Wide screen issue

[lemming]

Hi

Don't know if this is a GB-PVR or tuner card issue. Have Sapphire Theatrix550 card running on XP box. Has been used with monitor until recently when I setup as a trial next to 32" wide screen CRT TV.

I have a sky decoder running into composite input of tuner card, then composite out to amplifier. Second sky decoder output runs to another amplifier input. Amplifier acts as swich and composite to TV.

When running windows desktop or GB-PVR menu, TV is full (wide) screen. As soon as I start live TV, It shrinks to 4:3. The source direct from the sky to amplifier is wide screen.

Anyone know how to set up GB-PVR, or the card to achieve the correct aspect ratio?? Have toggled the 16:9 / 4:3 selection without change.

Thanks

[whurlston]

Does toggling the aspect ratio make a difference? Hit the F7 key to do this.

[sub]

As the Sapphire Theatrix550 is an analog card, then evey MPEG file it captures is marked as 4:3 video.

If you want to sretch it to fill the screen, you can press F7 to get into the 'Fill' mode.

[lemming]

Thanks Sub

The F7 stretched the picture, and made it look like sky decoder direct to TV.

I thought that some analogue signals were 16:9 natively?? (TV3). I know if I leave the TV set to auto aspect ratio, it jumps around depending on programme/advert shown.

Do you have any recommendations regarding digital satilite cards for NZ that work with GB-PVR??
Have a test HTPC stup next to the TV and trying to decide whether to spend some $$ and put a real one together or buy a HDD DVD recorder.

Was looking at a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR3000 for digital, leaving the Theatrix 550 in for analogue (sky decoder).

Any thoughts appreciated.

[sub]

I thought that some analogue signals were 16:9 natively?? (TV3).

No, not analog. Their DVB-S and DVB-T siginals are 16:9. Their analog service is 4:3. Sometimes they add black bard to the top/bottom of the picture, allowing the user to see a little more of a widescreen video, but that it's still 4:3.

Do you have any recommendations regarding digital satilite cards for NZ that work with GB-PVR??
Have a test HTPC stup next to the TV and trying to decide whether to spend some $$ and put a real one together or buy a HDD DVD recorder.

Was looking at a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR3000 for digital, leaving the Theatrix 550 in for analogue (sky decoder).

Quite a few people have gone with the HVR3000, so its probably a decent option.