Help with 16:9 Widescreen Recording - Page 3

AzAssassin, Check out Wajo's sticky thread about our Maggy/Philips dvdr's in the "GENERAL" section under " HDTV PASSTHRU & ASPECT RATIO",there you will find links to the APPLE TV CONVERTER $149.00 and the AMBREY converter $209.00. Or you can check out this link:www.shinybowusa.com this is a new converter that is supposed to be released on 9/21/10,no price listed yet. There is also another converter made by a co. called ATLONA but i don't have any other info about it. I'm waiting on the SHINYBOW converter myself cuz they offer a 3YR. PARTS & LABOR WARRANTY. As far as i know,no other maker of these converters has as good a warranty as SHINYBOW. I don't know how well any of these converters will work,but i would strongly advise you to stay away from the LENKENG converter even tho it's cheap,cuz you may not like the result,and your $$ will have been wasted, and you may not be able to get your $$ back.I couldn't,and they carry no warranty at all,so if it doesn't work YOUR STUCK with it!! G.

PS:I was wrong about you needing an HDFURY3, you don't need one.I had just gotten out of bed,and i wasn't thinking clearly. G.

IIRC, the APPLE TV CONVERTER required a 480i component input. I could be mistaken, but it is something to look into if anyone is interested in the product.

There is also a converter sold by s-video.com,but it only supports a 480i input from a component video source,so that one is out of the race. Just thought i'd let you know so you won't have to waste time with it if you should run across it. G.

I think you will find your answer by doing a search in the forum Search box for "Polaroid DRM-2001G pass through" and check out the various threads.

I saw posts about using it to get 16:9 widescreen. I saw about the Polaroid needing to be turned off. There were a number of posts but I did see what you are asking about...................being talked about....as far as information about the Polaroid unit and component inputs/outputs to TV and to recorders.

Try a search. There is a lot of good information here and it does apply to the unit you have.

Here's a link to another converter it's: http://www.atlona.com/atlona-compone...converter.html i hope the link works,if not then this will: www.atlona.com but you'll have to do a search on their website.The model # is AT-COMP 500. it'll accept resolutions of 480p,576p,720p,1080i,and 1080p.Accepts PAL/NTSC signals. Has overscan/underscan switch. Price:$279.00,but you may find one used for less,and there's a whole mess of resellers listed on their website.Just click on the reseller link on their website. Don't know about a warranty or S/H charges. Maybe Wajo could add this converter to his list of converters in his sticky thread? G.

I've checked the box at Monoprice to be notified when they get there $46 converter in stock(I bet it's just the Lenkeng converter but at least MP has a good return policy and fair shipping) but since it says NA for when they expect it in, I'm not holding my breath.
I like MP but at times things stay out of stock for months at a time.

jjeff, if the model # is LKV7611,then it's the Lenkeng. this converter has been showing up all over the internet where such items are sold.The price ranges from as low as $48.00 to as much as roughly $145.00 depending on where you buy it.Some of those sellers who charge over $100.00 must be making a killing on them. I also checked the Monoprice converter and i "think" it's the Lenkeng. I wonder, if you buy it and have less than satisfactory results,would you be any more likely to get your $$ back from Monoprice than w/other sellers? G.

I would think so, MP isn't like some of those other fly by night outfits and I'd think their normal return policy would be in effect(kind of like buying the DTVPal DVR from Sears vs Echostar). Of course if they ever get them in will be the question.
At least one member has had good luck with the Lenkeng so maybe it's just a QC problem? Of course if MP sends too many back to the mfg. they may not want to sell them anymore, both the mfg and MP.
I'd like to know if MP has ever sold them or they are just looking to see what the interest is.
I emailed them maybe a year ago suggesting they sell such a device but until someone posted the link a month?? ago I didn't realize they sold such a product. I know they didn't a year ago. Since they don't have a photo or any reviews I'm thinking it may be new or again something they're thinking of carrying and what to see what the interest might be.

jjeff, i just revisited MP's website,and i could just about swear that they gave more info. about it than they are now! But for the price of the unit, it must be the Lenkeng. I know that 2 members here said that the Lenkeng works well for them. I think it was kjbawk? i hope that's the correct spelling (sorry kjbawk if i'm wrong) and Nextoo,i believe. Well, you get what you pay for. Pay a little & you get a little,pay more and (hopefully)you'll get more. I'm a little envious of Kjbawk and Nextoo, 'tho. G.

