Widescreen resolutions on TV not adjustable

Regardless of if I hook up my TV via the component
ports or the HDMI port of the AppleTV, it won't let
me use the menu on my TV's onscreen menu to adjust
the resolution of the video.

The ATV usually outputs a non-interlaced HD signal to your TV. Many TV's (including my Sony 51" HDTV) do not allow re-scaling of ANY HD signals. I've heard that you can set the ATV to output a 480i signal (same as your DVD player). If you do that, you should be able to use the various stretch and zoom modes on your TV.

is there any other way of stretching the video?

If you can't rectify the scaling on the TV (which is normal when using the DVI computer interface) and have QT Pro, simply open the 4:3 aspect file in QT and adjust scaling using the "Properties" window to 640 x 360, 720 x 405, 854 x 480 or some other 16:19 aspect ratio and save the result. (File will be saved in an MOV file container.) TV will then display the file in a 16:9 "stretched" aspect ratio at whatever resolution was negotiated with the DVI interface.

Of course if you want to export to 16:9 and avoid stretching then you are back to something like streamclip which has a crop facility.

Any idea if you can with automator do an autocrop routine with Quicktime Pro? Would it be able to test for letterboxing?

Not really familiar with any utility or script that tests for and/or auto-crops clips. Most applications that have this ability perform this function as part of the conversion process. Believe most people who do this as a "post" conversion process simply use "mask" cropping manually in QT Pro to avoid any further "conversions." As I remember, the process is not difficult but somewhat involved in terms of steps and so I have not used this process for some time. One individual has even reported loss of color during TV playback (which I have confirmed) using this process with the latest software updates. (Still trying to determine why this happens during TV playback but not during QT or iTunes player playback.)

My preference here is to use MPEG Streamclip for conversions in order to both crop and scale to an exact digital anamorphic/cinematic aspect ratio using the built-in FIR-2D scaler and motion-adaptive de-interlacer in a single workflow. In addition, as I sometimes do "classic" movies and TV shows, I sometimes need to adjust brightness, contrast, and/or color saturation, as well as, adjust volume as part of the same process. Of late, have even begun to use this application's mix-down capabilities to turn DVD AC3 5.1 audio to Pro Logic 2 compatible "surround sound" files for use with iPod/TV devices. On the one hand using all of these options tends to slow down the conversion process but on the other, saves overall time by not having to continuously process and then re-process my files in multiple applications to accomplish different tasks.

Sorry that this doesn't help your specific situation. Assume you are looking for a "batch" processing solution that can handle a mixed multitude of "letterboxed" anamorphic/cinematic aspects like 1.85:1, 2.35:1, or 2.40:1, automatically detect, then crop them, and save the result in the original file container rather than a generic MOV file container. Would be nice, but have yet to see such.

Know of any such beast?

Cheapest ($485) one I know of is the Audio Authority model 1361. However, it is an HD to SD down-converter (for people who want to use the TV with conventional TVs with composite/S-Video inputs) and I assume the options are not available in the "pass-through" component mode. On the other hand, the DVDO iScan series (VP20, VP30, and VP50) would likely do all you want and more but the street prices start at about $1,000 for the VP20 and climb to about $3,000 for the VP50. Unit includes motion adaptive deinterlacing, 3:2 and 2:2 NTS pulldown (or 2:2 PAL/SECAM pulldown) video sourcing, SD/HD analog and digital transcoding, NTSC-PAL (50-60HZ) conversions, "complete input aspect ratio conversion" (i.e., allows independent vertical/horizontal zoom between 0.5x and 2.0x), as well as, pan/centering of the output display with factory presets for 4:3, 4:3 letterbox, 4:3 non-linear stretch, and 16:9 content plus 9 user-defineable memories for your own personal settings (e.g., 1.85:1, 2.35:1, 2.40:1, etc.) as you see fit and 27 factory defined output resolutions between 480p and 1080p to match your display's native resolution. There is a whole page of features/step up features you can drool over if you really want to look the units up. Totally out of my price range but a "friend" loaned me a VP50 while he was on vacation in Europe and I only scratched the surface of what that unit could do over a 30-day period.

As I don't have DVD Studio Pro's latest release, this is going to be difficult, if not expensive to make it all work.

I am more interested in Compressor 3 for use with my current workflow. Have most of the older versions of the various applications that make up the core of Studio Pro but find it difficult to part with a $700 upgrade investment for the FCP 4.5 HD level to the soon to be released entirely new suite as I am simply an amateur user who likes to use "prosumer" level applications when possible.

Would getting a 1080p or 720p based TV improve matters?

