[MPlayer-users] Re: Changing aspect ratio while playing a file

[Sebastian Kaps]

Hi Rich!

> The actual TV does not have pixels. Pixels are a digital artifact.

I know, but it doesn't matter here.

>> That's nuts, since all 16:9 TVs I know do have a 4:3 mode where 4:3
>> videos are displayed in a 4:3 area on the center of the screen (i.e.
>> black bars left and right). So you won't lose anything if you leave 4:3
>> videos unscaled and switch the TV into 4:3 mode.

> The amount you lose is the same either way 

Why? If I use "mplayer -monitoraspect 16:9" on a 4:3 video, mplayer
scales it down horizontally. There's no way to do this without losing
information. When I set my TV to 16:9 mode to compensate this scaling
the information stays lost, though the aspect ratio is correct again.

But since I don't need to switch my TV into 16:9 mode, I also don't need
mplayer to pre-scale the video. So I can have it put out at it's full
resolution. Why am I losing something here?

> if you have good (component) cables, maybe even with SVIDEO. 

I have component cables.

> If you have composite then yes it will suck.

Indeed.

-- 
Ciao, Sebastian