Is the 4:3 aspect ratio of the source preserved (instead of being stretched to 16:9 in order to fill the screen)?
1046629
Yes, it can support both 4:3 and 16:9 output to satisfied different requirements.
1046630
I have one and it only seems to output 16:9. I would like to change it to 4:3, but I don't see a way to control it. There are 2 buttons. One labeled "switch" that selects from the 3 available inputs (s-video, composite, hdmi) and another labeled "720/1080p" to select the output resolution.I don't see any communications port; so, I don't think the firmware can be altered, either... meh
818181
Actually why would someone have an expensive wide screen and watch it at 4:3 is beyond me. It becomes very hard to see and it is like your TV has shrunk. Most recent flat screens will widen it without too much distortion.
816908
When the pictures are various dimensions, does it put black or another color on the unused screen areas? My concern is that it should not stretch or change the width to height ratio.
1458153
It is your HDTV that has the aspect ratio problem, not the XDE. There should be a button on your TV remote that lets you view the 4:3 ratio full screen.
1278418
I have been researching this frame, and I have found that the aspect ratio is 4:3. Thought I'd answer even though it is way past January!
1730681
I have a Sony DVD player and this happened to me on a DVD I made from an old film - I solved the problem by NOT upscaling the picture to 16:9 but keeping it at the original 4:3 format.I isolated the problem to my player when I watched the DVD on my PC - it never got out of sync there...
382235
So far I find that it works but that it squashes all widescreen output in to a 4:3 display, distorting the image. We're using it for displaying laptop-to-TV, hoping there might be a resolution setting on the laptop that will fix it.
1051303
Is the display set to 16:9 in the recorders menu setup. Also, when recording shows on DVD+ media, it only records in full screen. you'll have to manually stretch the image with your TV's format button, to un squish it. Make sure your TV isn't zooming in, to simulate wide screen. Also, when a fullscreen show is broadcast in wide screen, the black bars are applied to the sides. So don't adjust the frame to fullscreen.
2002226
The further back you put it, the larger the image. However, I have found: a "good" image around 48-52 inch diagonal on a real roll up screen in a very dark room. Anything else I said would be theory.
1653379
I believe it records whatever the input (from antenna or cable) is sending. I am catching TV programs via the regular antenna, and I would get it in 4:3 ratio or full screen (16:9) at 480 or 1080 resolution. When I watch the recorded program, it tends to fill up the screen regardless of the original ratio recorded. If the original ratio was 4:3, the screen would look flatten and I would have to adjust the TV's so-called wide-display setting to bring it down to a normal appearance.
1625105
From what I have read, newer 4:3 sets with component inputs are compatible, both 480i and 480p. The menus are designed for widescreen, however.
2036271
The Samsung plasmas can display either SD or HD content in their original size or stretched. If you want to leave a 4:3 program in its original form, you can: it appears square with pillars on the side (which you can make gray). I prefer stretched. The reason there is no distortion in that ratio is that the 42 inch version uses rectangular pixels while a 50 inch model uses square ones. So true 16:9 images are shown as-is without stretching if you want, despite the math you intuitively and understandable used. In other words, do not worry about aspect ratio on the Samsung plasmas or most TVs. Still, I also own a Sharp LCD that does not allow stretching of HD images, and I wish it would. Look for that feature rather than calculating (reducing down) the ratio. Samsung plasmas certainly allow such changes. I have not hooked it up to a computer, but I understand that it makes a nice monitor (and ease of hook-up is a plus of the Sammy over a Panasonic, which is not so good as a monitor). But I doubt it can show any image more than 1024 x 768. That seems to be a mechanical limit and I doubt anything in the computer can change that. Still, I hear it is an easy hookup to computers, using VGA (and try HDMI but in HDMI 2 not 1).
1258016
You must have it on wide screen, reduce the image. I noticed when I first got it the picture was terriable, but when I reduce the size of the screen the picture has been perfect ever since. For the price we paid it's really not bad.
656340
From the menu select the setup screen and go down to page 4/6 and you will see an option labeled TV Aspect, you can change to the 4:3 aspect there.
234685
My Picture setting is STANDARD... Screen Size is 100%...Aspect is set to NORMAL. Try these setting and let me know the results please...
1313440
Great question. I use the aspect ratio on the remote or in the TV's menu, and select the ratio that best fits the picture that is currently playing. Hope this helps you out!
123880
No, I use it through my computer and the picture looks over granulated. Other sources for 1080 and 720 hd works though =\