PS3/Blu-Ray Help - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

JayP · 02-15-2008, 01:05 PM

When I play blu-rays on my PS3 should there be the black bars at the top/bottom of the screen? When I play DVDs it fills the whole screen, but every blu-ray I've tried has the black bars.

If it's relevant, this is the TV I'm using:
http://ca.lge.com/en/products/model/..._50pc5d.jhtml#

photon · 02-15-2008, 01:09 PM

It should just depend on the movie, different movies have different aspect ratios, and unless the ratio is exactly 1.7777 then there'll be some black bars.

Aren't most movies either 1.85 or 2.35?

nfotiu · 02-15-2008, 01:15 PM

That's correct. 1.85 movies will fit your screen. 2.35 will have black bars. The case (or imdb) usually states the ratio. I'd guess 2/3s of movies are 2.35.

If you weren't getting black bars on dvds, you were doing something wrong, and were watching some kind of cropped or stretched version. The dvd player should be set for 16x9 or widescreen. And the TV should be set for the setting designed to receive that input, usually just the normal setting. Full on some, widescreen on others.

SarichFan · 02-15-2008, 01:24 PM

Ack, I cringe when I read this... I've got to leave before I have a geek-plosion.

Burninator · 02-15-2008, 01:26 PM

So if most movies are made in 2.35 how come new TVs are made 1.777?

SarichFan · 02-15-2008, 01:39 PM

For TV shows.. Films are filmed like that to get the most out of the shot as possible. The director takes into account the entire frame. Video Purists want to see exactly what a director has shot which is why most BD's are presented like that.

But overall, people should be used to Black bars by now.. Alot of people think the black bars cut off the picture when in reality, you're seeing alot more then a 4:3 shot.

Russic · 02-15-2008, 02:04 PM

A common incorrect assumption (that the whole screen should be filled). I actually didn't know the black bars would be there until I tried one out. I never really thought out the ratios.

This confuses my father in law . . . he doesn't quite get why a widescreen tv won't display widescreen content to fill the screen. He hits the 'zoom' button so the shot fills up the screen and it makes me cringe every time.