The popularity of DVD has brought about a whole new range of questions involving system set-up, not just in terms of audio but video as well. Unlike the vast majority of laserdisc players and all video cassette recorders, the way one configures the video output will affect the picture quality you see, and this also depends upon the features of your monitor or projection system.
Y/C Connections
Firstly, the use of at least the Y/C connections (S-Video) is important - DVD stores the chrominance (colour) and luminance (black and white) picture elements separately and using the Y/C interface removes the need to combine these elements within the player then separate them again in the TV or projector (as happens when using a composite connection). Component connections are better still, transmitting the colour elements separately. Players intended for PAL regions will have RGB connections in the place of the component ones found in NTSC territories.
Enhanced for 16:9 TVs
The most important playback element revolves around DVD-Video discs that are "Enhanced for 16:9 TVs". "16:9" is an expression of the television or screen ratio - sixteen elements wide and nine elements high. These "elements" can be inches, feet, or any other unit of measurement. "Standard" televisions have a screen ratio of 4:3 (four elements wide, three elements high).
NTSC television has 525 lines of horizontal resolution, so when playing a movie that is "Letterbox" or "Widescreen", horizontal black bars appear above and below the image in order to show the entire width of the picture. These black bars themselves use some of the horizontal scanning lines, therefore the actual picture is made up of considerably less than 525 horizontal lines.
If one has a 16:9 "Widescreen" television or projector, this image is then increased in size to fill the entire screen. Gone are the black bars top and bottom (depending on the ratio of the image, PanaVision titles can still have black bars due to their extreme width in comparison to their height), but the resolution remains the same; the picture has the same number of horizontal lines as it would on a 4:3 television.
Correcting the Distortion
"Enhanced" DVD-Video discs contain images that have been 'expanded' along the vertical plane. When viewed upon a 4:3 television or projector, this makes the image appear to be too tall and thin, although it fills the entire screen - there are no black bars top and bottom as before.
The same picture now occupies all of the 525 available horizontal scanning lines, and clearly has a higher resolution than its non-"Enhanced" counterpart albeit a distorted image. What is needed is something to correct this distortion - in other words - to reverse the expansion of the image.
Many modern "Widescreen" 16:9 televisions and projectors have viewing modes which enable the user to correct the ratio of the image. Just as the image was expanded along the vertical plane when recording it to disc, the television or projector now reduces the picture along the same plane (equivalent to compressing it along the vertical plane). Exactly the same, but opposite amount of distortion is added and this counteracts the geometric irregularity.
What results is a 16:9 image which is the same width and height as before, but is made up from the entire 525 horizontal scanning lines available. When viewed correctly, the image is clearly of higher definition.
Choosing the Display Option
Not having a widescreen television or projector doesn't mean "Enhanced" discs will look funny. All DVD players give you the option to select your preferred screen ratio. If you select 4:3, "Enhanced" images will be corrected within the player and appear as normal letterbox laserdiscs or videos - remember though that the image resolution will be the same as that from non-"Enhanced" discs.
Selecting "16:9" as your display option within the DVD player's menu will allow you to take full advantage of the improved performance provided by "Enhanced" discs. Combined with a Y/C or Component connection and a carefully calibrated system, DVD-Video can provide stunning picture quality.
Conclusion
Understanding anamorphic DVD-Video is crucial for optimizing your viewing experience. By connecting your DVD player correctly and selecting the appropriate display options, you can enjoy higher resolution and improved performance on widescreen televisions or projectors. Take advantage of the advanced capabilities of DVD-Video to enhance your home theater setup.
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