Aspect ratio on Scroll tablets

[icarusi]

Is the aspect ratio correct on your Scroll tablet display? It's definitely out on the Excel 'gallery', and for 16/9 content the ICS media player (without the workaround), but not on the HDMI out.

If you want to check the AR, take a pic of something circular with the Scroll camera, like a clock face, then display it in 'gallery' and rotate the tablet. If it still looks circular the AR is ok, if it looks elliptical ie changes shape when you rotate it, the AR is wrong.

[Piers]

It's been like that since the first version was released.

[icarusi]

It's been like that since the first version was released.

On the Elite and Extreme too? If so, that's awful! I remember some early small LCD TVs were using 16/10 PC displays without offering a 16/9 menu option. This looks like the opposite, with a display designed for a 16/10 screen shown on a 16/9 screen.

Just sent an email to Scroll re this problem. I'll report here if I get any reply.

[Piers]

The Extreme and Elite are fine, but then the A/R is 1.33:1.

[icarusi]

The Extreme and Elite are fine, but then the A/R is 1.33:1.

That'd be 4x3. Just double checked the hdmi out and on the ICS media player, it's fine, but I think the video is on an overlay, as the Excel screen is blank with hdmi connected, just the controls show up when the Excel screen is touched.

The other screens via hdmi are all wrong. Not as far out as the Excel screen though. It's really obvious looking at the apps/widgets screen in portrait. The Browser, Clock, Downloads and Music icons all look like eggs, not so bad for their use but when you consider all photos are similarly distorted, not good, and they didn't mention any of that on the Gadget Show!

[Piers]

1.33:1 = 4:3

It's odd that it looks that distorted on your TV. I have a couple of Essential tablets which are more or less the same as the Excel and most of the stuff on there looks ok'ish

[icarusi]

1.33:1 = 4:3

It's odd that it looks that distorted on your TV. I have a couple of Essential tablets which are more or less the same as the Excel and most of the stuff on there looks ok'ish

I've just put a ruler over it and it equates to a 5x3 (15x9) display stretched to fit a 16x9 screen.

FYI if you browse or d/l this circle image http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/images/marine ... le_big.jpg and zoom it to 8mm horizontally it measures 7.5mm vertically on the Excel (can't figure a check way without a ruler).

Seems an odd a.r.? The only thing I can find currently with 15x9 a.r. is the Nintendo 3DS top screen.

[icarusi]

Seems an odd a.r.? The only thing I can find currently with 15x9 a.r. is the Nintendo 3DS top screen.

Just checked some other 7" 16x9 screen makes today, mainly Archos and Arnova and most had the same fault, in fact one had a screen pic on the front of the box showing egg shaped 'circular' icons. The shop guy said there was a 7" Samsung but it was discontinued.

Now I've checked it's still available and it's display is 1024x600 =15.75x9. My Excel is 800x480 = 15x9 but the screen is actually 16x9 so it must be non-square pixels to do the job.

I was checking other tablets, actually measuring the screens heights and depths, but didn't check the screen res.

I need an example of an 800x480 res screen in 16x9 a.r. running Android in an a.r. properly compensated for that 1/16 a.r. discrepancy.

[Trashcooky]

If you use a dedicated content viewer/video player you will find it shows black gaps at top and bottom of the screen pictures/videos provided they have been captured in true 16x9 display.
Sometimes, content is stretched by generic software which leads to the visual distortion you are describing.
I use a resolutiuon of 1440 x900 on my PC but my pictures and videos are still displayed correctly with either vertical or horizontal black strips according to whatever the original content was recorded in, provided I use non generic software to display them.
However, as you have experienced this must be an issue to some people and is presumably why Storage Options have released the Engage as a dedicated 4x3 screen.

[icarusi]

However, as you have experienced this must be an issue to some people and is presumably why Storage Options have released the Engage as a dedicated 4x3 screen.

I did get a response from another forum about a phone using 800x480 pixel resolution, but presumably square pixels, so the actual screen ratio is 15x9 and the video is displayed with a mask at the top and bottom of the screen to display 16x9. Looks like the Excel is using the a similar Android version but with an *actual* 16x9 display so the top and bottom masking and the vertical compression the final picture is a 16x9 ratio compressed in 15x8 space.

As expected the vendor and Storage Options have made excuses but no fixes, in fact the last email stated it was intended to be that way. Basically SO knew it was wrong but put the product out there anyway to see who would complain.

They're pretty rare but not alone, a couple of the Archos/Arnova 7" tablets have the same problem. One is actually showing it on the box cover. I think it's the Archos 7o, in some Carphone Warehouse shops, the Arnova 7 in Currys/PC World. Actually Arnova have quite a few 7" 800x480 tablets so probably worth contacting.

So in a SO world 2+2=4.25 or 3.75 whichever way you look at it, but never 4!