphic widescreen, and I'd
> like
> to view it in this format on my widescreen TV. (Those black bars I see
> on
> my standard TVs are about the same size on the widescreen, not smaller or
> non-existent as they are when viewing DVDs in anamorphic widescreen
> format.)
>
> Enlightenment much appreciated. :-)
>
> Regards,
>
> Margaret
>
>

The cable box is the limiting factor (as is the Replay). Your cable box
outputs 4:3 and your TV streches it to fill the screen. Call your cable
company and ask for an HDTV cable box. Then, you'll have HDTV to watch.
Also, HDTV on your size of screen isn't going to be much better than
regular TV, unless you really like to get close to the TV. I have a 57
inch RPTV and have even found some "upconverted" (where they take the 4:3
and make it 16:9) TV to be almost unwatcheable it was so bad. In fact,
the quality of the 4:3 on my Replay is better than when my HDTV cable box
outputs its own 4:3 (when I'm watching a non-HD channel). In good HD,
there's no comparison, but I also have a 57 inch TV, and a 17 inch TV
might have an unnoticeable difference.

--
Bob in CT
Remove ".x" to reply

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

So what you're saying is that I only get anamorphic widescreen via HDTV?
(If that's the case, how come shows that are not broadcast in HDTV format
have the black bars top and bottom?) ... I really don't want to go the HDTV
route (yet), especially since RTVs don't record HDTV. The upconverted RTV
signal is great on my little 17" widescreen, even though it's stretched.

Anyway, Comcast is about to release the HDTV PVRs in my area, but they're
not networkable, you can't record pay-per-view movies, and I've heard that
there are other not-so-nice features of these boxes. I wonder what Digital
Networks Inc. has up their sleeves for HDTV?

Regards,

Margaret

"Bob in CT" <ctviggen.x@adelphia.net> wrote in message
newspr8xpihsc6snke8@news.snet.sbcglobal.net...
>
> The cable box is the limiting factor (as is the Replay). Your cable box
> outputs 4:3 and your TV streches it to fill the screen. Call your cable
> company and ask for an HDTV cable box. Then, you'll have HDTV to watch.
> Also, HDTV on your size of screen isn't going to be much better than
> regular TV, unless you really like to get close to the TV. I have a 57
> inch RPTV and have even found some "upconverted" (where they take the 4:3
> and make it 16:9) TV to be almost unwatcheable it was so bad. In fact,
> the quality of the 4:3 on my Replay is better than when my HDTV cable box
> outputs its own 4:3 (when I'm watching a non-HD channel). In good HD,
> there's no comparison, but I also have a 57 inch TV, and a 17 inch TV
> might have an unnoticeable difference.
>
> --
> Bob in CT
> Remove ".x" to reply

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 17:39:04 -0400, Margaret Wilson
<twokatmew@nospam.msn.com> wrote:

> So what you're saying is that I only get anamorphic widescreen via HDTV?
> (If that's the case, how come shows that are not broadcast in HDTV format
> have the black bars top and bottom?) ... I really don't want to go the
> HDTV
> route (yet), especially since RTVs don't record HDTV. The upconverted
> RTV
> signal is great on my little 17" widescreen, even though it's stretched.

Yes. By the way, HDTV is just HDTV. "Anamorphic" is a whole different
animal (it's a way of -- I believe -- compressing and decompressing
information on DVDs so that it'll fit better in a 16x9 screen). If you
like the regular TV on your HDTV, then I wouldn't worry about it. I think
you see the black bars because they want to look different or they're
shooting in HDTV but converting to regular TV. I think it's more the
former than the latter. When I watch these commercials in HDTV, they
still have the black bars usually.

> Anyway, Comcast is about to release the HDTV PVRs in my area, but they're
> not networkable, you can't record pay-per-view movies, and I've heard
> that
> there are other not-so-nice features of these boxes. I wonder what
> Digital
> Networks Inc. has up their sleeves for HDTV?
>
> Regards,
>
> Margaret
>

I'm sure there's an HDTV recorder in the works. Dish (satellite) already
has one, but it's like $1,000.

