You can adjust the aspect ratio settings and/or define your own in config.xml. Here is the relevant section:
Code:
<AspectRatio>
<TVShape>16:9</TVShape>
<AspectRatioModes shape="4:3">
<AspectRatioMode name="Fill">0,0,1,1</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="LetterBox">0,0.125,1,0.875</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="Remove LetterBox">0,-0.125,1,1.125</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="Center Cut">-0.05,-0.17,1.04,1.17</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="PillarBox">0.08,0,0.92,1</AspectRatioMode>
</AspectRatioModes>
<AspectRatioModes shape="16:9">
<AspectRatioMode name="Fill">0,0,1,1</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="Remove LetterBox">0,-0.125,1,1.125</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="PillarBox">0.08,0,0.92,1</AspectRatioMode>
</AspectRatioModes>
<AspectRatioModes shape="16:10">
<AspectRatioMode name="Fill">0,0.05,1,0.95</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="PillarBox">0.08,0,0.92,1</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="Remove LetterBox">0,-0.125,1,1.125</AspectRatioMode>
</AspectRatioModes>
</AspectRatio>
First, the TV Shape setting corresponds to what you have set on the Settings screen, and determines which set of AspectRatioModes will be used. The numbers in each mode define the X & Y coordinate of the upper left corner of the video relative to the screen (which is 0,0), followed by the X & Y coordinate of the lower right corner of the video relative to the screen (which is 1,1). So the Fill aspect ratio is usually 0,0,1,1 which means "put the upper left corner of the video at the upper left corner of the screen, and put the lower right corner of the video at the lower right corner of the screen". In all cases you are defining the position of the corners of the video relative to the visible area of the screen. Negative numbers for the upper left corner push the upper left corner of the the video off the upper left edge of the screen, while numbers greater than 1 for the lower right corner push that corner off the lower right edge of the screen, thus accomplishing a zoom effect.
For me, the NPVR's (and GB-PVR's) default aspect ratio modes have always been incorrect. These are the settings for 4:3 that I use with NPVR and EVR (EVR renders a little differently than VMR):
Code:
<AspectRatioModes shape="4:3">
<AspectRatioMode name="Fill">0,0,1,1</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="LetterBox">-0.17,0,1.17,1</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="WideScreen">0,0.125,1,0.875</AspectRatioMode>
<AspectRatioMode name="Zoom">-0.15,-0.15,1.15,1.15</AspectRatioMode>
</AspectRatioModes>
In my settings "Letterbox" actually means "Un-Letterbox", but that's just how I named it a long time ago and haven't seen fit to change it. It zooms and crops a 16:9 video to fill the 4:3 screen. "Widescreen" is for cases where I actually do want to see the full widescreen 16:9 video, and "Zoom" accomplishes the "Un-Letterbox" effect when 16:9 shows are letterboxed on 4:3 channels.