# Amazon HD movies only in letterbox?



## BDW (Dec 30, 2015)

Got a Bolt for Christmas, streamed an HD movie from Amazon the other night. To our surprise the aspect ratio was off (the image was stretched to fit the screen). A little playing around with Tivo settings, and I got it to at least show in the right aspect mode, but it's in letterbox, with black borders at the top & bottom.

We have a widescreen TV (not 4K). I'm about 90% certain our previous Tivo - a Premiere XL - was able to show HD video without letterbox. Am I remembering incorrectly? If not, how do I get the Bolt to use the entire screen?


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## waynomo (Nov 9, 2002)

If it was stretched, it sounds like the original aspect ratio was 4:3. If so, you have 2 options; watch it wide-screen (stretched) or watch it letterboxed. 

Okay, there is a third option. You could also use the zoom button to make it larger when watching letterboxed, but I think that would cut off some of the picture.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Beyond using Zoom on your TV I don't think you have a choice either Amazon is sending the movie in it's original format which requires the top/bottom letter boxing or they are sending it in a modified "full screen" format. I think nearly all HD movies are sent in their original format (same as Blu-ray Disks).


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

If you tell us the movie, we can see what is up. 

Hopefully, it is Prime.


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## bonscott87 (Oct 3, 2000)

Keep in mind that most theatrical releases are wider then our 16x9 screen so they will almost all be letterbox. Been that way forever. If you're watching Star Wars and it fills the screen then it's not correct and it's being cropped.


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## BDW (Dec 30, 2015)

Yeah, out of the box, the Bolt was set to 4:3. That was the easily-fixed part.

It's not the movie itself, it's everything I get from Amazon (I went through several movies I've purchased, they're all letterboxed.)

I swear the Premiere didn't do the letterboxing with Amazon HD movies. Am I remembering wrong?


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

I just viewed three things on Amazon. 

I set my bolt to panel with the zoom button and all worked right. 

Roseanne tv show. 4:3 original
Displayed with side boxes. Top and bottom right 

Kung Fu Panda 2.35:1 original
Displayed with top and bottom letterbox. Sides full

Man in the High Castle 16:9 original 
Displayed full screen

The zoom setting when you enter Amazon is what gets used. Same for all apps.


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## waynomo (Nov 9, 2002)

Why don't you take a picture of your TV with a movie playing and post it here so we can see exactly what you are seeing.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

BDW said:


> Yeah, out of the box, the Bolt was set to 4:3. That was the easily-fixed part.
> 
> It's not the movie itself, it's everything I get from Amazon (I went through several movies I've purchased, they're all letterboxed.)
> 
> I swear the Premiere didn't do the letterboxing with Amazon HD movies. Am I remembering wrong?


I don't think you are remembering it correctly. I just tested Amazon with my Premiere and it works the same as my Bolt. When Amazon sends a video with letter boxing it was the same on both. Like I said most HD movies are letter boxed, there are some that are not but most are.

The bottom line is I could not find a way on either my Premiere or Bolt to remove the letter boxing from an Amazon movie with the TiVo - the zoom button does not work on either. So the only way you could have not had letter boxing on Amazon HD movies with your Premiere is if you zoomed them with your TV or if some how you only happened to only watch movies Amazon was sending in full screen.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

atmuscarella said:


> I don't think you are remembering it correctly. I just tested Amazon with my Premiere and it works the same as my Bolt. When Amazon sends a video with letter boxing it was the same on both. Like I said most HD movies are letter boxed, there are some that are not but most are.
> 
> The bottom line is I could not find a way on either my Premiere or Bolt to remove the letter boxing from an Amazon movie with the TiVo - the zoom button does not work on either. So the only way you could have not had letter boxing on Amazon HD movies with your Premiere is if you zoomed them with your TV or if some how you only happened to only watch movies Amazon was sending in full screen.


Change the zoom BEFORE you go into the app. You can't once you are in the app.


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## BDW (Dec 30, 2015)

atmuscarella said:


> I don't think you are remembering it correctly.


That is entirely possible. Thanks for checking it on your Premiere.



TonyD79 said:


> Change the zoom BEFORE you go into the app. You can't once you are in the app.


What is this change you speak of?


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

TonyD79 said:


> Change the zoom BEFORE you go into the app. You can't once you are in the app.


I did test that (changed to zoom before entering Amazon) on both the Bolt and Premiere and it not seem to make any difference. Same movie was still properly letter boxed.

The only place where I have seen changing between Panel, Zoom, & Full do anything is while watching SD channels. Doesn't do anything on HD channels or with Amazon or Vudu (only tested with HD content, perhaps it would do something with SD content). And of course I haven't tried other apps so there maybe some where switching does something.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

atmuscarella said:


> I did test that (changed to zoom before entering Amazon) on both the Bolt and Premiere and it not seem to make any difference. Same movie was still properly letter boxed. The only place where I have seen changing between Panel, Zoom, & Full do anything is while watching SD channels. Doesn't do anything on HD channels or with Amazon or Vudu (only tested with HD content, perhaps it would do something with SD content). And of course I haven't tried other apps so there maybe some where switching does something.


It changes anything for me on Amazon.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

BDW said:


> That is entirely possible. Thanks for checking it on your Premiere. What is this change you speak of?


The zoom button on your remote.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

I tried it on Vudu. It did not change the view on vudu. It does with Amazon and with Hulu. Didn't check Netflix.


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## BDW (Dec 30, 2015)

TonyD79 said:


> The zoom button on your remote.


Doh! I thought they were saying it had to be reprogrammed or something. I get it now.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

TonyD79 said:


> I tried it on Vudu. It did not change the view on vudu. It does with Amazon and with Hulu. Didn't check Netflix.


Interesting, I just tried 4 movies 2 Disney movies that I own, Tomorrow land & The Lone Ranger and 2 prime movies Interstellar and The Hunger Games Mocking Jay Part I. With Zoom on nothing happened to Tomorrow Land or The Lone Ranger, but both Interstellar & The Hunger Games both where zoomed. Wonder what determines what movies will or will not zoom.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

atmuscarella said:


> Interesting, I just tried 4 movies 2 Disney movies that I own, Tomorrow land & The Lone Ranger and 2 prime movies Interstellar and The Hunger Games Mocking Jay Part I. With Zoom on nothing happened to Tomorrow Land or The Lone Ranger, but both Interstellar & The Hunger Games both where zoomed. Wonder what determines what movies will or will not zoom.


Hmm. I tried only the Martian in Vudu.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

TonyD79 said:


> Hmm. I tried only the Martian in Vudu.


The 2 Disney movies are in my Amazon Library because I linked my Disney Movies Anywhere account to my Amazon account, I wonder if that is why Zoom doesn't work on those movies?

Tried a few more in Vudu including one I only have in SD and having Zoom on still does nothing.


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## robnalex (Sep 8, 2002)

TonyD79 said:


> Change the zoom BEFORE you go into the app. You can't once you are in the app.


 Live and learn! Last night we tried to watch Bridge of Spies from Amazon on the Roamio- it was full screen and the geometry was funky. Tried the zoom button, but it just exited the video. Ended up watching it on the Roku. Set the zoom to "panel" today BEFORE going to the app and it plays correctly in original aspect ratio (letterbox), which we much prefer.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

robnalex said:


> Live and learn! Last night we tried to watch Bridge of Spies from Amazon on the Roamio- it was full screen and the geometry was funky. Tried the zoom button, but it just exited the video. Ended up watching it on the Roku. Set the zoom to "panel" today BEFORE going to the app and it plays correctly in original aspect ratio (letterbox), which we much prefer.


Glad it worked for you!


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