Eliminating SD pillarbox/letterbox on my HDTV

[matt91]

I record (currently) everything in SD (analog cable). This question relates to watching the content on my HDTV via the HD100 (& HDMI).

I have the HD100 outputting via the standard 1080i selection choice available in the initial setup screen. I haven't made any custom resolutions yet.

The output is letterboxed & pillarboxed (windowboxed) on the HDTV. My TV seems to do a decent job of stretching horizontally and vertically when I let it, so I have it set to do that automatically.

The only problem seems to be this: whenever I change the volume on the HD100 or the OSD comes up, the TV has to 'zoom out' to show everything, and then 'zoom in' once that overlaid image is gone.

It would seem that if the HD100 can do the stretching instead of the TV, I may be able to avoid this. However, I'm not sure which custom resolution I'd set.

In the FAQ, I see this example, which looks like it's something I'd want to use:
extender_resolution_extra_modes=720x480i@59.94|

but I'm not sure what to put in the "standard" section.

Any thoughts? Do I need to gather additional information on my TV capabilities? Am I even on track here?

thanks
Matt

[BobPhoenix]

I use the 4x3Stretch aspect ratio in the FAQ here and it works well I think. You might try it out. FYI the definition is at the bottom of that post but I copied it here too.

4x3Stretch|cutstrip\=2048,0|blackstrip\=0,0|nonlinearmode\=0,0

[Opus4]

You want to change the aspect ration, not the resolution, as BobPhoenix said. There is also an example of a nonlinear stretch if you want to keep the center portion relatively untouched. It sounds like you have black bars all the way around the image, so try one of the Zoom AR modes or the LetterBox custom AR example.

- Andy

[matt91]

OK, thanks for the quick replies, as always.

I'll try it out tonight.

Matt

[matt91]

The 4x3 stretch works just fine. Is there a way to make it the default aspect ratio? Or do I have to cycle through the few available choices each time I play a new recording?

Thanks
matt

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by matt91

The 4x3 stretch works just fine. Is there a way to make it the default aspect ratio? Or do I have to cycle through the few available choices each time I play a new recording?

Thanks
matt

Apparently haven't used it myself but see this post.

[Opus4]

Even better -- just select your default AR during playback while using the HD100 with the latest beta, v6.4.4.

- Andy

[matt91]

Originally Posted by Opus4

Even better -- just select your default AR during playback while using the HD100 with the latest beta, v6.4.4.

I'll give it a try this weekend. Thanks.

Andy - next time I need something changed in the system, I'll expect to see a beta released within 4 hours of my post addressing it, OK?

[HawgGuy]

No luck for me stretching 4x3 content from the HD-PVR and playing back through the extender. Source, Fill & Zoom A all look the same, Zoom B is too much. Behave very differently than Source & Fill AR with my other tuners.

Not having any luck with editing custom AR either. Anyone care to offer a suggestion?

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by HawgGuy

No luck for me stretching 4x3 content from the HD-PVR and playing back through the extender. Source, Fill & Zoom A all look the same, Zoom B is too much. Behave very differently than Source & Fill AR with my other tuners.

Not having any luck with editing custom AR either. Anyone care to offer a suggestion?

I just put it in the extender properties for that extender and my 480i recording I was testing (channel surfing) expanded to fill most (I think anyway) of the 16x9 screen. If I catch the window in recording later I will try it again. Also I'll update to the 6.4.4 beta and try the new way. Sorry but no tips as it was just put it in and use it for me. I haven't recorded anything in 4x3 yet on the HD-PVR except for channel surf testing. It is also possible that my testing with this AR was from my SD server from my nVidia Dual TV cards too but I'll find out when I can.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by HawgGuy

No luck for me stretching 4x3 content from the HD-PVR and playing back through the extender. Source, Fill & Zoom A all look the same, Zoom B is too much. Behave very differently than Source & Fill AR with my other tuners.

Not having any luck with editing custom AR either. Anyone care to offer a suggestion?

Got a chance to try this and I see the same thing. I was able to see some adjustment with the beta adjustments but it wasn't useful as I could only go smaller not bigger vertically or horizontally. It works fine from my SD only tuners.

[Opus4]

I don't yet have an HD PVR, so I can't try anything... is the 4x3 video inside a 16x9 recording? Are you not able to use the 'source' settings to zoom into the part of the recording you want to see? I would think that cutstrip needs to be left at its default setting, to allow sections to be cut out.

- Andy

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Opus4

I don't yet have an HD PVR, so I can't try anything... is the 4x3 video inside a 16x9 recording? Are you not able to use the 'source' settings to zoom into the part of the recording you want to see? I would think that cutstrip needs to be left at its default setting, to allow sections to be cut out.

- Andy

My problem is I don't understand the values well enough yet to get it to work with the HD-PVR. At least that is my assumption anyway.

[HawgGuy]

Originally Posted by Opus4

I don't yet have an HD PVR, so I can't try anything... is the 4x3 video inside a 16x9 recording? Are you not able to use the 'source' settings to zoom into the part of the recording you want to see? I would think that cutstrip needs to be left at its default setting, to allow sections to be cut out.

- Andy

That's it in a nutshell. The HD-PVR captures the component output from my Dish211 1080i 16x9 and faithfully records the black/gray stripes. As mentioned above by Bob, I can tweak the picture smaller, but not larger.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by HawgGuy

That's it in a nutshell. The HD-PVR captures the component output from my Dish211 1080i 16x9 and faithfully records the black/gray stripes. As mentioned above by Bob, I can tweak the picture smaller, but not larger.

I've been experimenting but I don't know if this will help or not but try setting Center X pos and Center Y pos to 2048. Then reduce both the width and the height values some. I have both of mine at 3496 currently and the picture has expanded to fill the screen now when I have the cable box ONLY output 1080i (I.E. it produces the black strips on all sides). I want it to use 480p output for SD material (native output) then I won't be scaling it twice (cable box and HD-100). Still working on this mode however.

[HawgGuy]

Yes, it works. Utterly non-intuitive, but it works.

[Opus4]

I realized the other day that I have a recording from my HDHR that has a 4x3 show inside a 16x9 recording, so it has the black strips on the left & right. I think that was what was described above... is creating a custom AR for this still an issue for anyone?

I just created a new custom Panoramic AR based on the old custom Panoramic ratio that was previously posted on the forum, then reduced the horizontal source value to cut down what part of the source image was being used. That cut the sides out. I then played around with the other settings to see what would happen & ended up with this:

Panoramic 4x3 from 16x9
    blackstrip\=0,600
    cutstrip\=0,0
    nonlinearmode\=1,1
    source\=2048,2048,3006,4096,FrontEdgeToCenter,FrontEdgeToCenter,Relative,Relative,Relative,Relative

or, as part of the property line:
Panoramic 4x3 from 16x9|blackstrip\=0,600|cutstrip\=0,0|nonlinearmode\=1,1|source\=2048,2048,3006,4096,FrontEdgeToCenter,FrontEdgeToCenter,Relative,Relative,Relative,Relative

Only the horizontal source value was reduced to stretch the width & the vertical blackstrip was changed to compensate for what I'm guessing is overscan.

The other Panoramic ARs I've played with for 4x3 recordings:

Posted in the forum:
Panoramic|blackstrip\=0,0|cutstrip\=0,0|nonlinearmode\=2,2

Changed to modify how much of the image gets stretched:
Panoramic 2|blackstrip\=0,0|cutstrip\=0,0|nonlinearmode\=1,1

- Andy