[Greg_STL]

When I view 4:3 material in the 16:9 mode I have a small grey-black strip (1 to 1.5" on my 56" TV) just to the right of the 4:3 material but before the 16:9 "columns" start. It seems to be there on all of my 4:3 disks but is more obvious on some than others.


I am watching in RP-91 in progressive mode and my TV is a Toshiba 16:9 and I have it in full. The RP-91 is in auto mode for selecting so it scales the 4:3 to a 16:9 by adding the "columns" on both sides.


I have tried to fix using the shift function by holding the joystick on the remote to the right and hitting the buttons on the player. However, the entire image including the "columns" shifts to the right and the 1-1.5" strip moves but stays the same size.


I acutally downloaded the latest 236 firmware that you can get to from one of this forums threads - burned the image using nero and updated my player. No difference - the strip is still there.


If I set the player to 4:3 and then use the aspect ratio control on the TV - I do not get the strip. However, this could just be due to the overscan that I have on my TV.


As a side note, when I'm in progressive mode, in the same location where you set the mode to N,S,C, or U. There is a shift adjustment. I have not been able to get that shift function to do anything - It always stays at 0 (zero). I can't figure out the key strokes to change it and even if I did manage to change it - I don't know if this would fix the issue - aka shift the 4:3 image with in the 16:9 "collums" to get rid of the strip.


(Edit - I checked the manual [Gasp] and the shift is a vertical shift that only works when in progressive and watching a leterbox film in zoom mode. The shift is there so you can move the picture up to see the subtitles. So - a red herring on my part...)


1. Anyone else see this?


2. Anyone know how to fix it?


3. Anyone know what the shift function does in the progressive section where you set N,S,C,U? (Edit - Answered Above.)


BTW - I did a search and turned up nothing. Not to say it isn't in the forum somewhere - just that I didn't find it......

 

[Allan Jayne]

Just a guess, may be something that is normally hidden by overscan or electronic matting.


Many DVD's use 704 x 480 pixels and the player may be reserving space for 720 x 480, the last 16 pixels are unused and making up that extra thin gray column.


Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Greg_STL]

Not a bad guess but you would think when Panasonic set up there aspect ratio control they would crop some portion of the image away (5%?) then add the collumns then send all of that to the TV. I almost looks to me that the 4:3 image is not centered in the 4:3 that they send to the TV ... what I mean is that the left side is getting cropped too far and the right side is not getting cropped at all. That was why I was asking about the shift function in the progressive settings - thought it might work to shift the 4:3 image within the 16:9 image so that the cropping was centered from left to right and I don't get the strip on the right hand side.


There are lots of RP91 owners on this forum ... thought one would know the answer.

 

[tahustvedt]

Errors like these are almost always the fault of the TV. The DVD-player sends the picture as it is on the disc, without any overscan, and the TV adds overscan.


If you can access the TVs servicemenu you can move the 4:3-image horisontally and center it. I have adjusted the 16:9-image on my 4:3-TV a lot.



Tor Arne

 

[Greg_STL]

Tor Arne-


I don't think you understand the unique abilities of the RP91. Due to the aspect ratio control ability of the RP91, The RP91 is sending a 16:9 image to the TV at all times. The RP91 is the only player "I" know of that does aspect ratio control like this. So adjusting the TV would do no good at all.


I played some with it again this afternoon and I can see the strip very faintly even with no disc in the player but just pulling up the menus. So its not any given disc and I can't imagine how it can be the TV. My conclusion is that it is the player and that the 4:3 image is not being centered in the 16:9 frame correctly. I'm not sure if there is a service menu on the player....

 

[tahustvedt]

Try the player on another TV and you'll see what I mean. Some DVDs have a black bar on one side and not the other, the TV usually incorporates enough overscan so it doesn't show, but if the picture is adjusted a little to the left, you will get a black stripe on the right.



Tor Arne

 

[Greg_STL]

Not an option. The scaling function that also does aspect ratio control only works when the player is outputing a progressive signal. I only have one 16:9 TV capable of accepting a 480p signal.


Again I must reiterate - the strip is between the 4:3 material and the window box ADDED BY THE PLAYER. The TV is in full mode - I am not using the aspect ratio control on the TV at all. Your (Tor Arne) Denon 2800 does not have aspect ratio control in the DVD player so I can understand how you might not understand this issue.


Anyone with a RP91 out there???? A confirmation that you do or don't see this would be great even if you don't know how to fix it.

 

[Marc W B]

I have the same problem with my RP91. My TV is a Toshiba 40H80. When viewing a 4:3 image there is a grey band down the right hand side of the 4:3 window. There is nothing wrong with your set and I have read of others with the same issue.


My RP91 firmware is v.236 and I'm hoping that v.250 gets released and fixes this.


If you look closely you will also find that the grey bar isn't covering any image, the image is actually pushed to the left so we lose a bit on that side.

 

[tahustvedt]

Ok, sorry.



Tor Arne

 

[Ryan1]

No such problem here. The RP-91 goes to a Pannasonic 42" plasma through component. I would guess a setting problem with the Toshiba, or an issue between the RP-91 and the Toshiba. BTW, the shift works when you use the Rp-91 to zoom improperly flagged letterboxed disks (where the Auto can't figure it out and you have a black area all around the otherwise letterboxed image) so you don't cut out the subtitles. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Greg_STL]

Ryan1-


Are you sure? It the grey strip is very close to the color that the back bars are that are added with the RP-91 and will only show up with 4:3 native stuff shown in the 16:9 window. Most of what I watch is 16:9 enhanced or at least letterbox that I watch in zoom mode. I only have about 4-5 of my 130+ discs that are 4:3 native.



Tor Arne-


Sorry if I came across harsh. The RP-91 is just an odd duck in that it does some different stuff (scaling and aspect ratio control) with the genesis chipset than most players. No apologies on your part needed - I should (and have?) apologized. You were just trying to help out.



Marc W B -


I too am hoping the 250 firmware will help. I guess it could be an issue with passing below back on the Toshibas??? I reaching for straws here. Updating to the 236 was painless so if 250 ever comes out and fixes the issue, I'll update immediately. Was very cool when I dropped the cd-r in and the player updated - too bad there are not more updates to electronics that are that easy....


-g

 

[Marc W B]

I am confident that it has nothing to do with the TV because the entire screen area is generated by the player (the Toshiba is in full mode, so its not putting its bars in). The 4:3 image is both improperly centered between the black bars and it is displaying a narrow vertial bar on the right side of the 4:3 image. The bar is actually a gradient, ie. it has a gradual color change from top to bottom.


I may try to take a picture with my digital camera to illustrate this better.

 

[Ryan1]

Greg, I am sure, I watch a fair number of European made movies and older Hollywood stuff that is native 4:3 and displayed on the the 16:9 monitor. No gray or other strip showing up. It may be just a coinsidence, but both tvs nebtioned in this thread ar e Toshibas. Maybe it it the tv, or the way the RP-91 and the Toshiba interact. Of course, both of the RP-91s may have a problem. Maybe take it to a service center and test it on the spot with another monitor.

 

[Marc W B]

I just installed the new v250 firmware and the vertical bar is gone!


Happy day!