Aspect ratios

[Mike]

I'm ignorant about how Sage handles aspect ratios. I have Sage set to "source" in the setup. I'm viewing all of my content on 4:3 TV's although I'm using HDHR's and am recording in HD. I notice that sometimes when an SD signal is transmitted it's 4:3 but inside a letter box so its a pretty small picture, yet other material uses the full 4:3 screen. Is that just how its broadcast or is Sage handling something wrong or maybe I've set something wrong?

Any advice appreciated,
Mike

[stanger89]

That's how it's broadcast, if you're watching/recording an SD channel you get the 4:3 SD recording and Sage knows to fill the screen. But if that 4:3 show is on an HD channel, and the broadcaster is pillarboxing it, Sage doesn't know it's 4:3 and thinks it's 16:9, so Sage letterboxes the pillarboxed 4:3, resulting in the window you see. You have ot tell Sage (through using a different/custom AR) to zoom it.

[Mike]

Thanks Stanger! That's what I thought, but I wanted to be sure.

Take care,
MBrew

[troycheek]

You might use MediaShrink or HandBrake or something which can detect the boxing and re-encode the file while cropping. I've started doing this on pretty much everything I record lately, seeing as I never know which monitor or television I'm going to be playing them back on.