Late, but... problem with Buffy season 2

[SqueakyG]

About a year ago I got Buffy season 2, Region 2 (the one with the bad packaging). At the time I watched all the episodes, I didn't see the problem. I just assumed all the actors were younger and therefore thinner.

But re-watching the DVDs now, I have noticed the picture is "wrong". These are R2 PAL discs... but the picture is stretched slightly. It looks kinda how an anamorphic picture looks before being squeezed back to shape: stretched vertically, everything tall and thin. I have a standard little 4:3 TV. The picture SHOULD fit perfectly on the screen, but it doesn't. Anyway, I tried pressing the button on my remote control that chooses between "PAL", "NTSC" and "Auto". I noticed that if I select NTSC, the picture turns black and white and looks bad (I guess this means my TV isn't capable of displaying a proper NTSC signal, huh?) But choosing NTSC squashes the stretched picture back into the CORRECT shape and makes it fit on the screen properly!

So can somebody explain what is happening, or confirm whether the same happens on their copy?

All the information is this:

The discs are R2 PAL, the picture is supposed to be 4:3;
My TV is a small old portable fullscreen TV;
My DVD player is an Alba103. All other discs display correctly, including other seasons of Buffy;
The picture is stretched vertically a little, which makes everything look stretched and thin, and pushes picture information off the top and bottom off the screen;
Selecting "NTSC" turns the picture black and white, but makes it look correctly shaped, with all the picture fitting on the screen correctly.

Any answers?


http://www.gavin.clayton.btinternet.co.uk/Buffyexample.jpg

[Jimmyboy]

It could be to do with how youve got your dvd player set up.
There should be an option in your set-up to chose between 4:3, 16:9, or 4:3 letterboxed.
If your using a 4:3 tv set, its best to have it set to 4:3 letterboxed.

[SqueakyG]

Thanks Jimmyboy, but that is how I already have it set up. I've always had it set like that, and all other discs display fine. Only Buffy season 2 seems to be stretched in PAL and correctly-shaped in NTSC. All widescreen and aspect ratio issues seem to be okay.

[Jimmyboy]

I dont own the Buffy S2 boxset so I cant check.
How did you take the correct looking picture though if it doesnt display right ?.:confused:

[SqueakyG]

I didn't take a picture. I just stole a jpg off a DVD Times review, to serve as an illustration of what I'm describing.

[sbooth]

Well from what i remember it looked fine on my 14" portable but i watched most of it on my widescreen tv with the Smart mode on (and i fiddled with that so that it looked better). Might have to go and check this out. I have a sony dvd player and tv(s) but i don't think there was anything wrong with my copy.