Use LetterBox aspect ratio instead of Crop. Toggle video aspect ratio in SingScreen via ’A’.

[bohning]

Default to acoLetterBox instead of acoCrop in SingScreen and Jukebox. Toggle video aspect ratio via ’A’ in SingScreen.

[basisbit]

@bohning could you please add screenshots to the PR description of usdx playing 4:3 and 16:9 videos, and some videos with black borders, and all of this for using usdx in fullscreen on a 4:3 screen and also on a 16:9 screen.

As far as I remember, crop was the best solution for most typical use cases of karaoke singing that we saw in 2015/2016.

[bohning]

I don’t have a 4:3 screen at hand, but I created some pictures for illustration:

1. video aspect ratio (e.g. 16:9) > screen aspect ratio (e.g. 4:3) + crop --> 25 % video information loss (left + right)

2. video aspect ratio (e.g. 16:9) > screen aspect ratio (e.g. 4:3) + letterbox --> 25 % of screen is black bars (top + bottom)

3. video aspect ratio (e.g. 4:3) < screen aspect ratio (e.g. 16:9) + crop --> 25 % video information loss (top + bottom)

4. video aspect ratio (e.g. 4:3) < screen aspect ratio (e.g. 16:9) + letterbox --> 25 % of screen is black (left + right)

So obviously, the more similar the aspect ratios of screen and video are, the less critical the cropping is, but the more they differ, the more video information is lost. We will have to expect that people’s music collection will contain anything from 5:4 (1.25) to 4:1 (4.0) video aspect ratios, and for quite a while, we will also have to expect older, lower screen aspect ratios of 4:3 (1.33). In order to get the two together, I suggest that letterboxing videos should be default behavior. A simple toggle via ’A’ in the singscreen temporarily changes this behavior (stretch, crop). Ideally, this could be extended to be adjustable via the game’s settings or, alternatively, via the config.ini.

[bohning]

Additionally, some screenshots from my 16:10 screen:

1. VAR (2,7) > SAR (1,6) + crop

2. VAR (2,7) > SAR (1,6) + letterbox

3. VAR (1,33) < SAR (1,6) + crop

4. VAR (1,33) < SAR (1,6) + letterbox

[bohning]

Any objections or feedback on this, @basisbit and @s09bQ5 ?

[basisbit]

personally, I still favor cropping so that there are no black borders as default. Might be a taste question...

[bohning]

I see where you’re coming from and I like that as well. On the other hand, I dislike that large portions of ultra widescreen videos are cropped and lost. If it’s a matter of taste, then maybe it should be configurable, at least via ini?

[basisbit]

configurable in the settings and .ini file sounds great, @bohning could you implement this? Then I'd approve this PR. Alternatively, if anyone else votes in favor for letterbox as default, that is also fine (majority-decision)

[barbeque-squared]

I would like this to become the new default. Letter (or pillar) boxing is how any decent video player shows it by default, and the only times I bother to override it is if it has built-in (eg actually encoded) black borders for some reason. But that really is more a problem of the video itself, not the player. I don't need a setting for this.

Suggestion: maybe make a separate bug ticket that A is missing entirely from the Tab help screen, I didn't even know this was an option in the first place.

[bohning]

I would like this to become the new default. Letter (or pillar) boxing is how any decent video player shows it by default, and the only times I bother to override it is if it has built-in (eg actually encoded) black borders for some reason. But that really is more a problem of the video itself, not the player. I don't need a setting for this.

Suggestion: maybe make a separate bug ticket that A is missing entirely from the Tab help screen, I didn't even know this was an option in the first place.

I fully agree. Having black borders is less annoying than having half of the actual video cropped (see above screenshots). I also agree that the help system (TAB) should be extended to include additional shortcuts (A is not the only thing that is missing.

[DoubleDee73]

I'd love this! Personally, I'd prefer to see the whole contents of the video without having it cropped or "blocked" by the lyrics. Plus, I think that the contrast is better, too.

[barbeque-squared]

@bohning I'm ok with the changes, but I'd like to merge it together with a PR that adds A to the in-game documentation. I'm fine making that change myself, I just haven't gotten around to it, and by now I'd rather only merge fixes until 2023.3.0 is out. Once that's out, I'll have more time again, and this would go in the 2023.4.0 release. Basically the same situation as the timebar issue with #START tags. Once 2023.3.0 is out, I'll 'review' (I know it works) the changes and merge them.

[barbeque-squared]

Sorry this took so long. But it's done now.

[bohning]

Sorry this took so long. But it's done now.

No worries, thanks for your efforts!