X32 and external output

[Hurstbridge]

Hi,

I am considering getting a a a Panasonic 42" PX80 plasma, which supports 768x768 in 4:3 and 1024x768 in 16:9.

My native resolution is 1024x768 - so I believe I it will be stretched into 16:9 format. But what about vertical stretching? I have a quite a few old VHS westerns copied to the computer - which are 16:9 hard coded to 4:3.

Can I get around this somehow? I don't want to watch John Wayne with a large black order around him The TV has a zoom-function but that doesn't work with the PC setting. Can I strech it somehow on the PC?

I was looking at the magnifier glass - the 130% function seems to primarily stretch vertically - but will this look good?
Can I stretch it with powerstrip (ATI Mobility Radeon) without messing up the monitor?

[Hurstbridge]

Ok, magnifier glass function is out. That doesn't work.

[makai]

I doubt you will be able to do anything here. If the video is encoded 4:3, there will be borders somewhere no matter what you do... or it will be cut off a lot at the top and bottom if you were able to stretch it width-wise to fill the screen at 16:9.

[bobbarker]

1024x768 is 4:3, the closest 16:9 resolution is 1280x720 (or around that).

If you're plugging your X32 in to the screen, try using the second resolution mentioned.

Try a program called VLC. It has a real easy selection of stretching, cropping and doing a whole bunch of other things to video. If you make the video full screen and you have black bars on the side (and the top, too, if I understand you correctly), select Video -> Crop -> 16:9 and it should "clip" the tops and bottom off of your video to fit 16:9, then make it full screen. It should then fit. VLC isn't a very pretty looking program but it's the most useful media program around.