How to watch SDTV on a 16:9 screen? (1 Viewer)

[jbf154]

Not sure if I am overlooking anything in the AS settings, but I would like to view a non-distorted aspect ratio of my 4:3 recordings on a 16:9 screen using my Hauppauge PVR-150 card. The 14:9 is the closest, but it is still cropping some from the top/bottom.

Ideally, I'd like to view it much like the STB allows me to--with the black bars on the sides. Any suggestions? I appreciate any help.

 

[jonaskp]

I don't understand the problem. If you want to watch your 4:3 recorded shows in correct aspect ratio, you just have to use the zoom mode (/pictures mode) that is called "Normal". This will keep the videos aspect ratio, while filling the screen. This will give you an image with black bars on the side, as it should.
14:9 is not correct, since this uses zoom and will crop a 4:3 picture.


If you have problems with the picture being cropped, perhaps you are suffering from overscan? How does you windows desktop look, is this cropped as well?

 

[jbf154]

I have tried using "Normal" but the picture gets stretched out across the whole screen. I have my HDTV running at native 1080p, and there is no overscan happening. Not sure if it is a codec thing or what...

 

[tourettes]

Please post system specs. Most likely you are using MPV as video codec (that has known aspect ration bug).

 

[jonaskp]

Agree with tourettes. MPV can sometimes show some weird bugs regarding aspect ratio. Try another codec. I recommend Dscaler, if you don't have something thats better (its good and free).

 

[jbf154]

Here is a list of the decoders I have. There are also some Arcsoft decoders, but I'm not using them. I think that I've tried all of them, but to no avail.

 

[PABeaver]

I actually have this exact same problem when watching either SD TV or recorded videos with my pvr-150. I have a TV server with the card however the problem seems to me to be with the client. It appears to properly identify the source as 4:3 but plays it in 16:9. I have tried dscaler, power DVD 8, Arcsoft, etc. for the codecs and get the same results.

I have attached my log files in which I open a SD video and cycle through the aspect ratios using Dscaler as the decoder. Does anyone have a solution for this behavior?

 

[jbf154]

Hi PABeaver,

I looked at your logs, it it looks like the same thing. For anyone that is interested, here is the log snippet:

2009-03-09 19:11:43.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop T, B : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:43.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop L, R : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:43.646808 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video WxH : 704x480
2009-03-09 19:11:43.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video AR : 4:3
2009-03-09 19:11:43.646808 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: screen WxH : 1280x720
2009-03-09 19:11:43.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: AR type : Normal
2009-03-09 19:11:43.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: PixelRatio : 1
2009-03-09 19:11:43.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: src : (0,19)-(704,459)
2009-03-09 19:11:43.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: dst : (0,0)-(1280,720)
2009-03-09 19:11:45.584308 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop T, B : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:45.584308 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop L, R : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:45.584308 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video WxH : 704x480
2009-03-09 19:11:45.584308 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video AR : 4:3
2009-03-09 19:11:45.584308 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: screen WxH : 1280x720
2009-03-09 19:11:45.584308 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: AR type : Original
2009-03-09 19:11:45.584308 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: PixelRatio : 1
2009-03-09 19:11:45.584308 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: src : (0,0)-(704,480)
2009-03-09 19:11:45.584308 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: dst : (288,96)-(992,624)
2009-03-09 19:11:47.287433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop T, B : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:47.287433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop L, R : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:47.287433 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video WxH : 704x480
2009-03-09 19:11:47.287433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video AR : 4:3
2009-03-09 19:11:47.287433 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: screen WxH : 1280x720
2009-03-09 19:11:47.287433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: AR type : LetterBox43
2009-03-09 19:11:47.287433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: PixelRatio : 1
2009-03-09 19:11:47.287433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: src : (0,0)-(704,480)
2009-03-09 19:11:47.287433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: dst : (0,40)-(1280,680)
2009-03-09 19:11:48.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop T, B : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:48.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop L, R : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:48.646808 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video WxH : 704x480
2009-03-09 19:11:48.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video AR : 4:3
2009-03-09 19:11:48.646808 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: screen WxH : 1280x720
2009-03-09 19:11:48.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: AR type : PanScan43
2009-03-09 19:11:48.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: PixelRatio : 1
2009-03-09 19:11:48.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: src : (0,19)-(704,459)
2009-03-09 19:11:48.646808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: dst : (0,0)-(1280,720)
2009-03-09 19:11:49.990558 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop T, B : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:49.990558 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop L, R : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:49.990558 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video WxH : 704x480
2009-03-09 19:11:49.990558 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video AR : 4:3
2009-03-09 19:11:49.990558 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: screen WxH : 1280x720
2009-03-09 19:11:49.990558 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: AR type : Zoom14to9
2009-03-09 19:11:49.990558 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: PixelRatio : 1
2009-03-09 19:11:49.990558 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: src : (0,33)-(704,447)
2009-03-09 19:11:49.990558 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: dst : (100,0)-(1180,720)
2009-03-09 19:11:53.506183 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop T, B : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:53.537433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop L, R : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:53.537433 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video WxH : 704x480
2009-03-09 19:11:53.537433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video AR : 4:3
2009-03-09 19:11:53.537433 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: screen WxH : 1280x720
2009-03-09 19:11:53.537433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: AR type : Zoom
2009-03-09 19:11:53.537433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: PixelRatio : 1
2009-03-09 19:11:53.537433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: src : (0,66)-(704,414)
2009-03-09 19:11:53.537433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: dst : (0,0)-(1280,720)
2009-03-09 19:11:55.271808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop T, B : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:55.271808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop L, R : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:55.271808 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video WxH : 704x480
2009-03-09 19:11:55.271808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video AR : 4:3
2009-03-09 19:11:55.271808 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: screen WxH : 1280x720
2009-03-09 19:11:55.271808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: AR type : Stretch
2009-03-09 19:11:55.271808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: PixelRatio : 1
2009-03-09 19:11:55.271808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: src : (0,0)-(704,480)
2009-03-09 19:11:55.271808 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: dst : (0,0)-(1280,720)
2009-03-09 19:11:56.412433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop T, B : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:56.412433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: crop L, R : 0, 0
2009-03-09 19:11:56.412433 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video WxH : 704x480
2009-03-09 19:11:56.412433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: video AR : 4:3
2009-03-09 19:11:56.412433 [Info.][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: screen WxH : 1280x720
2009-03-09 19:11:56.412433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: AR type : Normal
2009-03-09 19:11:56.412433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: PixelRatio : 1
2009-03-09 19:11:56.412433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: src : (0,19)-(704,459)
2009-03-09 19:11:56.412433 [Debug][VMRenderer]: PlaneScene: dst : (0,0)-(1280,720)