16:9 widescreen without stretching image?

scrappbrapp

Im absolutely new to linux/raspberry pi/retropie, and I've tried googling what I can but sometimes I just cant understand what someone is talking about, or if their issue, is what I am looking for.

So far the only setting I can find, is inside RetroArch, forcing a 16:9 screen size, which just stretches the picture in NES/SNES.

Is there any way to keep the proper 4:3 proportions while fitting a 16:9 screen? Is that basically considered removing the black bars?

Thank you for any help.

herb_fargus

@scrappbrapp no it doesn't work that way. Anytime you are trying to fit a native output to a different aspect ratio you will get distortion because they are completely different aspect ratios and subsequently will have different pixel dimensions

For more information on why that's the case:

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/FelipePepe/20150423/241730/No_MSDOS_games_werent_widescreen_Tips_on_correcting_aspect_ratio.php

http://amigalove.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=38&p=93

caver01

@scrappbrapp You can't have both a 4:3 aspect ratio AND remove black bars on a 16:9 screen. If the game image is 4:3, it will fill the vertical dimension of a 16:9 screen before it reaches the width--so you get black bars. So, either you live with stretching, or you live with black bars.

One idea you might research is using bezel artwork. Search the forums for details about using bezel art for Arcade games. Also, RetroArch shaders can be configured to use a bezel layer. This can at least fill out some of the area of black bars with a simulated arcade cabinet--like an image of an old monitor.

These ideas totally depend on the emulators you want to use, so may not be applicable in your case, or may not apply to all games you want to play. It's also somewhat of an advanced configuration that you might want to leave for later as you learn more about linux, the Pi, RetroPie and emulation.

scrappbrapp

no no, you are all correct. I should have stated that I understood this problem from the beginning, it slipped my mind to mention that, and it looked like I was simply asking for the "black&white" fix.

Ok, so thats all I wanted to know, theres actually no way to acomplish this. Im ok with keeping the 4:3 ratio... stretching just gives me motion sickness.