--
Bob in CT
Remove ".x" to reply

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

Margaret Wilson wrote:
> I recently purchased a 5040 refurb after about a year-and-a-half of
> running my own PC-based DVRs. I was using ShowShifter software,
> which allows you to configure the TV type, e.g., standard 4:3,
> anamorphic widescreen, etc. Well I noticed that there's no place in
> the RTV's setup that allows me to specify what type of TV I have.
>
> Well it just so happens that I splurged over the holidays and bought
> myself a 17" widescreen LCD HDTV for the bedroom. I've got the 5040
> connected to this TV via my digital cable box. (RF to digital cable
> box, svideo/rca audio to RTV, progressive video/rca audio to TV.) I
> have my TV configured to "stretch" the standard 4:3 signal, which
> seems to be what gets sent to my TV. Anyway, I'm wondering what the
> limiting factor is here. Is my digital cable box only broadcasting
> in 4:3? Or is it the RTV? It seems that more and more shows &
> movies are broadcast in anamorphic widescreen, and I'd like to view
> it in this format on my widescreen TV. (Those black bars I see on my
> standard TVs are about the same size on the widescreen, not smaller
> or non-existent as they are when viewing DVDs in anamorphic
> widescreen format.)
>
> Enlightenment much appreciated. :-)
>
> Regards,
>
> Margaret

All programs sent via standard broadcast are 4:3. Some are letterboxed
where they just blank out the top and bottom to show a wide screen image.
The detail is actually reduced since the detail that would have been at the
top and bottom is no longer there.

Your new TV may be able to stretch that letterbox image and not show the
top and bottom so it can use its whole screen to display the image. That
will look the best, but it is a far shot from HDTV

You need to be receiving HDTV signals to your set to get HDTV images.
When you set sees them, it will adjust itself to the right size no matter
what you set. You will also see an amazing quality improvement. This only
comes when you input HDTV signals to the TV.

Replay does not, to the best of my knowledge, see HDTV singles. It can
not record them. Your old TV can not show them, unless you have a down
converter to convert them to the lower standard resolution.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 16:32:29 -0400, "Margaret Wilson"
<twokatmew@nospam.msn.com> wrote:

>I recently purchased a 5040 refurb after about a year-and-a-half of running
>my own PC-based DVRs. I was using ShowShifter software, which allows you to
>configure the TV type, e.g., standard 4:3, anamorphic widescreen, etc. Well
>I noticed that there's no place in the RTV's setup that allows me to specify
>what type of TV I have.
>
>Well it just so happens that I splurged over the holidays and bought myself
>a 17" widescreen LCD HDTV for the bedroom. I've got the 5040 connected to
>this TV via my digital cable box. (RF to digital cable box, svideo/rca
>audio to RTV, progressive video/rca audio to TV.) I have my TV configured
>to "stretch" the standard 4:3 signal, which seems to be what gets sent to my
>TV. Anyway, I'm wondering what the limiting factor is here. Is my digital
>cable box only broadcasting in 4:3? Or is it the RTV? It seems that more
>and more shows & movies are broadcast in anamorphic widescreen, and I'd like
>to view it in this format on my widescreen TV. (Those black bars I see on
>my standard TVs are about the same size on the widescreen, not smaller or
>non-existent as they are when viewing DVDs in anamorphic widescreen format.)
>

Sounds like the componect connected to the TV is still sending 4:3,
maybe it has a switch.

The Replay doesn't have such a switch, but you can still get 16:9 if
the component supplying the Replay can be set to 16:9.

>Enlightenment much appreciated. :-)
>

Note that there's no way to get real HDTV through the Replay, but you
might be able to get the aspect Ratio right.

>Regards,
>
>Margaret
>

--
Mark Lloyd
http://go.to/notstupid
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"It is a curious thing that every creed promises a
paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for
anyone of civilized taste." -- Evelyn Waugh

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 22:22:17 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
<sligojoeS_PAM_2@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Margaret Wilson wrote:
>> I recently purchased a 5040 refurb after about a year-and-a-half of
>> running my own PC-based DVRs. I was using ShowShifter software,
>> which allows you to configure the TV type, e.g., standard 4:3,
>> anamorphic widescreen, etc. Well I noticed that there's no place in
>> the RTV's setup that allows me to specify what type of TV I have.
>>
>> Well it just so happens that I splurged over the holidays and bought
>> myself a 17" widescreen LCD HDTV for the bedroom. I've got the 5040
>> connected to this TV via my digital cable box. (RF to digital cable
>> box, svideo/rca audio to RTV, progressive video/rca audio to TV.) I
>> have my TV configured to "stretch" the standard 4:3 signal, which
>> seems to be what gets sent to my TV. Anyway, I'm wondering what the
>> limiting factor is here. Is my digital cable box only broadcasting
>> in 4:3? Or is it the RTV? It seems that more and more shows &
>> movies are broadcast in anamorphic widescreen, and I'd like to view
>> it in this format on my widescreen TV. (Those black bars I see on my
>> standard TVs are about the same size on the widescreen, not smaller
>> or non-existent as they are when viewing DVDs in anamorphic
>> widescreen format.)
>>
>> Enlightenment much appreciated. :-)
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Margaret
>
> All programs sent via standard broadcast are 4:3. Some are letterboxed
>where they just blank out the top and bottom to show a wide screen image.
>The detail is actually reduced since the detail that would have been at the
>top and bottom is no longer there.
>
> Your new TV may be able to stretch that letterbox image and not show the
>top and bottom so it can use its whole screen to display the image. That
>will look the best, but it is a far shot from HDTV
>
> You need to be receiving HDTV signals to your set to get HDTV images.
>When you set sees them, it will adjust itself to the right size no matter
>what you set. You will also see an amazing quality improvement. This only
>comes when you input HDTV signals to the TV.
>
> Replay does not, to the best of my knowledge, see HDTV singles. It can
>not record them. Your old TV can not show them, unless you have a down
>converter to convert them to the lower standard resolution.

