Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2010 June 15

= June 15 =

Playing movies full screen at 1080p
Dear Wikipedians:

After playing a couple of divx movies at 1080p, I have found that while most movies play full-screen, a few movies left two wide ugly black vertical strips on the two sides of the screen.

How do I force-play all movies at full full screen?

Thanks.

174.88.241.162 (talk) 22:24, 14 June 2010 (UTC)


 * Is it like the photo to the right? See Letterbox or Pillarbox for why.  You may be able to stretch the picture to be "full screen" but I don't recommend it; the picture will just be stretched horizontally, so everyone and everything looks wider than in reality.  Comet Tuttle (talk) 22:53, 14 June 2010 (UTC)


 * Movies come at different aspect ratios, some of which match the wide-screen format well, and others don't. If they don't match the shape of your monitor/TV, the options are to stretch it to fit or have black bars.  A few movies are available at multiple aspect ratios, and hopefully you can select the one which matches your needs, but most aren't, unfortunately.  StuRat (talk) 03:49, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Another option, which does not stretch it nor has black bars, is to zoom in, and cut off some of the edges. --169.232.246.242 (talk) 08:13, 15 June 2010 (UTC)


 * Of note: If you zoom in or stretch the picture, it isn't truly full 1080p as you are expanding each little pixel of color to cover more than one pixel on the screen. It is noticeable that the picture is stretched or zoomed when compared to actual 1080p. -- k a i n a w &trade; 12:01, 15 June 2010 (UTC)


 * To be specific, (US) cinematic releases come in ~2.39:1, 1.85:1, and rarely 1.37:1 width:height ratios. Standard 1080p television sets are at the ratio of 16:9, or ~1.78:1. This is "close enough" for the common 1.85:1 ratio movies play at, but "scope" films (2.39:1) need to be either letterboxed or pan and scanned. On the other end, the 1.37:1 films, and films originally shot for the 4:3 (1.33:1) television ratio need to be pillarboxed to show everything, otherwise you're again left with cutting portions out via pan and scan (which tends to be worse than in the scope case, as the composition is not as spread out). Your media player probably has some zoom system (how to reach it varies based on device), but be advised you are either going to lose some of the picture when it gets cut off, or you'll distort objects. -- 174.24.195.56 (talk) 15:20, 15 June 2010 (UTC)


 * Thank you all for your inputs. I know what to do now. 174.95.170.219 (talk) 20:47, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

Phone advice
I am due for a Verizon upgrade, and I'm thinking Droid-like in caliber for my next phone. Ideally I would like access to a website that streams my iTunes library somehow. I know that there are several ways to do this, but I was hoping for something that would work with Last.fm scrobbling. Can this be done with a Droid? Has anybody else done the same or similar? Thanks &mdash;Akrabbimtalk 02:35, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Scrobbling... LOL. Anyway, picking a phone is simple.  Identify what apps are most important to you since multimedia web pages (via flash) are out of the question (maybe Last.fm or some other music manager; itunes is obviously out of the question unless you get an iPhone) and find a phone that runs them well.  Last step (and most important) go to the phone store and play with the thing for a while.  Give the salesperson a stream of 'uh huh' if they try to "sell" you on one; your objective is to see how it feels to use. --144.191.148.3 (talk) 20:53, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

C++ 5.5
Sir, i recently downloaded the command line version of c++ 5.5 from the borland site.Please instruct me how to connect the compiler with the header files and to the linker files.I have already set the path on DOS.But i don't know how to link it with the header files. Help Please!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Vishnuthelegend (talk • contribs) 12:05, 15 June 2010 (UTC)


 * There is a tutorial here, Borland C++ 5.5 tutorial. Have you properly used the #include syntax?  Have you properly used the -Iheader_path include syntax for headers not in the current directory or standard library?  Nimur (talk) 14:34, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

Question (Internet domains)
How are domains like "123.example.com" made? 82.43.90.93 (talk) 13:08, 15 June 2010 (UTC)


 * One registers example.com and then one sets up a subdomain 123.example.com, iirc by adding it to a name server. --Tagishsimon (talk) 13:17, 15 June 2010 (UTC)


 * The term to search for is subdomain. You have to 1. add it to a name server, and 2. configure your server to properly handle the subdomain requests (which depending on the setup can be as easy as modifying the .htaccess file). To give any more specifics than that would require knowing more about the server you are hosting it on. --Mr.98 (talk) 13:42, 15 June 2010 (UTC)


 * I changed your useless title to one which actually identifies the question. StuRat (talk) 13:44, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

Storage Area Networking across the Internet
I am intending to set up an international iSCSI SAN, but need to learn more about Storage Area Networking first. My intent is to have the SAN physically located in Singapore, and have initiators from other parts of Asia, Europe and the Americas be able to connect to it. I have the following questions about iSCSI SANs.


