Save to VCR is "squished"

[loubob57]

If I'm watching an HD recording using HDMI and simultaneously recording to a VCR via composite video out, the recording on the VCR is "squished". I'm sure this results from 16:9 being forced into 4:3. I would prefer that the composite output be letterboxed. Can the S3 be set up to do this?

[Dan203]

No it can't. :(

I really want something like this too! I have a video distribution system that is connected to all my TiVos via composite video and then fed to the other 4:3 TVs in the house. The only way I've found to make it display correctly when I'm in another room is to go into the menus and change the display type to 4:3.

Dan

[yunlin12]

The existing output format is useful if one wants to feed the composite output to a DVD recorder, it would record it as anamorphic wide-screen then. I have to give it a try to see how useful this is. I wonder also if the material is SD with letterbox, if I use zoom mode to output, and record from composite, if the output would be wide screen without the letterbox.

[TiVotion]

You're lucky. I can't get the S3 to output any video signal to my Pioneer 810-H DVR. So far, I haven't been able to offload anything from the S3, and I don't know why.

[Dan203]

I had no problem connecting mine to a Toshiba DVD-RW TiVo and dumping a few things to DVD.

Dan

[loubob57]

I did find that if I play the VCR back to my TV and put it into the basic stretch mode it fills the screen perfectly. So I end up with 16:9 SD playback. I'll just have to tell the friend I record things for to do this or he'll just have to watch the shows in squish mode. No way am I going to record things in other than HD!

[msalmon]

This is disappointing. btw, this is one thing the Moto 6412 box does do correctly - I have 16:9 from the component outputs of the Moto box going to a plasma tv, and letterboxed 4:3 simultaneously from the S-video output of the Moto box going to a regular tv (in the kitchen) - no squishing - very nice.

So it can be done - but apparently not with the S3?

[yunlin12]

It is working great when I want to dump stuff onto DVD, that it can preserve the 16:9 SD picture. But if I want to use a video sender using composite connection, sending to a 4:3 TV at a remote location, this may become an issue. I wonder if this can be done by changing the TV type or output mode. Need to do more trial on this.

[Dan203]

I wonder if this can be done by changing the TV type or output mode.

Yes. Switching the TV type under Messages & Settings dose correct the problem, but it's a pain to have to swithc back and forth. Plus as the OP said it prevents you from watching it on an HDTV while simultaneously recording to VCR.

Dan

[yunlin12]

I found that if I'm using 1080i Fixed, the S-video output sends a squished picture whiel viewing HD. But if I switch to using 1080i Hybrid, the S-video sends a horizontally cropped picture with the correct aspect ratio. I was trying different TV modes at the time, so it could've been either 16:9 widescreen or the smart screen. The cropped picture may be more watchable for some, but is for sure not a perfect solution.

The ideal solution would be to have a HDTV mode selection to pick output aspect ratio used on HMDI and component outs, and a SDTV mode to pick the aspect ratio used on the SD output. For to be able to write a SD widescreen DVD, I'd like to see Tivo preserve that 16:9 option on SDTV aspect ratio, and not just fix on adding letter box to all HD material on a SD outputs.

[cgould]

Agreed- I WANT to be able to keep 16:9 (anamorphic) ws SVideo out, to archive widescreen stuff to DVD-R.
I do also have distribution, but use it rarely, or don't care about the squishing.
A major complaint of mine about the Moto 6412 was that it FORCED letterboxing of all 16:9 stuff on the SD outputs, even though I will later view the SD on same widescreen TV.

At least the S3 will let you choose what you want- but true, only one choice for all outputs; would be even more flexible to choose for HD vs SD outputs.

[loubob57]

I tried a bunch of combinations of aspect ratio and resoulutions. The only way I could get the composite output to be letterboxed was if I set the aspect ratio to 4:3. But this also letterboxed it on the HDMI output. Not an acceptable solution. So the tapes I make will just have to be squished.

[Ready4TiVo]

I was just about to post a new thread on this topic, was re-directed here. While it's an older thread I hope someone can help...

For clarity, I am not looking (yet) to save HD programming to DVD-R. My needs so far are to archive old movies or Standard Def programs to DVD-R. I did this for three years prior on a Series2 TiVo to a Panasonic VHS-DVD combo recorder. (In another thread I figured out a problem with a cable; this is not the issue here.) The results so far were fine for laptop viewing, especially films otherwise unavailable.

I have since upgraded to a Series3 HD, great unit, enjoying it, except when I attempt to again record SD films or shows. I am going directly from the S-Video/stereo audio out on the TiVo unit and in an attempt to say I tried it I have also used cables direct from the standard composite video/audio out on the TiVo into the Panasonic unit.

Yep - the image is squished and, oddly, grayer with a slight sepia tint. I have a Sony Bravia 40" LCD. When switching inputs Sony's on-screen menu for TiVo shows the format of the recorded program - in this case, "4:3, 480i." When I change the input over to the Panasonic, the on-screen menu reads out "NTSC." When I play back the recorded DVD it looks squished and not as sharp.

Any way to get my recorded program to simply look the way it looks coming from the TiVo? Am I doing anything bone-headed? Any advice is most welcome.

[gennacide]

I am trying to get the dvds I record from my Tivo to play just as they are displayed on my tivo.

I have a TiVo HD with an LG 47" HDTV and yesterday I purchased a Samsung DVD-VR357 DVD Recorder. When I record from the TiVo, there are black side bars after I finalize and verify the DVD is burned properly by putting it in a regular DVD player. Regardless of what picture format the show is in, there are always the side bars. This doesn't happen when the DVD is played back in the DVD recorder though. Any suggestions concerning what video outupt the TiVo HD should be set to and what video settings the DVD recorder should be set to?

I have it connected composite. The tivo is set to Native. The dvd recorder is set to 16:9 and 1080i.

Please HELP!


thanks.

[mattack]

The results so far were fine for laptop viewing, especially films otherwise unavailable.

If you're doing this to view on a laptop, why not just download the shows to the computer instead of doing a realtime dub?

[phox_mulder]

Chage your TV option (in Video setup) from widescreen 16:9 to normal 4:3 when doing dubs to DVD or VHS, this unsquishes the picture.

Not totally unsquished, but a lot more viewable.


phox

[bizzy]

Actually leaving the display set to 16:9 on the Tivo should work great, if he can figure out how to turn on Anamorphic mode on the DVD recorder.

[aaronwt]

Everytime I record an HD program to a DVD, if it will be played back on an old 4:3 set, I change the video output to 4:3 so when it is played back on that TV it will be letterboxed. Now if the DVD will be played back on a 16:9 set, I leave the video output at 16:9 which will allow it to be played back properly on an HD set. At least this has always been the way I've done it when recording to DVDs with the Series 3 and the DirecTV HD TiVos.

[bizzy]

If you can get the DVD recorder to set the anamorphic flag, the playback DVD player hooked to your 4:3 TV should letterbox for you (assuming it is set up knowing it is on a 4:3 display).

That being said, the support for anamorphic authoring is often baffling, even with pro apps like DVD Studio Pro, so I wouldnt be surprised if consumer equipment didn't work as you'd expect :)