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VMC Aspect Ratio Issues

post #1 of 25
2/21/08 at 8:42am
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

My Vista Media Center is refusing to play many of my mkv files in their proper aspect ratio. Hitting the info button and changing the zoom doesn't help because none of the settings it cycles through are right.

1280x720p 16x9 mkv files play with black borders on the sides of the picture (should be full screen on my 16x9 HDTV).

2.35 to 1 mkv files play stretched to full screen on my 16x9 HDTV (should have black bars on the top and bottom of the picture).

Again, hitting info and cycling through the zoom settings doesn't help because none of the settings it goes through are correct.

This does NOT seem to be an issue with MPEG-2 ts and mpg files, only mkv files.

The HDTV is a 36" CRT using component video connection (TV is too old for HDMI/DVI).

Any idea how to fix this?

Thanks!
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post #2 of 25
2/21/08 at 8:50am
Had exact same issue, see my partial fix:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=996715
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post #3 of 25
2/21/08 at 9:11am
Thread Starter 
Hi genro,

That seemed to help with the 1280x720 16x9 mkv files (at least one of the zoom options works for them now), but for anamorphic 2.35 to 1 files, still doesn't help. All zoom options fill the screen when these files should have black bars at the top and bottom of the picture.

Any other ideas?

Thanks!
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post #4 of 25
2/21/08 at 9:17am
Hmm, you shouldn't have to use zoom (other than zoom1/default). I've played an h.264 rip of RE:3 and after my "fix" it has no black bars on the side but just on the top/bottom as expected I believe.

I played with the options between selecting the type of tv hooked up and the type of connection (dvi/component). So I'd see if some combination from those helps. Unfortunately this seems to be an analog (vga/component) issue with VMC and/or ATI drivers (actually, what video card are you using?).
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post #5 of 25
2/21/08 at 10:09am
Thread Starter 
Using a Sapphire HD2600XT. Something happened to FUBAR my settings while I was away on vacation last week, as I didn't have this problem before I left... everything was fine in zoom1/default.

I wasn't even home last week, so I couldn't have changed anything to cause this even if I wanted to.

Now even after applying your fix, 1280x720 16x9 mkv's have to be set to zoom3 to play correctly (no setting was right before), and Cinemascope/Panavision 2.35 mkv's (like most of the James Bond movies) still don't play right in ANY setting. All settings stretch or squish the image.

Come to think of it, when I first started VMC today, Vista was showing a "Windows needs to be activated because of a hardware change" message even though I didn't change any hardware (didn't even update any drivers for existing hardware). Wonder if this is all related?
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post #6 of 25
2/21/08 at 10:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Simandl View Post

Using a Sapphire HD2600XT. Something happened to FUBAR my settings while I was away on vacation last week, as I didn't have this problem before I left... everything was fine in zoom1/default.

I wasn't even home last week, so I couldn't have changed anything to cause this even if I wanted to.

Now even after applying your fix, 1280x720 16x9 mkv's have to be set to zoom3 to play correctly (no setting was right before), and Cinemascope/Panavision 2.35 mkv's (like most of the James Bond movies) still don't play right in ANY setting. All settings stretch or squish the image.

Come to think of it, when I first started VMC today, Vista was showing a "Windows needs to be activated because of a hardware change" message even though I didn't change any hardware (didn't even update any drivers for existing hardware). Wonder if this is all related?


So these exact same files USED to work for you? Now that is odd. My machine is a new build so I can't speak to that. I really thought it was analog connection issue with VMC (and possibly ATI). I'm also using a 2600xt. It exhibited this behavior with all the drivers I tried though (8.1,8.2 and finally on 7.7 which I settled on).

If I wasn't tied into a 4x2 Component Matrix box I wouldn't bother with this headache frankly.
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post #7 of 25
2/21/08 at 10:30am
Thread Starter 
Yeah, those same files played fine before I left for a vacation last week, and are FUBAR'ed now. I might try reinstalling my video drivers since Vista seems to think I had some sort of a hardware change....
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post #8 of 25
2/21/08 at 11:03am
Are you SURE the MKVs really are in 1280*720 resolution? Cause many rips found on the net are NOT 720pixels vertical, hence the stretched picture in VMC.

Having the same problem myself on my 1024*768 plasma, so I use Zoom Player.

EDIT: Hmm sry, didnt see that they had worked b4..
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post #9 of 25
2/21/08 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 
bran82, you are correct that the 2.35 mkv's are not 720 pixels high... they're more like 544 pixels high. But yeah, they played fine with the appropriate black bars at top and bottom last week. And this week they suddenly fill the screen with an image that's too tall and too skinny.
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post #10 of 25
2/24/08 at 8:57pm
Thread Starter 
Now things are starting to get really weird.

I've found that if I pause an mkv that's playing with an incorrect aspect ratio, minimize VMC, maximize VMC again, then unpause the mkv, it will resume playing in the correct aspect ratio.

When I start to play another mkv file, it's in the wrong AR again until I repeat the procedure above.

This is ONLY with x264 mkv files. MPEG-2 files and XviD files play in their correct AR's every time, no putzing with the zoom settings required.

Ideas appreciated.

Thanks...
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post #11 of 25
3/9/08 at 1:29pm
Thread Starter 
Bump.

Nobody else has a similar issue?
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post #12 of 25
3/9/08 at 2:29pm
Sorry nothing to add, just out of curiosity does it play right if you start the file from Explorer. aka double click on the file name and let it open in MCE? I'm having a weird time right now with some of my mp4 and mkv files, if I start them from Explorer(double click and they open up in MCE, they play fine), but if I navigate to them via Video Library they may or may not play, I just get a black screen, I can skip forward and skip back, but don't get any video or audio, it's not constant though.

