Changing size of video recording per show?

[steingra]

Is there a way to change recording sizes of each show you are recording? I have some shows from Voom HDTV channels that are coming out in 16 x 9 format, so I would like to tell Sage to record that way. Other shows on regular SDTV should be recorded as Source type.

I didnt see a way to change this on an individual show basis. I would like to experiment, and make sure I am getting my shows recorded in best matching format...

Thanks

[stanger89]

You can't, everything Sage records is NTSC 720x480, ie 4:3.

Of course neilm said he was working on (or going to) an import to do auto AR switching on a show by show basis.

[steingra]

Originally Posted by stanger89

You can't, everything Sage records is NTSC 720x480, ie 4:3.

Oh,well thats good to know. If I read that in the manual, I forgot about that.

That means when I am playing back a sage recording, and choose Fill, or 16 x 9 (which seem to do the same thing, but maybe thats just because my current monitor settings are 848 x 480) that sagetv is just upsizing the sage video to match my video card settings? So the image is going to look a little stretched. Which is OK with me, I like it when the screen is filled up.

hmmm so I wonder whats happening when the PVR capture card is recording an HDTV channel that is being broadcast in a 16 x 9 format. I still dont quite understand all the magic that is happening behind the scenes here.

I DO KNOW that when I watch these type of sagetv recordings (from VOOM or DISH HDpak), that they definately look a lot nicer that standard recordings on SDTV. Even if there is upscaling/downscaling going on when its recording/playing back.

Originally Posted by stanger89

Of course neilm said he was working on (or going to) an import to do auto AR switching on a show by show basis.

Even if he does that, it still means the input coming in is always going to be 720 x 480 like you pointed out right?

Its just that if you used this new feature neilm is talking about, then you would _not_ have to switch it when you watched it, because it would already be in the format you wished it to be. SO it saves a few clicks.

Am I following you correctly about this?

Thanks

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by steingra

Oh,well thats good to know. If I read that in the manual, I forgot about that.

Well I simplified a bit (there are some other qualities) but they are, AFAIK, all flagged as 4:3.

That means when I am playing back a sage recording, and choose Fill, or 16 x 9 (which seem to do the same thing, but maybe thats just because my current monitor settings are 848 x 480) that sagetv is just upsizing the sage video to match my video card settings?

It can get a bit complicated, but with a 16x9 resolution (like you're running) yes they will do the same thing.

hmmm so I wonder whats happening when the PVR capture card is recording an HDTV channel that is being broadcast in a 16 x 9 format. I still dont quite understand all the magic that is happening behind the scenes here.

I don't know for sure, but from what I understand there are probably 2 ways this can work...

1) The STB will letterbox the picture and send it out the S-Video. You'll end up with a recording with bars top and bottom (like normal TV). In this case you'll need to zoom in to fill the screen.

2) The STB will squish the picture and send it out the S-Video. What you'll end up with is basically a 16x9 anamorphic recording that's flagged as 4:3. In
this case "Source" won't work because it's flagged as 4:3, you'll want to use 16x9 or Fill to stretch it to fill the screen. Just like an anamorphic DVD.

I DO KNOW that when I watch these type of sagetv recordings (from VOOM or DISH HDpak), that they definately look a lot nicer that standard recordings on SDTV. Even if there is upscaling/downscaling going on when its recording/playing back.

Even if he does that, it still means the input coming in is always going to be 720 x 480 like you pointed out right?

Correct, that's a limitation of the technology, capture of raw HD is not practical at this time.

Note that OTA HD capture is possible because it's not raw HD, it's a compressed MPEG-2 transport stream

Its just that if you used this new feature neilm is talking about, then you would _not_ have to switch it when you watched it, because it would already be in the format you wished it to be. SO it saves a few clicks.

Am I following you correctly about this?

Thanks

I think so

[nielm]

Originally Posted by steingra

Its just that if you used this new feature neilm is talking about, then you would _not_ have to switch it when you watched it, because it would already be in the format you wished it to be. SO it saves a few clicks.

yes -- you define which channels/shows/capture devices use which Aspect Ratio on playback, and when the show starts the plugin will auto-set the AR... Yes it is just saving a few clicks, but it is enough to annoy me into writing a plugin...

To copy myself from another post,
My settings are, for 1280x720 on a 16x9 TV:

• Fill @ 100%x100% -- for 16x9 anamorphic avi's and 16x9 anamorphic mpegs recorded by sage.
• source @ 100%x100% -- for 4x3 TV shows, for 4x3 and 16x9 anamorphic dvds, and for square pixel avi's -- displays with left-right bars for 4x3 shows, auto expands to full width for 16x9 DVD's and AVI's
• 16x9 @100%x133% -- for 16x9 letterboxed TV shows -- crops top/bottom black bars and expands to fill screen
• 4x3 @100%x100% -- 4x3 non-square pixel avi's -- displays with left-right bars

I have told my tv that this is a 16x9 anamorphic source so it displays the full windows desktop at 16x9...

(the plugin was released today)

[steingra]

Originally Posted by nielm

Yes it is just saving a few clicks, but it is enough to annoy me into writing a plugin...

Actually I meant that was a really good thing sorry if it didnt sound that way

Originally Posted by nielm

(the plugin was released today)

Thanks again. Will be adding it to my to do list to try out.