Video Scalers ?

[Grimster74]

Has anyone on the forum had the chance to deal with video scalers. I've been looking into the DVDO iScan VP20 but I'm not really sure how they work. For example, if watching a movie in a 2:35 format you always have the black bars at the top and bottom, does this peice scale the video to fit the whole screen?

[PolkThug]

Nope. If the black bars are in the source, then they will be displayed.

[Grimster74]

Cool, thats what I was thinking. Just saved myself another $1600.

[Maurice]

check out www.runco.com. They have a processor that should do what you need.

[Refefer]

check out www.runco.com. They have a processor that should do what you need.

I just don't see how it's possible to change the ratio of a movie without any stretching... which is the only way I can figure that they would "erase" the black bars. When you stretch, you also eliminate the accuracy of the pixels. Similarly, if you compress in one direction, you lose pixels. They can't have it both ways.

[tommyboy]

Do those black bars bother you that much?, anymore, I can't watch a movie without them...

[PolkThug]

I added a third black bar across the middle, so watching a moving is like looking at the side of a Big Mac.

[Maurice]

Black bars dont bother me anymore, I just remember seeing the guy that owns runco on the CEDIA report on HDNet talking about how their scalers were designed specifically to remove the bars without loosing PQ.

[Grimster74]

Oh, don't get me wrong, the black bars don't bother me either but apparently it bothers my wife. We were watching a movie the other night as she asked if there was a way to get rid of them, just another excuse to spend money in my room.

[reeltrouble1]

You just got yourself a bigger screen. cool.

RT1

[Maurice]

I hear ya Grim, it would be nice if these directors would just settle on a widescreen format and call it a day. Even though I'm used to them, it can be irritating to watch a movie on a widescreen and still have bars.