4:3 stretch to 16:9 based on WSS (1 Viewer)

[marttoma]

It doesn't do it for HD because HD is always widescreen (4:3 is not allowed, as far as I know), so the DAR is almost certainly 16:9. This means that MP doesn't know it's 4:3 content 'pillar boxed' into 16:9. For SD 4:3 is allowed, so MP can apply the non-linear stretch zoom mode (if enabled in the TV settings).

OK, thank you, I understand what I want (in case of HD & automatic stretch for 4:3) is not feasible, rigth?

Post the client logs for the same '4:3' content on SD and HD - that would tell us what is actually going on....

I will do this, just help me which log file I should post, please.[DOUBLEPOST=1426276166][/DOUBLEPOST]

In NZ we call that "fatovision" because the stretching makes people look fatter than they actually are.

Are you really from NZ? I was there in 2006 for 3 weeks in Auckland

 

[Owlsroost]

I will do this, just help me which log file I should post, please.

Just use the MP Watchdog tool and select 'Export all currently present logs' - that should create a zip file on the desktop which you just attach here.

 

[marttoma]

Just use the MP Watchdog tool and select 'Export all currently present logs' - that should create a zip file on the desktop which you just attach here.

Here is the export. Before I exported I deleted all log files and then I was going through all TV channels (timeshift) again. This time SD with 4:3 content was on Barandov TV channel and at the end of channel selection on CT1 channel (not at the beginning). The IFC plugin was disabled for this log export.

Everytime when I am on SD channel with 4:3 content, the stretch/non-linear stretch/normal etc. modes are working fine & automatically - so DAR is probably working fine.

In case of HD channel as you mentioned, any TV zoom mode does have any impact on picture zoom (just for mode 14:9 it make picture bigger), which is probably fine as well. If so than just IFC is solution for HD channels with 4:3 content.

What do you see in the log?

 

[Owlsroost]

Your logs match what you say - the SD channels are a mixture of 4:3 and 16:9 DAR (and several different raw frame sizes), the HD channels are all 16:9 DAR (at 1920 x 1080 frame size).

Some examples from TsReader log:

[2015-03-14 01:30:44,881] [1b0029b8] [14a8] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 544x576 @ 16:9, 25.000Hz interlaced
[2015-03-14 01:30:55,448] [1b0029b8] [14a8] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 352x576 @ 4:3, 25.000Hz interlaced
[2015-03-14 01:31:26,362] [1b0029b8] [14a8] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 720x576 @ 16:9, 25.000Hz interlaced
[2015-03-14 01:33:25,813] [1b0029b8] [17ac] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 720x576 @ 16:9, 25.000Hz interlaced
[2015-03-14 01:34:08,198] [1b0029b8] [1fc8] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 704x576 @ 16:9, 25.000Hz interlaced
[2015-03-14 01:34:13,432] [1b0029b8] [1fc8] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 720x576 @ 4:3, 25.000Hz interlaced


[2015-03-14 01:06:36,199] [1b04a9f0] [17ac] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 1920x1080 @ 16:9, 25.000Hz interlaced
[2015-03-14 01:09:18,223] [1b04a9f0] [ e08] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 1920x1080 @ 16:9, 25.000Hz interlaced
[2015-03-14 01:09:41,569] [1b04a9f0] [ e08] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 1920x1080 @ 16:9, 25.000Hz interlaced
[2015-03-14 01:10:28,077] [1b04a9f0] [ e08] - DeMultiplexer: 30 video format changed, 1920x1080 @ 16:9, 25.000Hz interlaced

....so for 'pillar boxed' content on the HD channels, the only way of knowing it's 4:3 is either by detecting the black side bars (as IFC and ViewModeSwitcher do), or trying to use the ancilliary WSS/VPS data in the stream - and implementing that from TV server through to MP player is quite big job.

 

[mm1352000]

...and implementing that from TV server through to MP player is quite big job.

True, and we're not even certain that WSS is present. Having said that, it may be possible to check for WSS without any changes in TV Server. I suspect that WSS is often carried in the same stream as teletext (...and TV Server already passes teletext into timeshifting and recording files).

 

[marttoma]

OK, thank you a lot. Is there some more simple way (to avoid to do this "big job") to check if the WSS is present in the HD stream? E.g. would be possible to check this from recorded TV channel, if so I can make some record of HD channel with 4:3 picture and posted.