 * 1) What is a SAN group? I am only familiar with individual targets.
 * 2) I have heard that a many-to-one relationship between initiators and targets is possible. I would like to know how this relationship works; i.e. wouldn't the two or more initiators overwrite each other's data?
 * 3) In the context of a RAID array in a SAN, what is a Disk Group, and why is there a limit on the maximum number of physical disks in a Disk Group ?
 * 4) As iSCSI is a low-level protocol, is it the best protocol for a SAN which is to function across the Internet, or is there a better higher-level protocol?

Rocketshiporion (talk) 13:38, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * The best answer I can offer is that yes it is a low level protocol, and yes there are better things for use across the internet. iSCSI has very little in the way of session maintenance and graceful error handling; if the operating system relying on the iSCSI connection loses it for any reason very bad things happen very quickly (since operating systems are typically accustomed to having reliable access to their disks).  Are you interested in using this for more than high speed file transfer between sites? --144.191.148.3 (talk) 14:35, 15 June 2010 (UTC)


 * My intent is to use SAN targets primarily as remote centrally-managed data storage volumes for physical client computers, and secondarily as boot volumes for virtual client machines, i.e. remote desktops. These remote desktops would be hosted on a server in a different country. Rocketshiporion (talk) 01:59, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
 * I wouldn't call iSCSI robust enough to do something similar to remote desktop for you... Any kind of disruption would result in the system self-destructing pretty fast. You could reboot it but unsaved work would easily be lost, and eventual corruption is likely.  Unless you are dead certain that your network link between the sites is very steady, I think you will be disappointed in the reliability.  RDP, for comparison, is very robust and can handle disconnection gracefully and re-connect the user at will with no lost unsaved work.  As far as file sharing, iSCSI is high speed, relatively low latency and low overhead but you lose the benefits that all that overhead gives you like error correction and graceful failure handling.  File level sharing tools like SMB, NFS, etc. are much better at managing files between sites with inconsistent (internet-grade) links. --144.191.148.3 (talk) 16:37, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Explorer.exe
Hello! I've had a minor problem with my laptop for the last couple of months. Whenever the laptop is running, the process "explorer.exe" has big spikes in the percentage of CPU usage every few seconds, causing video files and DVDs to play irregularly. Disabling the process is not an option, as it causes the start bar and desktop icons to disappear. Is there anything I can do to solve this problem? My operating system is Windows Vista.-- Midgrid (talk)  13:55, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * I had exactly the same problem on Windows Vista, and it's apparently a common problem, see Criticism of Windows Vista specifically the 'Hardware requirements and performance' section. My advice would be to upgrade to Windows 7, as it's basically an improved Vista without the crap. Installing service pack 1 for Vista might help if you can't upgrade to Windows 7, although I don't know as the service pack failed to install when I tried it on mine. 82.43.90.93 (talk) 15:28, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * 'Upgrade to Windows 7'? Doesn't that just mean 'buy a new operating system and install that'? -- KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 16:02, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Well, it's at least a little more practical than "switch to Linux". &mdash;Akrabbimtalk 16:24, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the replies! I've had this laptop for the best part of three years and this problem has only cropped in the last few weeks, so would it really be an integral problem with Vista in this case?  I think I have the service pack installed, anyway.-- Midgrid  (talk)  21:06, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Another view is that Windows 7 is basically Windows Vista SP3. To the original poster:  How long does the spike last?  How many seconds elapse between spikes?  Is it a regular occurrence?  How's your memory situation?  Comet Tuttle (talk) 19:58, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * The spikes are very brief (less than a second) and occur every five seconds or so. They take the CPU usage up from about 4-8% at idle to 100%, although I can reduce this to 40% by lowering the priority for the process.  According to Task Manager, Physical Memory is (approximately) Total 1014, Cached 283 and Free 2; Kernel Memory is Total 174, Paged 79 and Nonpaged 94 (all in Mb), although I have several programmes running at the moment and looking at the position of the line on mthe graph of the physical memory usage history, it is usually a bit lower than it is now (just above the fourth horizontal line of five).-- Midgrid  (talk)  21:06, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Try running HijackThis and see if it finds anything, such as an Explorer plugin that you didn't know you had. (If you don't know how to interpret the output, you could post it here.) Check if you're attached to an inaccessible network share or printer or something of that sort. Create a new user account and see if the problem occurs there. Temporarily disable any hardware that you can, like the wired and wireless network adapters and the DVD drive. Uninstall any

