Custom Aspect Ratio / Cropping Possible?

[bznotins]

So I finally got a widescreen monitor for my HTPC. And I'm watching Enterprise last night (please, no jokes, I'm one of the few that liked the series) and the broadcast is in a 4:3 aspect ratio. So, this SD channel, along with all the others, appears with black bars down each side of the screen because I don't like stretching the shows to fill the monitor.

But the kicker is that SciFi chooses to letterbox Enterprise so I also have (their) black bars on the top and bottom of the show as well! Yay! I effectively use only 75% (or less) of my monitor for picture! I have the same problem with many other shows that letterbox their broadcasts.

Is there any way to (quickly -- e.g. one or two keystrokes) to "flip" to some mode that will zoom in on shows that are letterboxed like this to ignore the (Sage introduced) black bars on the sides and the (broadcast introduced) black bars on the top/bottom?

It doesn't have to be perfect (I know that most shows letterbox to differing degrees) so a little bit of crop or left-over black bars is OK. It just sucks to be watching a "widescreen" show on a widescreen monitor that is framed on all sides by black.

[mangriotis]

Sure, you can take any of the 4 modes and customize them by changing the Aspect Ratio zoom percentages. Then just assign whatever key you'd like to that aspect mode. There is also an AR Toggle key that can be assigned, which allows you to easily flip through the modes.

I do this specifically for all of the shows I watch on FX, which are almost always Letterboxed.

You have Source, Fill, 4x3 and 16x9 to play with. I have taken Fill and made the vertical zoom 132% and horizontal zoom 101%. This effectively fills the screen for LB source material.

(All of these changes can be done under Detailed Setup)

[bznotins]

Originally Posted by mangriotis

You have Source, Fill, 4x3 and 16x9 to play with. I have taken Fill and made the vertical zoom 132% and horizontal zoom 101%. This effectively fills the screen for LB source material.

(All of these changes can be done under Detailed Setup)

Where do I send my first-born? Thanks!!!