Viewing blu rays in full screen and un-cropped on an ultrawide monitor

UFOHunter1885

Newbie Joined: Nov 24, 2011 12:15 Messages: 2 Offline

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May 18, 2019 14:04

I have PowerDVD 18 and am thinking of upgrading to 19. Can you tell me if version 19 has been updated to allow viewing blu rays in full screen and un-cropped on an ultrawide monitor? I'm using a Dell 38 inch monitor with a resolution of 3840x1600.

I do not use TrueTheater and am not interested in the TrueTheater Stretch options, which do not solve my problem anyway.

The current options are:
- Always maintain video aspect ratio (this leaves black bars top, bottom, left and right of the video)
- Apply stretch (stretches the video horizontally to fit the screen)
- Crop to Fill

Crop to Fill is closest to what I am looking for but, if the aspect ratio is less than the monitor (which is most common in movies), the top and bottom of the image is cropped.

I would like the option to view the entire video image (so no cropping) while maintaining the aspect ratio, even if this means black bars left and right.

Depending on the source dimensions, the video should either:
- have black bars top and bottom if the aspect ratio is greater than the monitor
- completely fill the screen (no black bars at all) if the aspect ratio is the same as the monitor
- have black bars left and right if the aspect ratio is less than the monitor

If this is not included in version 19, would you please consider adding it in an update (preferred) or a later version?

Thank you.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at May 18. 2019 14:04

QC2.0

Senior Contributor Joined: Apr 27, 2016 04:02 Messages: 610 Offline

May 19, 2019 21:51

Blu-ray is produced in 16:9 aspect ratio because of its specification, however certain movies are recorded in 2.35:1 ultra wide aspect ratio original by professional film recorder devices.

To put in those movies into standard Blu-ray frame without distortion, the black bars are planted on top and bottom sides by Hollywood studios, which become part of the Blu-ray video natively.
That's why there is a Crop to fill feature here to resolve this condition if we have a 21:9 (close but not equal to 2.35:1) aspect ratio monitor, which the monitor has closest aspect ratio to the original film before it is planted with black bars.

If you insist on no video distortion, "no video cropping", and zero black bars on top-and-bottom or left-and-right sides when playing a 16:9 Blu-ray movies on your "ultra wide monitor", it is physically impossible.

It's simple math. You can draw the picture on a paper to emulate the video stretching and verify it yourself.

If you just want to fill the video to the full screen and the black bars on top and bottom sides are not cropped, just de-select the keep video aspect ratio option.
Then, the video will be stretched but distorted, and the black bars at left and right side will be eliminated (because they are not parts of Blu-ray video).
For the direct stretching, the black bars on top and bottom side remains because they are parts of Blu-ray video, which need video cropping to handle them.

Don't forget that all the Blu-ray movies are produced in 16:9 aspect ratio no matter the film is recorded in 2.35:1 aspect ratio or not originally.
Then, you will understand what I'm talking about here.

UFOHunter1885

Newbie Joined: Nov 24, 2011 12:15 Messages: 2 Offline

May 20, 2019 10:21

Thank you for your reply, and I do understand what you are saying.

However, I believe it should be possible to achieve what I asked in software and would still like to hear from someone at Cyberlink to get their opinion.

Philwild

Senior Member Location: Hemel Hempstead, UK Joined: Oct 05, 2017 12:04 Messages: 208 Offline

May 21, 2019 04:30

In that case, you would need to contact Cyberlink.

If you click on the PowerDVD logo at the top left there is a Rate and provide suggestions link.

Regards

Phil