software that you never use but haven't gotten around to uninstalling. Install Vista SP2 if you haven't. (Press Win+Pause/Break or open the System control panel to see what service pack is installed.) -- BenRG (talk) 01:36, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
 * To OP, if you don't find a solution from the above answers, you may want to just work around it by setting the program that is performing badly because of it at a higher priority than explorer.exe. Otherwise you could always just terminate explorer until you're done (unless the program that you're wanting to use needs to make calls to it), just do Task Manager > Processes > Select 'explorer.exe' > Press 'End Process'. To get it going again you just go back into task manager and do File > New Task > type "explorer" without the quotes. :) Findstr (talk) 02:30, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
 * By the way, a note: HijackThis does not work like traditional malware scanners, that is, it detects them using similar methods to most malware scanners but does not label anything as good or bad -- that is for you to decide, so don't just go on a removal spree based on what it says. :) Findstr (talk) 02:32, 16 June 2010 (UTC)


 * I'm on Windows XP, but have a similar problem with movies stuttering. I use the Task Manager to stop all services I can (with the exception of Windows Audio, since stopping that makes my movies play without sound).  In particular the Automatic Updates and Anti-virus/Firewall products seem likely to cause such probs.  After the movie, I just reboot to start everything back up again.  This works well for me.  StuRat (talk) 04:24, 16 June 2010 (UTC)


 * In addition to your anti-virus software, you could do scans with the free software listed here http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-adware-spyware-scumware-remover.htm to see if any of them find something nasty. Use Ccleaner before scanning. 92.28.251.43 (talk) 11:06, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Many thanks for all the suggestions! I'll try the more complicated ones later on, but for now setting the priority of my media player to high (and explorer to low) seems to be working as a stop-gap measure.-- Midgrid (talk)  11:31, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2
I intend to use Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 as a virtualizer on a server to create up to 120 virtual machines. The Microsoft website officially states that only Linux OSes that are supported are RedHat and SUSE. I want to know whether each of the following operating-systems are supported as guest OSes by Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2.


 * 1) Debian 5.0.4 Linux
 * 2) Mandriva Linux One 2010
 * 3) Ubuntu Desktop Edition 32-bit
 * 4) Ubuntu Server Edition 32-bit
 * 5) Ubuntu Netbook Edition 32-bit
 * 6) Ubuntu Desktop Edition 64-bit
 * 7) Ubuntu Server Edition 64-bit


 * As you said, they're not officially supported. But people have gotten Debian and Ubuntu to work in Hyper-V., I couldn't find any info on Mandriva, though. But it couldn't hurt to try it.--Best Dog Ever (talk) 05:07, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

AARRRRGGG!!!! (Lost Blackberry pics)
I have a blackberry bold 9700, when I take pictures sometimes they appear in, media, pictures, when i take a video it does not go to media video any more. Some one told me to look in applications, files. But theyre not in there either, please please pretty please help me before I stamp on the thing! It is the pictures i really want, some times they are saved where they should be but more often than not they disapear to some where else, please I am begging for help here! Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.145.145 (talk) 19:44, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * When you are in camera or video mode, in the options page there is an area for "Store Pictures" where it has you select the device and the folder... Did you double check these to make sure they are where you expect them to be?  Also, instead of using "Videos" and "Pictures" in the Media area to view them, there is an option in the menu when in Camera or Video mode to "view" which should take you straight to where they were downloaded.  Lastly, did you check the device with the USB cable in mass storage mode?  It is easier to navigate with your computer than on the device; you can use this to surf all the folders and see where else the files might have gone.  Good luck! --144.191.148.3 (talk) 18:42, 16 June 2010 (UTC)