Server Version#: 1.16.3.1402
Player Version#: 4.1.1
WebOS Version#: 3.8.0
I’ve watching a TV series encoded from DVD. All the files are the original DVD resolution (720x480). The show is 4:3 aspect ratio and as I was starting season 1 I noticed everything seemed a little stretched out. Not much, just faces being a bit wide. I figured out that the files did not define their correct display measurements and listed their pixel width/height as the display dimensions, too. Regular PC video players showed the same thing.
So I edited the first season’s MKV headers and set correct aspect ratio type display dimensions – dwidth=4, dheight=3, unit=3 (for AR). Files now played back in actual 4:3 aspect on computer players. Loaded them all back to Plex. The files are still playing the same on the LG. I used post-its to mark the edges of the image on screen and compared season 1 to season 2. No difference. But when I play them on the Fire Stick client or using Plex Media Player the aspect ratio is now correct!
To make matters worse, I’ve realized the last season of the show was 16:9 aspect, but the DVD was anamorphic encoded (so same resoluton, 720x480). I edited that season’s headers and Plex on LG plays the files with the exact same incorrect on-screen dimensions as it does the 4:3 episodes. While the difference is visually fairly small on the 4:3 stuff it’s noticeably distorted looking on the widescreen season.
The display dimension headers are also ignored on the Roku client btw, but I have to pick one section or the other to post this and the LG client is more important to me.
Are you sure this is not caused by the LG TV itself upscaling the videos? I have downloaded numerous old movies from archive.org that should be displaying in 4:3 aspect ratio but show in full screen. I have my LG set to original, yet many of the movies display full screen. When I check the info while the movie is playing, it lists the correct dimensions. This is when using the LG native video player. It happens for movies that are not exactly 640 x 480 only. I do not notice the picture being stretched like what happens when you set the TV to display a 640 x 480 video to full screen and everything looks too wide as well as cutting off the top and bottom of the screen. This behavior seems to occur primarily when the video is a non-standard size like 594 x 360 or similar, also many are PAL, instead of NTSC. It appears to me that the TV is changing (upscaling) the video, similar to how it downscales any videos I have that are larger than 3820 x 2160.
I’ve been thinking about your reply since I first saw it. It’s not possible for me to use the LG WebOS app on anything but an LG Smart TV. But then I realized I could still figure it out through process of elimination.
I mentioned originally that after correcting the aspect ratio on the MKV headers I was then seeing the show in the right display on my Fire Stick and PMP. I moved the Fire Stick out to the living room and connected it to the LG TV. Played back an episode from season 1 (which was 4:3) and an episode from season 4 (which was 16:9). Both these files are the same pixel resolution (720x480), and both were direct playing in their respective correct aspect ratios on the LG TV.
Then, remember how I mentioned this was also a problem on the Roku? That Roku was connected to the LG. So I took the Roku back to the other room and hooked it up to the Samsung display the Fire Stick had been on before… Still seeing the same incorrect aspect ratio on the Roku on the other display.
So from what I can see the issue is in fact the LG WebOS client and the Roku.
