[mythtv-users] Discovery HD is driving me nuts

[Raphael Pooser]

Steven Adeff wrote:
> On 3/3/06, Raphael Pooser <rpooser at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> Hi,
>> Can someone comment on a good method to display SD letterboxed content
>> on an HD screen?
>> To clarify:  I record some of the Discovery channel stuff that comes
>> through broadcasted in a letterbox 16:9 image with black bars on the top
>> and bottom.  The broadcast itself is still 640x480i, SD; the black bars
>> on the top and bottom are actually information, creating an overall 4:3
>> video stream.  The image you see on screen is a 4:3 image consisting of
>> a 16:9 image sandwiched in the middle.  Think of some popular shows that
>> get broadcasted in this format like Nip-Tuck on FX to see what I'm saying.
>> The thing I want to do is find a way to display the image as if it were
>> just a 16:9 on my widescreen TV.  Currently I have a PC hooked up to the
>> TV through the "PC input" (vga connector) on the TV and I'm streaming
>> the video from the mythtv backend.  Because of this I can't use the TV
>> controls to zoom or crop the image - I have to do it on the PC.  But I
>> just can't seem to find a way to get rid of the black bars.  Has anyone
>> with a similar set up found a good way?
>> Raphaek
>>     
>
> Have you tried changing the aspect ratio? I think one of the modes is
> for this case.
> --
> Steve
> _______________________________________________
>
>   
I tried the aspect ratios, the problem is all the aspect ratios always 
keep the black bars.  If I select the 16:9 aspect ratio, it squinches 
the image even more.  Sort of going in the opposite direction; it takes 
the whole 4:3 image including bars and makes it 16:9 so that everything 
gets stretched out.  I would need something that would stretch the image 
vertically the other way, pulling the black bars out of the screen above 
and below.  I suppose manual zoom could achieve this... but too much 
messing with it and it crashes the frontend :(  I suppose if I figure 
that one out I would have the problem solved.
Raphael