UK Media Extender - Aspect Ratio

[Mahoney]

I am using a UK, Scart version of the Media Extender with Sage v5. Playing back UK DVB-T signals - most of then in 16:9 format - and using SageMC16x9.

Until yesterday I was using this on a Standard Definition PAL 4:3 TV, and it worked fine; I was pleasantly surprised to see that it effectively just cut off the sides of the broadcast, so I didn't even get the letterbox effect. And the Sage MC 16x9 interface wasn't stretched out of position, either - it just had the sides cut off too.

Yesterday I received delivery of a 16:9 TV. And found that the MVP still kicks out a 4:3 signal - if I set the TV to 16:9 then I get the SageMC interface stretched, with the sides still cut off. And the same with playback of 16:9 recordings - the MVP still cuts the sides off, so setting the TV to 16:9 just stretches the already reduced image.

Is this a known issue? I haven't submitted a bug report yet as I want to try it with the standard Sage STV and with the Hauppauge's own software.

(Forgot to mention - I have gone into detailed setting and changed the aspect ratio; it makes no difference. Or more accurately, set to anything other than fill it kicks out a 4:3 image with black bars the whole way round!)

[Mahoney]

I can't be the only person trying to play 16:9 format MPEG on a widescreen TV using the extender... does it work on the US version?

I'm hoping it's a SageMC issue, as I'd just be blown away if there wasn't more discussion about it not playing 16:9 MPEGs! Bit fundamental.

[something fishy]

My PAL MVP (no scart out but S-video) doesn't cut the sides off either the video or the sage UI using either the default STV or SageMC (but I am using analog captures, is it possible that something is encoded in the broadcast DVB signal?)

Eric

[Mahoney]

Hauppauge analogue capture is always captured at 4:3. I have my Sky box set to 16:9 - the Hauppauge captures a 4:3 recording with everything stretched vertically, which the MVP can play as is, and then I can tell the TV to stretch it horizontally again to recover the 16:9 image. But DVB-T is captured as it is sent, a 16:9 signal.

[Mahoney]

Just in case anyone else is interested, I carried out some tests this morning. Using a recording of "Emma" where the opening credits are to either side of the picture, captured from DVB-T in a 16:9 format.

Using the latest MediaMVP release, I could set the output to 16:9 in settings. I could then play back the file and see the full names of the actors.

Stopping the MediaMVP services and starting Sage up again, using the default SageTV3.xml STV, I played the same file. The names of the actors were only half visible, as only the centre section of the image was displayed - it had been cut to display only a 4:3 image.

I have raised a support request on this. I'm not currently sure whether it is that Sage are failing to use the ability of the MVP to play 16:9 files, or whether it is that the MVP software cleverly squeezes 16:9 files to 4:3 format before sending them to the MVP, allowing the MVP to play them and the TV then to expand them again at a loss of some detail.