Patent ID: 7525589

Claim:
A video outputting method of outputting video signals to an external display device, said video signals including a video signal of a standard image having a standard aspect ratio, and a video signal of a wide image having a wide aspect ratio that is horizontally longer than said standard aspect ratio, said video outputting method comprising steps of: when outputting of said wide image is designated, adding upper and lower blank masked regions to said wide image outside and along upper and lower edges of said wide image, thereby creating a first processed image of said standard aspect ratio such that said first processed image contains image data representing said wide image and said upper and lower masked regions, for outputting a video signal associated therewith; and when outputting of said standard image is designated, adding a lateral blank masked region to said standard image outside and along a lateral edge of said standard image maintained at said standard aspect ratio, to create an image of said wide aspect ratio, wherein said upper and lower blank masked regions are added outside and along upper and lower edges of said image of said wide aspect ratio, to create a second processed image such that said second processed image contains image data representing said standard image and said upper, lower, and lateral masked regions, for outputting a video signal associated therewith; wherein said video outputting method is performed by a single video outputting device.