Picture format problems

[admin_exported]

I hope someone out there has the answer to this one!

I have a Panasonic DMPBD30 connected to an Hitachi 42PD9700 plasma TV with HDMI.

When viewing standard DVDs that are non anamorphic, the HDMI connection diasables the TV's picture zoom modes, so that I end up with a 4:3 image in the centre of the screen with a widescreen picture within it....which is ridiculous. If I switch the BD30's picture mode to 19:9 full, this only stretches the image to fill the width and makes the picture too narrow, which is also ridiculous !

Is there a way around this - or am I stuck with it .... ?

 

[Anonymous]

There is a button towards the bottom left hand corner of the remote control called FUNCTIONS. On this there is a PICTURE FORMAT (or similar name) option. This can allow zooming of 16:9 images when the discs are not anamorphic.

This facility was added (or rather kept on the European machine) because the USA / Canada never had SCART and auto format switching. The USA only ever had phono / cinch / RCA connectors or the S-Video connector, neither of which had format switching.

Many of our Region One DVDs suffer from this problem. Unfortunately, the DMP-BD30 is only Region Two for DVDs. Our multi region Pioneer DVD DV-600AV does have a similar type of manual format / zoom feature to the DMP-BD30's.

Another feature of the FUNCTION button is that you can go straight to the TOP MENU on Blu-rays and DVDs - skipping the sometimes annoying start up adverts etc.!

 

[Anonymous]

There's a button on the remote control called OPTION (near the red button at the bottom). When a disc is playing, there is an option called Screen Aspect. Press the button until zoom appears. This should cure the problem for the playing disc.

I posted this second message (from home) as the first message (from work) didn't appear to be allowed by my work pc's software!

Anyway, just as well as I posted some duff info first time around!

Hope the (revised) info is of help?