Sony KDL 40Z5810 aspect ratio issues

[pipTheGeek]

I have problems with streaming very widescreen to my TV.
I have ripped several DVD's that are anamorphic widescreen at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, the rip is done using DVD Fab 8 and I then encode as an mkv file using Handbrake (and it's anamorphic widescreen option).
The resulting file plays fine on a PC, but my TV insists in stretching it to fill the screen. The TV has options for widescreen or 4:3 but not for this very wide format.

I noticed some other threads suggesting setting WMS to 4:3 as a work around but I can't seem to make it work.
I thought the "active pad colour" would tell WMS to send the video as a full screen stream but fill in the un-used bits with the specified colour. But again, I can't seem to make it work.
I've tried setting it both for the default device and under for the specific device.

Am I mis understanding the purpose of the "Active Pad Colour" or just missing something obvious in making it work?

While I'm here, my TV has an annoying tendancy to chop off the edges. Again, I thought this was something you had covered with the frame options, but nothing I set here makes any difference to the streamed video. Is this what the frame is for or am I again missing the point?

Your continued help is appreciated.

[pipTheGeek]

Eugene, I was hoping for a reply.

What does the active pad colour do?
What do the frame options do?

[Eugene]

What does the active pad colour do?
What do the frame options do?

Prevent autoscaling frame

[pipTheGeek]

Thanks for your reply and sorry I've taken so long to answer.

If active pad and frame are meant to stop the autoscaling that is currently preventing me watching widescreen, why can't I make them work?
What do I need to do to make WMS always send video with a size the same as my TV screen and with bars added as necessary to preserve the aspect ratio of the original?

[Eugene]

Thanks for your reply and sorry I've taken so long to answer.

If active pad and frame are meant to stop the autoscaling that is currently preventing me watching widescreen, why can't I make them work?
What do I need to do to make WMS always send video with a size the same as my TV screen and with bars added as necessary to preserve the aspect ratio of the original?

To play the files with transcoding and using the profile "Movies (primary)"

[pipTheGeek]

Thanks.
When I use Transcoding settings from the TV to force the Movies (Primary) profile, it then says "Playback not available" when I try and play the video.

I have tried it with debug logging enabled, I think the relevent section is


21:13:00.630 [Transcoding] Sender: TWmsTranscodingItem.StartTranscoding c48f852c-b4c5-4653-897a-dd1da7cafd4c
Enter: C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Application Data\Wild Media Server\WMSSVC\Temp\69d3cdbb8805655e649bbb15e1d01da4.mpg
21:13:00.630 [HTTP] Sender: SessionLoop 650dbd82-7ce2-4443-a877-1a4f66a179c7
Leave
21:13:00.630 [Transcoding] Sender: TWmsTranscodingItem.GetTranscodingCommandLine
"C:\Program Files\Wild Media Server\wmsmpeg.exe" -probesize 7000000 -analyzeduration 5000000 -i "E:\Video\Crocodile Dundee\Crocodile Dundee 2.mkv" -f dvd -vcodec mpeg2video -b 8000000 -aspect 16:9 -copyts -pix_fmt yuv420p -acodec libmp3lame -ab 320000 -ar 48000 "C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Application Data\Wild Media Server\WMSSVC\Temp\69d3cdbb8805655e649bbb15e1d01da4.mpg" -v -1 -loglevel quiet
21:13:00.848 [Transcoding] Sender: TWmsTranscodingItem.TranscodingFinish
TranscodingID: T-138ad74079d581c411e8af0e13ce8a9b_10.42.42.15, TranscodingState: Stopped
21:13:00.880 [Transcoding] Sender: TWmsTranscodingItem.StartTranscoding c48f852c-b4c5-4653-897a-dd1da7cafd4c
Leave: C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Application Data\Wild Media Server\WMSSVC\Temp\69d3cdbb8805655e649bbb15e1d01da4.mpg, Result: 0
21:13:00.880 [HTTP] Sender: SendResponse c48f852c-b4c5-4653-897a-dd1da7cafd4c
p_Response.GetBinContentChunk: 0, 2097152, 0,
21:13:00.880 [HTTP] Sender: SessionLoop c48f852c-b4c5-4653-897a-dd1da7cafd4c
Leave

I can normally play the .mkv files both on the server (in windows media player) and on the TV using WMS.

I notice in the log that the actual transcode command line it includes -loglevel quiet. If it is any help let me know how I change that and where the log file will be put and I'll try it again.

Thanks for your continuing assistance.

[Eugene]

Thanks.
When I use Transcoding settings from the TV to force the Movies (Primary) profile, it then says "Playback not available" when I try and play the video.

I have tried it with debug logging enabled, I think the relevent section is


21:13:00.630 [Transcoding] Sender: TWmsTranscodingItem.StartTranscoding c48f852c-b4c5-4653-897a-dd1da7cafd4c
Enter: C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Application Data\Wild Media Server\WMSSVC\Temp\69d3cdbb8805655e649bbb15e1d01da4.mpg
21:13:00.630 [HTTP] Sender: SessionLoop 650dbd82-7ce2-4443-a877-1a4f66a179c7
Leave
21:13:00.630 [Transcoding] Sender: TWmsTranscodingItem.GetTranscodingCommandLine
"C:\Program Files\Wild Media Server\wmsmpeg.exe" -probesize 7000000 -analyzeduration 5000000 -i "E:\Video\Crocodile Dundee\Crocodile Dundee 2.mkv" -f dvd -vcodec mpeg2video -b 8000000 -aspect 16:9 -copyts -pix_fmt yuv420p -acodec libmp3lame -ab 320000 -ar 48000 "C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Application Data\Wild Media Server\WMSSVC\Temp\69d3cdbb8805655e649bbb15e1d01da4.mpg" -v -1 -loglevel quiet
21:13:00.848 [Transcoding] Sender: TWmsTranscodingItem.TranscodingFinish
TranscodingID: T-138ad74079d581c411e8af0e13ce8a9b_10.42.42.15, TranscodingState: Stopped
21:13:00.880 [Transcoding] Sender: TWmsTranscodingItem.StartTranscoding c48f852c-b4c5-4653-897a-dd1da7cafd4c
Leave: C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Application Data\Wild Media Server\WMSSVC\Temp\69d3cdbb8805655e649bbb15e1d01da4.mpg, Result: 0
21:13:00.880 [HTTP] Sender: SendResponse c48f852c-b4c5-4653-897a-dd1da7cafd4c
p_Response.GetBinContentChunk: 0, 2097152, 0,
21:13:00.880 [HTTP] Sender: SessionLoop c48f852c-b4c5-4653-897a-dd1da7cafd4c
Leave

I can normally play the .mkv files both on the server (in windows media player) and on the TV using WMS.

I notice in the log that the actual transcode command line it includes -loglevel quiet. If it is any help let me know how I change that and where the log file will be put and I'll try it again.

Thanks for your continuing assistance.

In the settings of transcoding, set the number of channels 2.

[pipTheGeek]

Setting it to two channels did make the video play. But it is still distorted by the TV. I've set the active pad colour to something other than black and changed the other two colours and played around with changing the numbers for frame but nothing seems to make any difference to what is displayed on the TV.

[pipTheGeek]

I've fixed this problem now.
From eugene's previous post and some of my testing it seemed the problem was because WMS couldn't use the primary transcoding profile. I have now changed my codec pack to the k-lite codec pack and it now works. I have a small frame around the video and active pad is working correctly.

[rickymartin]

Pip are you still using 2 channels? Is K-Lite recommended to be installed in latest version to use it with combination of WMS?