I have a sony KP-51WS520, but I can't seem to watch DVDs on a 16:9 resolution. When I pop in a widescreen DVD, it loads up fine, but then then the video is in a 4:3 formation with no lettterbox and grey boxes to the left and right. I want to view it perfectly in 16:9 format, but the only options i see available are the ones that let me zoom. unfortunately, that still cuts off video to the left and right of the film and that really irks me. i got this tv from my sister, and she didnt' give me the instruction manual, so advice from anyone who knows would be very helpful.
thanks! :)
Hi princeofnam, I'd be happy to help.
Setting yourself up to watch movies in Widescreen format isn't terribly difficult, but you do need to check some setup options on your player, and understand the caveats of some DVD discs.
First, dive into your DVD player's setup menu. In there you'll find an option to tell it you have a widescreen TV. Typically it's under an option called "Display", "Format", or "TV Type". Select the option that says "Widescreen", "Wide", or "16:9". Once that's finished, you won't have to do it again.
Finally, you need to take a look at the disc you're trying to play. There are several widescreen formats, and I've got an entire article devoted to explaining them. I'll post a link below. The gist is that not all movies are in a perfect 16:9 ratio. In fact, many of the blockbusters are in a ration called "CinemaScope" with is a ration of 2.35:1 or 2.4:1. Even on a widescreen TV, these movies will still have some black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. If the package says 1.85:1 the movie should fit the whole screen.
Now for the really tricky part. Not all movies (even 16:9) ones, are properly encoded to take advantage of widescreen displays. Meaning the movie is a 4:3 frame with black bars added (how they used to do widescreen on VHS). Movies that are optimized for widescreen TVs are called "Anamorphic", a 4:3 frame squeezed on the disc instead of with bars. The TV stretches it out. Usually the package will tell you if it's anamorphic; look for text like "Anamorphic Widescreen" or "Enhanced for Widescreen TVs".
Here's some TechLore articles that can explain further:
How various DVD aspect ratios will appear on your TV screen
How To Configure Your DVD Player For a Widescreen TV
Should I purchase a 'Full Screen' or 'Widescreen' DVD?