In television technology, widescreen signaling (WSS) is a digital stream embedded in the analog TV signal describing qualities of the broadcast, in particular the intended aspect ratio of the image. This can be used by a widescreen TV or other device to switch to the correct display mode.
PAL and SECAM
For 625 scan line systems (PAL and SECAM), the signal is placed in line 23. It begins with a run-in code and start code followed by 14 bits of information.[1]
Group 1 (aspect ratio)
| b00 | b01 | b02 | b03 | Aspect ratio | Picture placement | Active lines |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4:3 | Full | 576 |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16:9 | Letterbox top | 432 |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14:9 | Letterbox top | 504 |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:9 | Full-height 4:3, framed to be "14:9-safe" | 576 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:9 | Letterbox centre | 504 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | >16:9 | Letterbox deeper than 16:9 | <432 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16:9 | Letterbox centre | 432 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:9 | Full-height 16:9 (anamorphic) | 576 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
Group 2 (enhanced services)
| b05 | Mode |
| 0 | PAL Standard |
| 1 | Colour Plus |
| b06 | Mode |
| 0 | No Vertical helper |
| 1 | Vertical helper present |
The above settings are related to PALplus.
Group 3 (subtitles)
| b08 | Mode |
| 0 | no subtitles |
| 1 | Teletext subtitles |
| b09 | b10 | Mode |
| 0 | 0 | No subtitles |
| 1 | 0 | Subtitles inside active image |
| 0 | 1 | Subtitles outside active image |
| 1 | 1 | Reserved |
Group 4 (other)
| b12 | Mode |
| 0 | No copyright asserted or status unknown |
| 1 | Copyright asserted |
| b13 | Mode |
| 0 | Copying not restricted |
| 1 | Copying restricted |
NTSC
525 line systems made a provision using pulses for signalling wide screen and some other parameters in a similar manner to PAL and SECAM. However, no video player generates them and no NTSC compatible TV (including multiformat) recognises them. Accordingly, unless the wide screen is signalled via an alternate means (such as the wide screen discrete signal on SCART connection), the TV has to be manually switched between 4:3 and 16:9.
See also
References
- ETSI EN 300 294 "Television Systems: 625-Line Television Wide Screen Signaling (WSS)"
External links