Hor. black bars w/ Vert. black bars

SpaceFuzz · #1 12-13-2005, 04:12 PM

I'm outputting my SageTV to a 16x9 plasma at 1280x768, and have found several cases where a TV show is broadcast in letterbox (horizontal black bars on the top and bottom). When Sage outputs the video, it know's the original broadcast was 4:3 letterbox, so it centers the video on my 16x9 TV with black bars on the left and right. So I have a small video with thick black bars on the top, bottom, left and right sides! This is so ridiculous!

I've experimented with all the Aspect Ratio modes, but none of the options expands the video to true 16x9. 16x9 ratio widens the 4:3 letterbox so the video is fat, but still has black bars on the top/bottom. Fill mode does the same. I've also experimented with the malore3.13.stv, SageMC169.stv, as well as the default SageTV3.stv. All STVs appear to handle video the same way. I also experimented with VMR9 and Overlay modes to no avail. \\

My TV has the ability to "zoom," but not with the RGB input (PC monitor cable)--only with AV inputs (which are lower quality).

Has anyone else experienced this? Or even better, solved this problem?

Thanks!

stanger89 · #2 12-13-2005, 04:35 PM

Set your 16x9 AR mode to 133% vertical zoom. That should do it. You'll probably need to play a bit to get it just right though

SpaceFuzz · #3 12-13-2005, 04:42 PM

Hale-freakin'-lujah. Thank you, Stanger89.

Belgrath · #4 09-03-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanger89

Set your 16x9 AR mode to 133% vertical zoom. That should do it. You'll probably need to play a bit to get it just right though

Stanger, where is this done at?

stanger89 · #5 09-03-2009, 10:41 AM

Detailed Setup -> Multimedia if you're using a PC client. Other wise you have to use the AR editor on the extenders.

paulbeers · #6 09-03-2009, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanger89

Detailed Setup -> Multimedia if you're using a PC client. Other wise you have to use the AR editor on the extenders.

Zoom C (standard aspect ratio found by hitting the aspect button) will also do this on the extenders now. That will take a 16:9 image that is letter boxed to 4:3 (and then letter boxed vertically by Sage) and expand it to be 16:9 filling the screen. I am doing this for a lot of the cable channels I get only in SD that were originally HD recordings that have the top and bottom black bars added.

Belgrath · #7 09-15-2009, 12:26 AM

Cool, thanks. These grey bars that I'm seeing, is this because of the Hauppauge box that I have or are they added from SageTV?

Belg

rosemary · #8 09-15-2009, 01:50 PM

Just to head a future question off at the pass, you may find that later, you have video that needs to be forced to be 16x9 a different way because of some weirdness in the file and now your 16x9 Aspect Ratio setting is useless. You'll just have to go tweak it again. I'm really looking forward to the day I see "unlimited custom aspect ratio entries" added to the release notes. I far too often run into a video file that's fubared in one way or the other. Don't even get me started about files with recordings from PAL TV...

Belgrath · #9 09-15-2009, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosemary

Just to head a future question off at the pass, you may find that later, you have video that needs to be forced to be 16x9 a different way because of some weirdness in the file and now your 16x9 Aspect Ratio setting is useless. You'll just have to go tweak it again. I'm really looking forward to the day I see "unlimited custom aspect ratio entries" added to the release notes. I far too often run into a video file that's fubared in one way or the other. Don't even get me started about files with recordings from PAL TV...

Yep I can see that happening (having to constantly tweek) Video files are going to need to settle on some sort of tagging so that we can embed that info directly into yer video file. So that you tweek it at the source and not at the display. Correcting the format of the display is no different that setting volume levels on an MP3...

Or at least that's my twisted view of the world

rosemary · #10 09-15-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belgrath

Yep I can see that happening (having to constantly tweek) Video files are going to need to settle on some sort of tagging so that we can embed that info directly into yer video file. So that you tweek it at the source and not at the display. Correcting the format of the display is no different that setting volume levels on an MP3...

Or at least that's my twisted view of the world

The problem I often run into is that the files HAVE an aspect ratio tag in them, they're just set wrong. So it's not really worth fixing it when I'm just going to watch and delete it.

Belgrath · #11 09-24-2009, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosemary

The problem I often run into is that the files HAVE an aspect ratio tag in them, they're just set wrong. So it's not really worth fixing it when I'm just going to watch and delete it.

I'm using a HD-PVR to record from my digital box. Is there a way for it to be smart enough to realize that its getting SD content as opposed to HD content. What is happening is that on all SD feeds, I get a grey bar in all of my recordings on both the right and left sides of the video. On HD content all is well and I see no bars on the left/right/top/bottom.

These grey bars I think are going to mess up programs like SAV1 and comskip....

stanger89 · #12 09-24-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belgrath

I'm using a HD-PVR to record from my digital box. Is there a way for it to be smart enough to realize that its getting SD content as opposed to HD content. What is happening is that on all SD feeds, I get a grey bar in all of my recordings on both the right and left sides of the video. On HD content all is well and I see no bars on the left/right/top/bottom.

That's your set top box, not the HD PVR. To more directly answer your question, no there's no way for the HD PVR to tell it's getting upconverted, pillarboxed SD vs real HD.

Belgrath · #13 09-24-2009, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanger89

That's your set top box, not the HD PVR. To more directly answer your question, no there's no way for the HD PVR to tell it's getting upconverted, pillarboxed SD vs real HD.

OUCH...

How do you get around this issue, are there any settings within SAV1 in which it will only check the center of the video and perhaps not at the sides of the various video frames.

Belg

stanger89 · #14 09-24-2009, 02:20 PM

The only way around it is to have your STB set to switch to the native resolution of whatever it's playing.

Belgrath · #15 09-24-2009, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanger89

The only way around it is to have your STB set to switch to the native resolution of whatever it's playing.

Cool I'll check that out, the grey bars was the STB too btw.. they've been setup to pump out black now. Awesome. Now to see if it can handle the various native resolutions.

Belg

Belgrath · #16 09-30-2009, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belgrath

Cool I'll check that out, the grey bars was the STB too btw.. they've been setup to pump out black now. Awesome. Now to see if it can handle the various native resolutions.

Belg

For my 4:3 content I basically had to set my stretch to 200% At least I can use all of that screen space, provided I can live with everyone's fat heads onscreen

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