Philips 32PW4523 with no widescreen options

It will be listed as screen option, it will be "widescreen" "panoramic" and regular broadcast image, no such button as aspect but the above are aspect options.

Look for a setting called Aspect Ratio. It will include options like 4:3, 16:9, Zoom 1, and Zoom 2. Then click through the options to select the correct one for your program. Usually older SD programs will use either 4:3 or Zoom 1, while HD programs will be set to 16x9 for Widescreen hi-def viewing. There should be a button on your remote labelled Aspect Ratio or Picture that can toggle through these image modes.

CHANGING THE SCREEN ASPECT RATIO: ( From Manual )
The TV can display images in four different modes: Wide, Zoom, Panoramic, and Normal. Each mode displays the picture differently. To change the screen aspect ratio:
1. Press the MENU button on the remote.
2. Use the Arrow buttons to highlight the Wide icon. Press OK.
3. Use the Arrow buttons to highlight your desired screen mode and press OK:
• Normal preserves the content's original aspect ratio. Since the 4:3 aspect ratio is not large enough to fill the TV's screen, black bars are added to the left and right of the display image.
• Wide stretches a 4:3 aspect ratio picture to the edges of the screen. Since the picture is being stretched, the display image may appear distorted. If the program is already formatted for widescreen viewing (1.85:1 or 2.35:1), then black bars will appear on the top and bottom of the display image.
• Zoom expands images with black bars to fit the screen.
• Panoramic expands the display image to fill the screen.
images may appear wider than intended.
If you are watching widescreen (1.85:1 or 2.35:1) content, black bars will still appear on the top and bottom of the display image. This option is only available when the TV is displaying a 480i/480p source.

On the DVD recorder remote: press function menu button: enter setup screen - scroll down to connection - TV aspect - select either 16:9 / 4:3 Letterbox / 4:3 Pan&scan. If you are using an older TV which is not a widescreen, set the aspect to '4:3 Letterbox'.

You should now be able to view your DVD movies from this machine through a 4:3 standard TV in letterbox format. (some DVDs do not allow pan&scan so letterbox or widescreen is recommended). Very rare that a DVD title is not compatible with 4:3 TVs. I assume your deck is set to output 16:9 aspect by default.

I find this is the cheapest and easiest solution and can save lots of dollars in service call-outs. You can always reset the unit back to shipping condition later if you need to, or in the rare case of digital channels disappearing from your tuner memory.

If the image is tall and thin, then you've likely got your TV set to widescreen mode when it's not a widescreen TV. In your TV's menu, there should be an option to change between widescreen and normal, or one called "Aspect Ratio" and it'll give options like 16:9 and 4:3, change that to 4:3 if that's the option it gives you.

If you go into the dvd options dialogue, you find there a DVD aspect ratio option. This option lets you determine if a slide show on the DVD is displayed at 16:9 (widescreen) or 4:3 (standard) aspect ratio.
Alternatively: go into your settings and set 4:3 Pan & Scan or from 4:3 PS to 4:3 LB whichever your aim is or well whichever aspect of a movie you want to see.

If this helped please rate :)

In your philips menu there is an option to turn of your auto aspec ratio to OFF then using your sky remote go to services, 4 then picture and ensure that this is set to 16:9

Job done

Cheers
Little Dish Fitter

Your digital box should have aspect settings as well. When watching HD TV and or movies there is a possibility to get the black bars on top and bottom. It all depends on the ratio it was filmed in.

Pete,

When using a hd connection on a philips tv and (I am assuming this is the case) the tv disables the format features on the tv and only lets you select widescreen and automatic, if you are using hd adjust the picture size from the cable/satellite box, look for it in the box's menu system or on the remote, it is usually labeled, aspect ratio, zoom, format or something to that nature, hope I helped you

Unfortunately, a cinema screen is even wider than a widescreen TV. Because of this (in order to keep the original aspect ratio), even with a widescreen TV you still end up with the black bars top and bottom.

Check the aspect ratio of the DVD (Should be printed on the back of the case somewhere).

Unless it says 1.85:1 or 16:9 Anamorphic, you will get the black bars. (Many films on DVD are 2.35:1 or even wider!)

Have you got any different picture modes on your TV. I've got a Toshiba and it has something called 'cinema mode' which does eliminate the bars. Unfortunately it does it by zooming in on the picture slightly, so you loose a bit off the side of the picture and the image does get a little grainier.

Hope this helps.

Matt