Bauhn HDPVR2400 Instruction Manual page 40

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8. LETTERBOX
All older television screens had a width-to-height ratio, or aspect ratio, of 4:3. TV
programs were shot and broadcast in the 4:3 aspect ratio. In HDTV and most TV
shows are now displayed in a 16:9, or wide-screen, aspect ratio. Most new televisions
also employ the wide-screen form factor. Old TV shows look fine on a 4:3 screen, and
high-definition and DVD movies perfectly match a 16:9 screen.
The image may appear distorted or sandwiched between black bars, called
letterboxes. To watch your favourite TV shows without these annoying black bars, first
choose which type of TV you use: a standard 4:3 or a 16:9 wide screen.
Most TV shows are formatted for the wider screen of an HDTV. So, 4:3 TVs have two
common problems when displaying this sort of content.
The first is vertical distortion, which makes everything onscreen appear tall and thin.
To fix this problem, access the setup menu of the PVR, and make sure the "TV type"
option is set to 4:3. Now the image on the screen will be properly proportioned. But
the image is now letterboxed, with black lines at the top and bottom of the screen.
Some people find letterbox bars annoying. To remove them, use the Aspect function
on your TV,. Note that on your remote, this function may have a different name, such
as Zoom, Wide, or Picture Size. Select a zoom level that enlarges the image to the
point where the black bars disappear. Note that the image may appear slightly blurry
or soft and that you'll be cropping out any action on the far left or right of the screen.
When showing content intended for 4:3 screens, wide-screen TVs may display black
bars on the sides of the image. There are three ways to eliminate these bars.
1. The first way is to zoom the picture. Press the Aspect Ratio button on your TV
or, PVR. Note that on your remote, this feature may have a different name,
such as Zoom, Wide, or Picture Size. Zooming the picture causes the TV, the
DVD player, or the set-top box to blow up the image, eliminating the black bars.
Note that the image may appear slightly blurry or soft and that you'll be
cropping out any action on the top and bottom of the screen.
2. Alternately, you can set the aspect-ratio of the TV to Stretch or Full. The black
bars will disappear, but to fit the almost-square 4:3 image onto the wider
screen, the TV has to stretch the picture horizontally, making everything appear
squat and bloated.
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