[MPlayer-users] monitor size vs. aspect ratio vs. resolution

[Reshat Sabiq]

I'm not well versed in this, and appreciate any feedback.

I'm trying to figure out what the best aspect ratio is for me to use. My 
monitor size is 33.2cm/20.9cm, which is roughly 1.6, and resolution i 
usually use is 1280x800 (max). This is a laptop. I tend to use xine more 
often, but hope this is an appropriate venue to ask.

My questions are:

1. Should i even try to use 16:9 aspect ratio w/ this monitor, even for 
widescreen DVDs?
    It appears that this causes some pixels to be lost, or distortion. 
I'd think this would cause only a black border on top and bottom, but it 
appeas to instead cause a loss of some pixels on left and right 
sometimes. Or maybe i'm just imagining it.

2. If i bought a TV that has the actual 16:9 dimensions, would i be able 
to use this laptop for TV-out, and really have 16:9 on the TV monitor? I 
suppose i should be able to, using settings like below.

3. My laptop has widescreen written on the monitor. But it appears the 
only way to be able to use 16:9 and utilize the whole screen for me is:
a. monitoraspect=1.78 with mplayer
b. anamorphic, + resize the output with Alt+z or Ctrl +z with xine
Both of these approaches appear to distort the video somewhat, 
especially given that most DVDs are 720x480. Can such a monitor really 
be called widescreen, or should only monitors with 16:9 (like 1280x720, 
which mine doesn't support) resolutions, or physical dimensions (like 
HDTV monitors) be called that way?

4. Is it a correct statement that non-widescreen videos should be 
watched in 4:3, and widescreen ones in 16:9, regardless of resolution 
and physical dimensions? Doesn't 4:3 already mean a distortion, since 
most DVDs, for instance, are 720x480, which is a ratio of 1.5?

Sorry if the questions seem basic, but i really am a little confused by 
all this. This doesn't stop me from enjoying both xine and mplayer on 
regular basis, but i want to be able to do that in an optimal way.

Thanks all.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: smime.p7s
Type: application/x-pkcs7-signature
Size: 2781 bytes
Desc: S/MIME Cryptographic Signature
URL: <http://lists.mplayerhq.hu/pipermail/mplayer-users/attachments/20050815/9c37b344/attachment.bin>