PS. Remember jjeff, there is no mfgr. warranty on this unit,at least with the unit i got (shipped directly from China), and if there is no warranty,what can we expect from a seller? I don't know if we can expect to much. G.

Here's the same thing for $49.99:

http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-RCA-Compo...1835742&sr=8-2

Don't get sucked into the fancy web site. It's all the same stuff.

The technology comes out of China. It does a decent job. My advise is don't over pay by getting enamored by the domestic web site marketing.

It's all the same stuff.

Lololololololol G.

NEXTOO, have you, or anybody you know been able to check out the HDFURY3 HDMI to Component video converter sold by www.curtpalme.com ? G.

It's kjbawc, but not to worry about the misspelling. Yes, my Lenkeng still works fine. It enlarges the picture just slightly, so I really should get my overscan adjusted to see the whole picture. But, that is its only (slight) problem. I know that at least one person got one before I did, and said it worked well for them. Perhaps it was Nextoo.

Given that so many have had trouble with it since, I would only buy another from a reputable place like Monoprice, so that I could return, or exchange it, if it didn't work.

In the UK almost, where SD 16:9 is commonplace (and used for most broadcasts on digital TV), our set top boxes commonly output 16:9 SD (full height anamorphic, not letterboxed) via Composite, S-video and RGB (*) (and in some cases component and HDMI)

UK DVD Recorders will usually accept Composite, S-video and RGB (few have component inputs) - but many do not detect the three formats of aspect ratio signalling in use (WSS - in PAL this is on Line 23 and is a digital line of data a bit like Closed Captioning, Pin 8 on our SCART socket can have two different voltages to signal 4:3 and 16:9, and S-video can have a DC voltage offset added to the C signal ISTR)

This means that your set top box outputs a 16:9 SD signal (anamorphic) but your DVD recorder records this as if it was 4:3. On replay you therefore get a tall and thin picture in the middle 4:3 section of the screen.

The best solution I have found for this was to use a DVDRW disc for the original recording, rip it to my PC losslessly, run it through DVD Patcher that lets you alter the MPEG2 headers in the video stream (to switch the aspect ratio flag from 4:3 to 16:9) and then burn this back to a DVDR, allowing me to use the RW disc. I also used this as an opportunity to remove ad breaks if required.

I'm not familiar with US set top boxes being discussed here, and whether they will output a 16:9 SD full-height anamorphic image (rather than a letterboxed image in a 4:3 raster), but every UK HD set top box I have seen has this option for its SD outputs, mainly because many people still have SD 16:9 displays in bedrooms etc., and want to to route the SD outputs from their HD set top boxes to these.

(*) In the UK (in fact most of Europe) we have had an SD RGB interconnect standard since the 80s via our 21-pin SCART connector, and it is pretty universal for DVD players, digital TV set top boxes, games consoles etc. to output RGB SD video on this connector (offering SD component quality, and an improvement over SD composite or SD S-video). Many, but not all, DVD recorders also record from an RGB SD SCART input - allowing excellent digital TV recording. AIUI SCART is all but unheard of in the North American market (a bit like the Japanese have D connectors for component analogue video on a single connector, rather than multiple RCA phonos)

The Dish satellite HD DVRs, at least the current ones, output a 16:9 full screen wide screen 480i signal via composite. While it is composite, it does look pretty good & I can record it. A friend has the same DVR & said it looks good on his 61" HDTV. Their previous model, which I understand is still available, does have an S-Video output which supposedly also outputs 16:9 FS WS.

I mention this up since you brought up Verizon FiOS & thought you might be changing or getting a different HD provider. If so, check out Dish.

AzA, check the thread on converters, there is lots of info there, about several converters. I don't remember if anyone had a Shiny Bow. I bought a Monoprice one, and an Audio Authority one, as did some others. Check that thread.

[quote=AzAssassin

I specifically recall being told about a converter made by ShinyBow that was supposed to be released in late 2010,


Any replies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much in advance.

- AzAssassin, a.k.a. BillyJackAz[/QUOTE]

AzAssassin,Shinybow was to have released it's converter on 6/30/10,then the release date was set for 11/31/10 but wasn't released then either. The last time i checked their website it wasn't even mentioned. So i have to guess that it won't be released at all in the near future. G.

