Forcing 4:3 ratio on widescreen monitor?

[GenuineAdvantage]

Is there anything I can do so fullscreen video shows up with a standard aspect ratio in widescreen? On linux or even windows.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

I think mplayer will let you do it ... I've never tried so I can't be sure it works.

[GenuineAdvantage]

That's not what I meant. I should have been more clear sorry. Not video as in movies. But the whole video screen. As in the desktop. For games that are made for 4:3 for example.

[WMD]

So, wait...you want 4:3 resolutions to be horizontally stretched across your widescreen monitor?  Or it that how it is, and you want the 4:3 resolution to appear in the middle of your screen letterboxed?

[GenuineAdvantage]

4:3 resolutions already stretch. I want it to appear in the middle instead, yes.

[WMD]

Well, that function can depend on what monitor Windows thinks you have.  If it says "Plug and Play Monitor,"  then it probably won't let you.  Perhaps there's a disk or CD that came with it?  Perhaps that'll let you do what you're asking.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

Some monitors let you set the resolution to a non-widescreen format ... this means that it should produce the same effect as somehow using a program to modify output to the screen. Hopefully it won't strectch the image. I remember that on my monitor, 4:3 ratio, I could set the resolution so that it appeared widescreen ... so I suppose the opposite may be possible (there were empty black bars at top and bottom)

[GenuineAdvantage]

I didn't get a CD with the monitor, it was a gift which just came as it was. If there's a feature to put black bars on the sides, I haven't figured it out. I am hoping there is some software that will fake this. If it was a CRT, I could probably fake it by shrinking it horizontally, but it's LCD...

[GenuineAdvantage]

I got something, but it's rough. Or maybe that is the only way. I used pixel timer and phase to shrink the picture. It saves these settings for each resolution, so it's fine. I have no way of knowing if it's a perfect match though, I just eyeballed it.

[Jack2000]

what about trying the manufactoror's site ?
and you might find a "Generic" wide-screen driver that will let you
shrink the picture to another ratio