Posted by M.I.5� on 01/11/07 08:35

"Joshua Zyber" <joshzyber@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:LI-dnXlKBciEfDnYnZ2dnUVZ_rqhnZ2d@comcast.com...
> "M.I.5�" <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:45a49f27$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
>> No, you missed the problem along the way somewhere. The disk was encoded
>> in 4:3 with the 2.35:1 image in the middle with most of the area being
>> black. The disk was somehow flagged to instruct the player to output this
>> tiny image as analogue anamorphic video (I still can't find the flag in
>> the DVD spec). The reason why I tumbled it was than my pioneer (I
>> actually have 2), seems to ignore the flag and output the video
>> information exactly as it appeared on the disk. It played in anamorphic
>> on all my other players (a Panasonic, a Toshiba and a Kobe).
>>
>> However, as I posted above, it's all sorted now as HMV obligingly
>> exchanged the disk for one that is clearly different, in that it works
>> correctly.
>
> In order for what you describe to have happened, Disney would have had to
> master two completely different transfers for the movie, one anamorphic
> and one non-anamorphic letterbox, and accidentally release the one they
> never intended for any public distribution to DVD.

This may be the case, I can't say. It may be that the first was a mastering
error, and as I suggested, got recalled. Recalled products often leak out.
There are many other possibilities.

> The difference between anamorphic and non-anamorphic is more than just a
> misplaced flag. The data content of the movie image itself is different.
> Do you honestly believe that's very likely? I sure don't.

I am well aware that the data content is different. But most, if not all,
DVD players are able to down convert the true 16:9 content and present it as
a leterboxed 4:3 signal. This is a facility in the player setup. The .IFO
file, in theory at least, can flag whether the player actually does this or
presents a pan and scan 4:3 picture.

However, as I said I was unaware that a player was able to do it the other
way round, and my .IFO file editor certainly does not offer the ability to
change this (but that doesn't mean that it isn't there).

Regardless of what you may believe, the fact remains that for a couple of
weeks, I had such disk (I wish I'd made a copy of it now - purely for
research purposes of course).

[Back to original message]