16:9 tv-out

[mijalis]

I watch divx movies from pc to a widescreen TV (16:9) using geforce MX 440 TV-out.
Does anybody know if a special tv-out graphics card is required in order to "drive" a widescreen TV?

[SeeMoreDigital]

What kind of source files to you want to watch. Mpeg1, Mpeg2, Mpeg4 DivX/XviD etc?

I use an Sigma Xcard (hardware decoder card) with JovePlayer. Which is perfect for such files. But I'm sure other people on the forum can point you in the correct direction with your existing graphics card!

Cheers

[mijalis]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
What kind of source files to you want to watch. Mpeg1, Mpeg2, Mpeg4 DivX/XviD etc?


As I've written the source files are 16:9 divx.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Sorry mijalis, I totally missed the word 'DivX' in your post.

As I mentioned, I personally use an Xcard and would not consider using anything else.

However I seem to remember some people on the forum using an application called TVTool. Maybe this would help you?

Cheers and welcome to the forum

[mf]

Just set the aspect ratio to anamorphic (for 16:9 that's stretched to 4:3, for wider movies it's a little more complicated), and have your TV stretch it horizontally. That's what possible with most widescreen TV's I've seen anyway.

[cult]

With my sony widescreen 32" I set zp to anamorphic and let the tv to smart or to wide.

[eMMo]

TV-Tool http://www.tvtool.info/index_e.htm might be handy for switching between TV/Monitor. I use Gabest's Media Player Classic for all types of media, when watching 16:9 movies I select "Pan&Scan -> Scale to 16:9 TV" which gives me perfect results.

[oddball]

Nvidia's support for 16:9 sucks in comparison to good old Matrox. I used to use a G400 for TV out and it had a 16:9 mode. This mean that it looked correct on both the monitor *AND* the TV. I had to 'upgrade' (Cough!) to an Nvidia card when I upgraded my motherboad as the old Matrox G400 did not support the correct AGP voltage.

Now I have to stretch material vertically using the anamorphic aspect ratio in the player software to get the correct ratio out to my widescreen TV. This I have to do for nearly all material whether it be 4:3 or 16:9 (I like to leave my TV in widescreen mode all the time). So it squeezes 4:3 material sideways adding the bars either side and 16:9 to fill.

TV Tool will not help. I have the 440 MX chipset and TV Tool does not give all it's options up for it.

In my opinion especially with the advent of HDTV in the US which is pushing the 16:9 format and the large number of 16:9 TV's being sold in Europe it is *PISS POOR* that many video cards that have TV out do not support the standard. Shame on the manufacturers for being so short sighted.

[SeeMoreDigital]

oddball,

Are you sure you have the latest Nvidia drivers installed. I ask this because a friend of mine had all kinds of problems with his Nvidia chipped card recently.

Apparently there is a 'driver update' on the WindowsXP upgrade page that appeared around a month or so ago. It cured my friends card, maybe you might have the same luck!

Cheers

[temporance]

> I like to leave my TV in widescreen mode all the time

Most widescreen TVs can switch between 16:9 and 4:3 modes automagically thanks to signalling via their SCART input. Has anyone seen a video card / player combo that can do this depending on the aspect ratio of the video being played?

[oddball]

Not seen a TV out card do auto switch as yet. It could actually cause more trouble than it's worth to be honest. I prefer some degree of control over aspect ratios and some material like MPG with black bars I like to crop the overlay with DiVXG400 to fit it to 16:9 etc.

[SeeMoreDigital]

It is possible with the Sigma Xcard on DVD sources. And maybe even DivX encodes that incorporate a aspect ratio flag/signal.

However, all is not perfect with the Xcard at the moment. As the current beta drivers have the Mpeg4 (DivX) 4:3 and 16:9 signalling the wrong way round!

It's a lovely little hardware card though. And is even better with the JovePlayer application software, as this will allow you to playback WMV9.wmv encodes in software on your TV and listen to .wma and .mp4 audio files!

Very nice - Cheers!