But if you set the source component to output to 16:9 (through the
composite or Svideo output, not component or VGA), you can record it
on the Replay like that. If you play that back with a 16:9 TV, you'll
get 16:9 (not HDTV of course, but still 16:9).

--
Mark Lloyd
http://go.to/notstupid
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"It is a curious thing that every creed promises a
paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for
anyone of civilized taste." -- Evelyn Waugh

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 22:16:46 GMT, Bob in CT <ctviggen.x@adelphia.net>
wrote:

>On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 17:39:04 -0400, Margaret Wilson
><twokatmew@nospam.msn.com> wrote:
>
>> So what you're saying is that I only get anamorphic widescreen via HDTV?
>> (If that's the case, how come shows that are not broadcast in HDTV format
>> have the black bars top and bottom?) ... I really don't want to go the
>> HDTV
>> route (yet), especially since RTVs don't record HDTV. The upconverted
>> RTV
>> signal is great on my little 17" widescreen, even though it's stretched.
>
>Yes. By the way, HDTV is just HDTV. "Anamorphic" is a whole different
>animal (it's a way of -- I believe -- compressing and decompressing
>information on DVDs so that it'll fit better in a 16x9 screen). If you
>like the regular TV on your HDTV, then I wouldn't worry about it. I think
>you see the black bars because they want to look different or they're
>shooting in HDTV but converting to regular TV. I think it's more the
>former than the latter. When I watch these commercials in HDTV, they
>still have the black bars usually.
>
>> Anyway, Comcast is about to release the HDTV PVRs in my area, but they're
>> not networkable, you can't record pay-per-view movies, and I've heard
>> that
>> there are other not-so-nice features of these boxes. I wonder what
>> Digital
>> Networks Inc. has up their sleeves for HDTV?
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Margaret
>>
>
>I'm sure there's an HDTV recorder in the works. Dish (satellite) already
>has one, but it's like $1,000.

But limited to Dish (and maybe broadcast). No general HDTV input.

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

OK, this is exactly what I wanted to know. I guess my terminology was
incorrect. I want standard definition TV, but in widescreen (16:9) format.
Unfortunately my digital cable box doesn't have a switch to specify the
aspect ratio output. My guess is it never will, because Comcast will be
wanting us to upgrade to their HDTV boxes once they become more prevalent.
Ah well....

Regards,

Margaret

"Mark Lloyd" <mlloyd@5xxxmail.com5xxx> wrote in message
news:7maqb0d5jvmhklaikl965s1k68p7rv68qf@4ax.com...
>
> Sounds like the componect connected to the TV is still sending 4:3,
> maybe it has a switch.
>
> The Replay doesn't have such a switch, but you can still get 16:9 if
> the component supplying the Replay can be set to 16:9.
>
> Note that there's no way to get real HDTV through the Replay, but you
> might be able to get the aspect Ratio right.
>
> >Regards,
> >
> >Margaret
> >
>
> --
> Mark Lloyd
> http://go.to/notstupid
> http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com
>
> "It is a curious thing that every creed promises a
> paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for
> anyone of civilized taste." -- Evelyn Waugh
>

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

By "source component," I assume you mean my digital cable box.
Unfortunately it has no setting for aspect ratio.

