[mythtv-users] Widescreen

matt at mattmarsh.net matt at mattmarsh.net
Thu May 29 13:29:48 EDT 2003


>matt at mattmarsh.net wrote:
>
>>However, I was hoping to use the VGA out of the
>>machine and plug that into a VGA input on the 
>>TV (this is an LCD TV BTW with a resolution of
>>1280x768).
>>
>Which model and where did you buy it? (I haven't seen any flat screens 
>with ~30+ inches and high res and VGA or DVI input for any reasonable 
>price (<$1000), that's why I'm asking.)

I haven't bought one yet, I've just been looking
around. The system I'm trying to build is
intended as a TV for the bedroom and I'm going
to stream video from my TiVo sitting downstairs.
You're right they aren't cheap though... here
in the UK I've seen 17" widescreens for around
£600 and 20" for maybe £1000.

>>If I do this, what will happen? Will
>>the TV likely still do it's whizzy stretching
>>stuff if I set the res of the MythTV box to
>>1024x768?
>>
>Depends on your TV, check the manual, manufacturer or just try it out. 
>For the computer, it's just a monitor.
>
>>Or does all the clever stretching stuff need to occur on the MythTV box (which is what I'm suspecting) and if so, can MythTV do this?
>>
>    * IIRC, MythTV is only 4:3 at the moment, it can't even play 16:9
>      MPEGs correctly.

In which case maybe I'll have to go for a 4:3
TV instead. I would prefer to use a widescreen
if possible, but if I have to go to 4:3 then
it's not the end of the world.

If it can't play 16:9 MPEGS correctly, how does
it get on with DVDs in widescreen formats? Do
they work well or look dumb?

>    * I don't think you will want to *stretch* 4:3 videos to 16:9
>      anyways, their aspect ratio is wrong then and they look strange.

This is why widescreen TVs generally do more
clever stuff than just stretching... they tend
to stretch them wide to fit the screen, and
then stretch them high too, but not by as much
but still it is then higher than the screen, so
it chops a bit off the top and the bottom. You're
left with something which looks reasonable.

Matt


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