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

[RC]

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:28:20 -0500
Reshat Sabiq <sabiq at csociety.org> wrote:

> 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? 

No, the aspect ratio needs to be adjusted for screens that aren't 4/3
to look correct.  However, you don't need to do that yourself.  Just set
"-monitoraspect" and mplayer will handle it.

> Doesn't 4:3 already mean a distortion, since most DVDs, for instance,
> are 720x480, which is a ratio of 1.5?

DVDs use 720x480, but they have an aspect ratio of 16/9 or 4/3.  So they
are scaled upon playback to either 854x480, or 720x540.