Regards,

Margaret

"Mark Lloyd" <mlloyd@5xxxmail.com5xxx> wrote in message >
> But if you set the source component to output to 16:9 (through the
> composite or Svideo output, not component or VGA), you can record it
> on the Replay like that. If you play that back with a 16:9 TV, you'll
> get 16:9 (not HDTV of course, but still 16:9).
>
> --
> Mark Lloyd
> http://go.to/notstupid
> http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com
>
> "It is a curious thing that every creed promises a
> paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for
> anyone of civilized taste." -- Evelyn Waugh
>

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 20:27:02 -0500, <Ronnie> wrote:

> On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 22:16:46 GMT, Bob in CT <ctviggen.x@adelphia.net>
> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 17:39:04 -0400, Margaret Wilson
>> <twokatmew@nospam.msn.com> wrote:
>>
>>> So what you're saying is that I only get anamorphic widescreen via
>>> HDTV?
>>> (If that's the case, how come shows that are not broadcast in HDTV
>>> format
>>> have the black bars top and bottom?) ... I really don't want to go the
>>> HDTV
>>> route (yet), especially since RTVs don't record HDTV. The upconverted
>>> RTV
>>> signal is great on my little 17" widescreen, even though it's
>>> stretched.
>>
>> Yes. By the way, HDTV is just HDTV. "Anamorphic" is a whole different
>> animal (it's a way of -- I believe -- compressing and decompressing
>> information on DVDs so that it'll fit better in a 16x9 screen). If you
>> like the regular TV on your HDTV, then I wouldn't worry about it. I
>> think
>> you see the black bars because they want to look different or they're
>> shooting in HDTV but converting to regular TV. I think it's more the
>> former than the latter. When I watch these commercials in HDTV, they
>> still have the black bars usually.
>>
>>> Anyway, Comcast is about to release the HDTV PVRs in my area, but
>>> they're
>>> not networkable, you can't record pay-per-view movies, and I've heard
>>> that
>>> there are other not-so-nice features of these boxes. I wonder what
>>> Digital
>>> Networks Inc. has up their sleeves for HDTV?
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Margaret
>>>
>>
>> I'm sure there's an HDTV recorder in the works. Dish (satellite)
>> already
>> has one, but it's like $1,000.
>
> But limited to Dish (and maybe broadcast). No general HDTV input.
>

That is true, and I, for one, can't get satellite. (My trees are too
tall.)

--
Bob in CT
Remove ".x" to reply

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 21:39:40 -0400, "Margaret Wilson"
<twokatmew@nospam.msn.com> wrote:

>By "source component," I assume you mean my digital cable box.
>Unfortunately it has no setting for aspect ratio.
>
>Regards,
>
>Margaret
>

Maybe your cable company can provide one that does.

Also, your TV may have a suitable option (something like the "zoom" on
most DVD players?).

>"Mark Lloyd" <mlloyd@5xxxmail.com5xxx> wrote in message >
>> But if you set the source component to output to 16:9 (through the
>> composite or Svideo output, not component or VGA), you can record it
>> on the Replay like that. If you play that back with a 16:9 TV, you'll
>> get 16:9 (not HDTV of course, but still 16:9).
>>
>> --
>> Mark Lloyd
>> http://go.to/notstupid
>> http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com
>>
>> "It is a curious thing that every creed promises a
>> paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for
>> anyone of civilized taste." -- Evelyn Waugh
>>
>

--
Mark Lloyd
http://go.to/notstupid
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"It is a curious thing that every creed promises a
paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for
anyone of civilized taste." -- Evelyn Waugh

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.replaytv (More info?)

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 21:43:08 -0400, "Margaret Wilson"
<twokatmew@nospam.msn.com> wrote:

>OK, this is exactly what I wanted to know. I guess my terminology was
>incorrect. I want standard definition TV, but in widescreen (16:9) format.
>Unfortunately my digital cable box doesn't have a switch to specify the
>aspect ratio output. My guess is it never will, because Comcast will be
>wanting us to upgrade to their HDTV boxes once they become more prevalent.
>Ah well....
>

And that's the ones that are likely to be able to output 16:9.

>Regards,
>
>Margaret
>
>"Mark Lloyd" <mlloyd@5xxxmail.com5xxx> wrote in message
>news:7maqb0d5jvmhklaikl965s1k68p7rv68qf@4ax.com...
>>
>> Sounds like the componect connected to the TV is still sending 4:3,
>> maybe it has a switch.
>>
>> The Replay doesn't have such a switch, but you can still get 16:9 if
>> the component supplying the Replay can be set to 16:9.
>>
>> Note that there's no way to get real HDTV through the Replay, but you
>> might be able to get the aspect Ratio right.
>>
>> >Regards,
>> >
>> >Margaret
>> >
>>
>> --
>> Mark Lloyd
>> http://go.to/notstupid
>> http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com
>>
>> "It is a curious thing that every creed promises a
>> paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for
>> anyone of civilized taste." -- Evelyn Waugh
>>
>

--
Mark Lloyd
http://go.to/notstupid
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"It is a curious thing that every creed promises a
paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for
anyone of civilized taste." -- Evelyn Waugh