I have just gotten a used 20001G.
In the back of the unit it has a component INPUT as well as component OUT.

What I dont get is that the Component in does not work. Does anyone know how to get that input functioning?

It almost seens like it was put there for the future.... since even on the box it does not include that as a feature.

THe component input is three RCA jacks.

ANy info would be appreciated.

Ed

Hi edmellnik, I have a few HDD recorders that have component inputs (Philips HDRW 720, Sony RDR-HX 900, Sony RDR-HX 715) which I use all the time to record material via component input. The issue might be your output setting from your source. These recorders (and the Polaroid 2001) will not record any signals over 480i. don't forget to add audio cables (red+white) for recording.

Hope this helps.

Mine works, so it is NOT just there as a future enhancement. All I can say is, like krazykanuck said, make sure the signal you are sending to the recorder is 480i.

By the way, the 2001 not only has component inputs, but it is remarkably insensitive to CP, and passes the CP free signal to the outputs. In that respect, it's a video CP filter.

Hi Church AV Guy, to offer more help the edmellnyk, as I don't have a 2001g, is there a video input setting to do as in switching input from s-video to component on line one or something like that? Might be an issue also.

From the manual (PDF) page 20:

Recording Source: You can select which video input the unit should record from. The following options are available:

Rear Composite,
Rear S-Video,
Tuner,
Front Composite,
DV, and
YPbPr Input

• Press the “INPUT” button (repeatedly) to change the video source and select one of the above.
Note: If you are recording from a rear source, make sure your audio connections are connected to the rear audio inputs.
If you are recording from a front source, make sure your audio connections are connected to the front audio inputs.

To record from a component video source, select YPbPr Input. make sure it's in a resolution that the machine can handle (480i).

Resurrecting an old thread,
for next football season, I would like to improve my archiving because almost all broadcasters are now letterboxing their broadcasts (16:9, even on standard def) (espn/fox/cbs) and I am wanting to not have to use a zoom mode to watch them on my tv (otherwise there is windowboxing)

I have a Panny EH55 recorder
comcast cable with a motorola dvr box

so while some of the above information may be true, some of it may be outdated;
any ideas of what I should be looking for in the next 8 months so I can truly record in 16:9 aspect ratio?

or option #2 will be to figure out how to DVR my games in HI-def and then get them onto blu-ray; but that may be a more expensive proposition

any help here is always appreciated guys

Bill

If your cable boxes SD(composite or S-video) outputs are letterboxed your best choice would be to convert WS Component or HDMI to WS S-video. Note if using HDMI to your TV some cable boxes have been known to disable other outputs(whether used on not) so keep that in mind.
The best way to test what your up against is to(with your TV set to full or normal, NOT zoom) hook up the output you want to record from directly to your TV. If it's SD outputs are indeed letterboxed then try component or HDMI. If your using HDMI to your TV you might need a second TV to verify the component output is still active, if not you still have options but not as cheap as if both were active at the same time.

I will try with composite as my tv (panny tc-p65vt50) doesnt have s-video inputs.

how much am I looking at for a component->s-video converter that keeps widescreen?
or would the HDMI-> s-video one be cheaper?

would they both keep the correct aspect ratio i am looking for?

right now i have to zoom mode to fill the picture (back in the day with full screen 4:3 games, i would use the JUST mode and was perfectly happy) and zoom mode obviously makes the quality/resolution less good than what i am looking for.
using your methods may be the trick to avoid the zoom

I have this same issue. My cable STB used to be able to output 16:9 on Composite, Component and HDMI. But after Time Warner did an "update" a couple of years ago, it now cannot output 16:9 via Composite; only Component and HDMI. Really stupid!

 

Here's some info on both the Component and HDMI converter/filters.

Assuming your DVR is already an HD DVR, the Hauppauge HD PVR 1212 will do this. It will connect to your DVR via component inputs and your PC via USB. It will record the HD stream and encode as H.264 and make an .m2ts file ready for burning to BluRay. If your DVR is one that shuts off the component output when HDMI is used, the HD PVR has component passthrough so you can use the component in/out to the TV instead.

I guess the 1st thing I would need to do is get a PC with the oomph to be handle hi-def and had a blu-ray burner
And then is need some editing software as well, correct?
Edited by billmich - 1/6/13 at 6:34pm