XP MCE program window stuck at 4:3 format

[net]

In Windows XP MCE is it possible to reset the program window so it's a 16:9
window and not a 4:3 one? In Windows Vista my MCE window is a widescreen one
it fits a 16:9 image perfectly but in XP the program window seems to be
jammed in a 4:3 format. It blacks out the top and bottom of the window when
viewing a 16:9 widescreen image but it would be good if I could change the
window. Can it be done?

[Gary Tsang]

Have you tried going through the Display setup and telling Media Center that
you have a 16:9 display (as opposed to a 4:3 display)?
--
Gary Tsang
http://www.gtsang.com

Microsoft MVP - Windows Media Center
http://www.microsoft.com/mvp

Post by net
In Windows XP MCE is it possible to reset the program window so it's a 16:9
window and not a 4:3 one? In Windows Vista my MCE window is a widescreen one
it fits a 16:9 image perfectly but in XP the program window seems to be
jammed in a 4:3 format. It blacks out the top and bottom of the window when
viewing a 16:9 widescreen image but it would be good if I could change the
window. Can it be done?

[John Lockwood]

Post by net
In Windows XP MCE is it possible to reset the program window so it's a 16:9
window and not a 4:3 one? In Windows Vista my MCE window is a widescreen one
it fits a 16:9 image perfectly but in XP the program window seems to be
jammed in a 4:3 format. It blacks out the top and bottom of the window when
viewing a 16:9 widescreen image but it would be good if I could change the
window. Can it be done?

When viewing MCE 2005 in 'windowed' mode it is always 4:3 for me as well,
but when running full screen it is 16:9 and correctly displays both 16:9 and
4:3 programmes.

MCE is obviously intended to spend most of its time in full-screen mode, I
am afraid I don't know how (or if) it can be switched to run 16:9 even in
windowed mode. I would like to do this myself.

Anyone else?

[Nigel Barker]

Post by John Lockwood

Post by net
In Windows XP MCE is it possible to reset the program window so it's a 16:9
window and not a 4:3 one? In Windows Vista my MCE window is a widescreen one
it fits a 16:9 image perfectly but in XP the program window seems to be
jammed in a 4:3 format. It blacks out the top and bottom of the window when
viewing a 16:9 widescreen image but it would be good if I could change the
window. Can it be done?

When viewing MCE 2005 in 'windowed' mode it is always 4:3 for me as well,
but when running full screen it is 16:9 and correctly displays both 16:9 and
4:3 programmes.
MCE is obviously intended to spend most of its time in full-screen mode, I
am afraid I don't know how (or if) it can be switched to run 16:9 even in
windowed mode. I would like to do this myself.
Anyone else?

You can start MCE from the command line with the /widescreen switch i.e. at a command prompt enter
C:\WINDOWS\ehome>ehshell.exe /widescreen & hit Return.

This parameter starts Windows Media Center with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio to enable testing widescreen
display resolutions on systems that only have a 4 x 3 monitor installed. This switch works when
Windows Media Center is started in windowed mode but not in full-screen mode. If you launch Windows
Media Center with the /widescreen switch and it starts in full-screen mode, you will need to click
the taskbar button in the top right corner of the Windows Media Center UI to change it to windowed
mode, then close Windows Media Center and re-launch it using the /widescreen switch to see the
correct 16 x 9 aspect ratio.
--

Cheers

Nigel Barker
Live from the sunny Cote d'Azur
MCE MVP

[net]

Post by Nigel Barker
You can start MCE from the command line with the /widescreen switch i.e.
at a command prompt enter
C:\WINDOWS\ehome>ehshell.exe /widescreen & hit Return.

yeah great stuff thanks a lot Nigel.

[John Lockwood]

Thanks for the tip Nigel it works perfectly. I can however improve on this a
bit. If you right click on the Media Center icon in the Start Menu and
select properties, you can add the /widescreen flag to the command that
eshell.exe gets launched with. This will allow you to simply click on the
Media Center icon in future to do this, and it is remembered permanently.

It did look strange initially, for two reasons one of which is not obvious,
firstly, obviously I am used to it being previously in 4:3 for years, so it
being now in widescreen is strange, however the not obvious thing is that it
is 16:9 whereas I have a computer LCD which like all computer LCDs is
actually 16:10, therefore in full screen it is still 16:10 but in windowed
mode it is now 16:9 and therefore looks 'strange' (being slightly thinner
vertically). It is still what I want since now widescreen TV programmes will
display in windowed mode much better.

Post by Nigel Barker
You can start MCE from the command line with the /widescreen switch i.e. at a
command prompt enter
C:\WINDOWS\ehome>ehshell.exe /widescreen & hit Return.
This parameter starts Windows Media Center with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio to
enable testing widescreen
display resolutions on systems that only have a 4 x 3 monitor installed. This
switch works when
Windows Media Center is started in windowed mode but not in full-screen mode.
If you launch Windows
Media Center with the /widescreen switch and it starts in full-screen mode,
you will need to click
the taskbar button in the top right corner of the Windows Media Center UI to
change it to windowed
mode, then close Windows Media Center and re-launch it using the /widescreen
switch to see the
correct 16 x 9 aspect ratio.