Ideally the Yamada (or any other) would resize a widescreen rip to fullscreen 4:3, stretching it vertically. Then I could set the TV to 16:9 mode, which stretches the image horizontally, thus using the whole resolution of the set to display it.

This is opposed to viewing a widescreen rip in it's original size in 4:3 mode, and using 16:9 zoom to fill the TV screen, which lowers the resolution considerably.

I hope this is understandable!

I've already got a very good DVD player, so this would only be used for viewing rips, so it's important that it does the job properly when used with a WS TV set.

Ok i think i've understood that

there is a set up button on the remote that goes to a preferences set up, on this there's a TV display option that goes from Normal P/S (pan&scan)
Normal L/B (letterbox) and Wide (d'uh)

i tried playing Terminator 3 which i think has an AR or 2:35:1?(but it's defo a widescreen rip) in every option but it still comes out as a widescreen showing, on my TV this can then be stretched a bit with the zoom function giving it about an inch more height either way without much distortion (if any) and there's also a zoom fiunction on the yamada but that just kills the pic completely and you lose a huge amount of screen

for this movie it was best viewed IMO widescreen format on yamada and zoom function on TV to give the largest viewable area without distortion

hope that has answered your Q and you understood my answer

So if you had to use the zoom function on the TV then it seems the Yamada doesn't display AVIs anamorphically.

I'll wait for the next batch of models, one of those must be able to do this.

you think so?....they're having trouble playing subtitles you think they are gonna be getting round to that anytime soon?

I mean other manufacturers that make DivX players as well as Yamada.

from what i've read they all have there own problems aswell...maybe in a year we'll have the perfect mpeg4 player

Of course I could get a modded XBOX, but that's not a priority.

I'll stick to the old S-VHS cable trailed across two rooms for now then.