Resolved Aspect ratio of video files being stretched during playback

[Shaggysaurus]

I have been trying to research this problem on the internet to no avail.

I have a 13" macbook pro. I have my screen set to the native 1280 x 800 resolution (16:10 aspect ratio). When using quicktime or Mplayer OSX to play avi files that are supposed to be 16:9 they are stretched way beyond that, to something like a 23:10 ratio. Its as if my player thinks my screen is 4:3 and is stretching the video accordingly.

The strange thing is avi files that are in 4:3 play just fine, in the correct aspect ratio without stretching.

This problem is not just limited to one certain 16:9 file either - every 16:9 file I have tried to play is stretched this way.

I have taken some screenshots to illustrate the stretching:

here is the video in the "actual size"
http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk415/Shaggylicious/Screenshot2011-12-13at112329PM.png

and fit to the screen:
http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk415/Shaggylicious/Screenshot2011-12-13at113024PM.png

in Fullscreen mode:
http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk415/Shaggylicious/Screenshot2011-12-13at112233PM.png

here I tried clicking to button to fill the screen, but as you can see it just pushed the sides out of the screen, so it is still stretched:
http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk415/Shaggylicious/Screenshot2011-12-13at113252PM.png

and here, for comparison, is a screenshot of the stretched 16:9 next to a regular 4:3
http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk415/Shaggylicious/Screenshot2011-12-13at115732PM.png

any advice anyone could offer as to how to fix this issue would be appreciated

 

[simsaladimbamba]

That is normal, as many movies use an aspect ratio of 2.35 : 1.
The movie yo have has that ratio, the TV series you show has a ratio of 16:9.

As far as I can see, there is no stretching involved.

 

[Shaggysaurus]

I did not know that. I thought wide-screen was always 16:9.

Thanks for clearing that up.