How to play videos in regular ratio rather than 4:3?

[scottmso]

Hey! I'm having a little problem with my installation of GB-PVR. All videos and DVDs that I play play in a 4:3 ratio. However, many of them are widescreen and do not look good in this format. How do I make it so these videos will play in their original aspect ratio?

[sub]

You can press F7 to toggle the aspect ratio.

[scottmso]

Well, is there a way to make it automatically play the video in its original aspect ratio? I usually control my PVR with the Hauppauge remote (incl. with my PVR150) and I don't want to use my keyboard all the time. There has to be a way for it to letterbox/show it in its original aspect ratio without me having to manually change it...

[gmorse]

It's easy enough to just program an unused button on the remote to "press" F7. Just go into your windows directory and modify irrremote.ini; under [GB-PVR] add a line something like PREVCHNL={F7}. Restart the remote software and you're in business.

[scottmso]

Alright, thanks. And it is CHNLPREV not PREVCHNL (for the reference of anyone reading this thread.) But if anyone has a way to do it automatically, please tell me!

[gmorse]

Sorry, I was going from memory. For what it's worth, I have my system outputting at 16:9 (1776x1000), using VMR9. For 4:3 material, I have to change the aspect ratio from 16:9 to 4:3 manually. If I switch to Overlay mode, 4:3 material is presented windowboxed in 4:3 and 16:9 is presented in 16:9. You might want to give Overlay mode a try. Downside is you can't switch the aspect ratio. Not sure how any of this will work on a 4:3 display though.

[sub]

I can remember the full details, but you can install ffdshow and tell it to keep the original aspect ratio, which will filter through to GB-PVR.

[justinmiller]

Sub's right, I just tweaked my resize settings in ffdshow (Start->Programs->ffdshow->Video decoder configuration). The "Resize" checkbox wasn't checked and I was getting the 4:3 aspect ratio always, weird.....so I checked it and used the following settings:

* Specify aspect ratio: 4:3
* Resize always
* Keep original aspect ratio

Cookin with gas!!!