How to get a full picture when watching HD DVD on plasma?

Question

everytime i watch a dvd i get widescreen with the black bars on top and bottom...how do i get rid of it?

Answer 1

If the HD DVD you bought says wide-screen on the box, then you got what you paid for. Most DVDs do not have both full frame (ie 4x3 1.33) and wide-screen (16x9 2.40, 2.35, etc) on them because it takes up too much space on the disc and the bitrates would suffer.  

Some studios make both the widescreen and full frame available to consumers for SD DVD not but not for HD DVD (or the Blu-Ray for that matter).  If you don't enjoy widescreen you should have bought the Full frame  SD DVD which fills the enter 4x3 TV screen or a 16x9 1.78 aspect ratio which would fill the entire 16x9 TV (assuming it was available in that aspect ratio)

IF the HD DVD is 16x9 1.78 then try checking the TV settings in your TV's aspect ratio options.  You should be able to simply change it.

BTW - Wide-screen (with the bars on top and bottom) is MUCH better because its what the film maker intended you to see.  You should be happy.  There is nothing worse than a movie that is made Pan and Scan for a 4x3 TV... It is blasphemy and should be outlawed!  The film makers vision is butchered during the Pan and Scan process.