It certainly wouldn't hurt if you can afford it but it is likely overkill for the TV device. I retired an older CRT Philips 30PW8859 EDTV (gave it to my wife) in favor of a Panasonic 600U (my first plasma). It is not a super model but filled in the "gaps" that were problematic with the older analog progressive TV inputs. (I.e., the older set scaler could only be used with SD analog inputs as the progressive/computer inputs bypassed them.) Scalers for the plasma, of course, are fully functional with TV via normal HD and SD inputs. (Have yet to test the VGA computer interface as I don't feel any need to connect a computer directly to the HDTV.) If you plan to upgrade your set over time anyway, I wouldn't got out of my way to rush the upgrade if the current system is still viable.

I think I may have found it! Looking at these specs for the Atlona Video Scaler do you think it will do what I want?

I don't know. As they indicate, it is a new product. Would be nice to find an independent review to go over. They are using all of the "right" descriptors. Don't particularly like the idea of not having a component level output with all the problems some have been having HDMI "compliance" but I suspect this is a non-issue for you. Also would like to know more about the scaler and how the "on screen" interface works. (Tend to prefer independent controls on the unit and use the screen exclusively for inspection/examination of the adjusted output. (May or may not be an issue for you.) Price is certainly competitive and I am interested in seeing how good the edge-adaptive deinterlacer is. (This is not something I would have expected at this price level.) Color control is also an area I tend to distrust without "hands on" testing. Also wondering about "black levels" in view of the "intensified contrast and details" reference. Certainly is a product that might be worth looking into further by particular users. Would caution you to be careful though. Believe company reputation and a good review would be key here unless you want to be "first in" on another new product.

Did more of a search and found this page:

Now I am totally confused as to what you are trying to do. The first suggestions I made were for the continuously variable re-scaling of your file for display on your current TV. (I.e., allow you to "fill" the screen by stretching the display at your negotiated resolution the same is if you had originally converted the file "stretched" or had re-scaled the file manually as I earlier suggested). The unit you first asked about is merely a scaler to match your TV HDMI or a computer level interface at the best "native resolution" and not as a "continuously variable scaled" display. (So okay, I though I misunderstood your original intent and you now wanted to re-negotiate a better match between your TV and TV via an alternate interface.) However, these latest scalers are for upscaling SD output which the TV does not offer or convert component to either RGB or DVI or convert component to DVI and optical audio, Basically you are just running around in a circle here.

If all you want to basically do is stretch (i.e., scale) your files to fill your TV screen, then you have four options as already described in this forum:

1) Use the 480i interface that allows your TV's analog scaler to scale the TV output locally during playback.
2) Pre-scale your files as part of the file conversion process.
3) Re-scale the file post conversion using QT Pro.
4) Spring for a $1,000-$3,000 video processor with "on-the-fly" digital continuous scaling(i.e., independent zoom of vertical and/or horizontal axis) between the TV device and your TV.

So you don't think the $495 device will offer HD based scaling? It suggests that it could.

Yes, it will offer HD scaling at 1080i but so does the TV device as it is. If this option is not available in your "Resolution" settings list, then it is likely your current TV does not offer this resolution. (My Philips would work at 1080i or 480p but would not accept 720p.)

That's what I really want. Is something that recognizes the 1080i scale of the picture on my TV set, and stretches existing video to that scale, regardless of the original resolution of the picture.

Okay, a quick check confirms your TV is supposed to be 1080i and 480p compatible (just like my Philips). So the question now becomes, did you ever change the resolution setting? Be advised that this does not have any effect on your files per se. All it does is simulate the "blowing up" of the file displayed at the equivalent of an 854 x 480 pixel screen and then display it on a screen at the equivalent of a 1920 x 1080 pixels. Since the file is scaled up but the increased resolution covers the same area, the screen looks nearly the same. On the other hand, if the file is actually HD to begin with then it may look clearer than at the 480p resolution since the picture is not scaled down or the pixel information "mixed/merged" for a smaller display.

So here we come full circle back to the question of making what you refer to as 4:3 content look like "widescreen." Basically we are dealing with two separate issues here -- resolution (or rather "rows of lines" in this case) and aspect ratio. If you want to view a 4:3 aspect ratio movie on a 16:9 (widescreen sized) TV, then you need to "distort" the original dimension of your file and "stretch" them to match the size of your TV screen -- not change the resolution of your TV to TV connection. This is normally the function of the "scaler" built into your TV. However, since this scaler only works on 480i input which you do not, it appears, wish to use, then we are back to modifying the dimensions of your file during conversion, re-scaling the converted file with QT Pro, purchasing a scaler that works on digital content (the $1,000-$3,000 units), or simply getting a digital HDTV with built-in scalers designed to work with either digital HD or analog SD inputs. (Personally, the HDTV is starting to look better here and was my reason for moving up to a plasma TV since it was cheaper than buying the VP50 for limited life use with my old EDTV.)

So to return to you initial question, no, none of the products (including the $495 unit) will accomplish what you want.