Vista MCE has some weird wrinkles in it.
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post #13 of 25
3/17/08 at 9:41am
Thread Starter 
When I double click, the files open in WMP11. I figure no sweat, I'll right click and use "open with"...

So where the hell is the EXE file for Media Center?

I right clicked the Media Center icon on the desktop, and the "target" is something like "%systemroot%something%something." I can't find a "mediacenter.exe" or something like that to save my life.

Can someone tell me where to find Media Center so I can run the test suggested to me above?

Thanks...

Please note I'm not yelling at rebkell above, just frustrated at not being able to do something as simple as finding an exe file.....
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post #14 of 25
4/11/08 at 1:11pm
Anyone ever figure this one out. I'm having the exact same problems. Not of the Aspect Ratios work properly for H264 MKV files.
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post #15 of 25
4/11/08 at 3:14pm
Go to "Media Center Setup" from the Settings option. Run the Display Setup part and make sure you select a display which Media Center won't compensate for overscan - eg. Flat Panel or Projector. Choosing a display type such as Television will cause Media Center to reduce the native resolution (eg. 1280x720) in order to eliminate "overscan" on these types of TVs. As a result, playing MKV files will introduce black borders on the side. Choosing a display type which doesn't employ overscan will not show the black borders when playing these files in Vista Media Center.
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post #16 of 25
4/11/08 at 4:07pm
Thread Starter 
Never figured out a real solution, but do have a workaround.

Start playing your mkv in Media Center. While it's playing at its weird aspect ratio, minimize Media Center, then restore it to full screen again. Your mkv will be restored to its proper aspect ratio.

Unfortunately you'll have to do this EVERY time you play an mkv. At least til Microsoft fixes the issue.
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post #17 of 25
4/12/08 at 6:35am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aborro View Post

Go to "Media Center Setup" from the Settings option. Run the Display Setup part and make sure you select a display which Media Center won't compensate for overscan - eg. Flat Panel or Projector. Choosing a display type such as Television will cause Media Center to reduce the native resolution (eg. 1280x720) in order to eliminate "overscan" on these types of TVs. As a result, playing MKV files will introduce black borders on the side. Choosing a display type which doesn't employ overscan will not show the black borders when playing these files in Vista Media Center.

Tried this and it didn't help in my case. Tried both "monitor" and "flat panel" (actually have a CRT HDTV).

I have resolution set to 1776x1000 (actually a little less than that) in my HD2600XT's display settings. Wonder if that's got something to do with it?
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post #18 of 25
4/12/08 at 7:52am
I'm running at 1080p to a projector and have it properly configured in VMC, but I still get this.
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post #19 of 25
4/12/08 at 11:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Simandl View Post

Tried this and it didn't help in my case. Tried both "monitor" and "flat panel" (actually have a CRT HDTV).

I have resolution set to 1776x1000 (actually a little less than that) in my HD2600XT's display settings. Wonder if that's got something to do with it?

I played around with the Windows Media Center Setup again and it appears that selecting the type of connection determines whether Media Center will "underscan" or reduce the resolution to compensate for overscan. Selecting S-Video or Component will cause Media Center to underscan while choosing the DVI, HDMI or VGA connection will leave the resolution unaltered.

You may want to try setting it to "DVI, HDMI or VGA" and making sure your desktop resolution is indeed 16:9.
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post #20 of 25
4/12/08 at 11:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aborro View Post

I played around with the Windows Media Center Setup again and it appears that selecting the type of connection determines whether Media Center will "underscan" or reduce the resolution to compensate for overscan. Selecting S-Video or Component will cause Media Center to underscan while choosing the DVI, HDMI or VGA connection will leave the resolution unaltered.

You may want to try setting it to "DVI, HDMI or VGA" and making sure your desktop resolution is indeed 16:9.

I noticed that, I was using component and it underscanned slightly, I switched to HDMI and it filled the screen and I never touched any of the settings.
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post #21 of 25
4/12/08 at 4:23pm
Thread Starter 
What's so odd is, this happens ONLY on mkv files. MPEG-2 program streams and transport streams are fine... and for that matter, MPEG-4 XviD files are fine, too. It's only x264 mkv's that exhibit this weird behavior.

Plus, minimizimg VMC while the file is playing, then restoring fo full screen corrects the problem (until I play another mkv, that is).
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post #22 of 25
7/27/08 at 3:13pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, WTF???????????

Suddenly my workaround described above has stopped working. Now every x264 file and H.264 ts file play in squished 4x3, and minimizing/maximizing VMC no longer fixes the issue.

Telling VMC I have a DVI, HDMI, or VGA connection as others here have done, still doesn't work.

Suggestions how to get H.264 files to play correctly?

Thanks...
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post #23 of 25
4/30/09 at 9:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Simandl View Post

Never figured out a real solution, but do have a workaround.

Start playing your mkv in Media Center. While it's playing at its weird aspect ratio, minimize Media Center, then restore it to full screen again. Your mkv will be restored to its proper aspect ratio.

Unfortunately you'll have to do this EVERY time you play an mkv. At least til Microsoft fixes the issue.

This is still the only way I can get MKV's to size properly in VMC. It is a huge pain in the but, and requires I keep a mouse handy. It also occasionally freezes VMC.

Has anyone figured out a way to fix this issue??

Thanks.
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post #24 of 25
4/30/09 at 1:13pm
I've installed divx7 and it plays without the distortion but it doesnt seem to make use of DXVA hardware acceleration. Installing MPCVideodec plays with acceleration but has the distortion. Both require the Haali splitter be installed.
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post #25 of 25
4/30/09 at 4:15pm
This problem does seem to be caused by DXVA.

I guess one solution is to turn off HA. Hopefully there is some other way to get the same result.
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