I’m back… 
The issues I asked about previously are mostly resolved. My newest problem(s):
On my Windows system, I can run older / retro games, many of which are obtained from GOG. These apps allow the user to set the screen resolution, some of which are the older 4:3 vs 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio.
In Windows, you can browse to the nvidia control panel and select from three options: 3D Settings, Display and Video. There is a sub-option ‘Adjust desktop size and position’ → ‘Apply the following scaling’ → ‘Aspect Ratio’ (apply to Display, not GPU). This makes widescreen apps display as normal, but also presents native 4:3 apps in full-screen with black side bars.
These options do not seem to be available on Ubuntu? How to get this same functionality?
I installed the Ubuntu approved drivers:
nvidia driver: 580.65.06
nvidia-settings: 510.47.03
I read about a way of force-installing the latest nvidia driver / settings, but it warns that kernel updates could render the system inoperable. Would installing a driver this way even help me?
Gnome Settings > Screen Display > Resolution
Any joy?
tea-for-one, I appreciate the reply but no, that doesn’t help.
My widescreen monitor which I prefer to run with aspect ratio 16:9 most of the time simply stretches the image to fit the screen and so a smaller 4:3 aspect ratio image is distorted. The exact problem I want to avoid.
Further, setting the desktop resolution manually every time I want to switch between one aspect app and another would be cumbersome.
I don’t understand why the nvidia control panel doesn’t have the same aspect ratio / scaling options as on Windows. With that setting I described previously, the resolution and aspect ratio is simply accounted for, with no user action required once it’s set.
I understand the problem …
What has surfaced for you is the improper specification of format or codec embedded in your input stream for display (video file or stream).
Unfortunately, I do NOT have an answer that would address the need to
- correctly recognize the problematic files, and
- dynamically substitute a correct codec at time of play.
I am not sure, but I think there might be tools out there that
- are “aware” of those problematic formats, and
- can repair the video file header with a correct CODEC reference, or
- convert the video file to a well-formed video file.
[EDIT]
You might want to look at this posting. It may offer some insights.
Hi ericmarceau,
You may be onto something, I do not know. :-/ But this problem is occurring while I am trying to run games. Not playing videos or streaming. ?
The game’s graphical display is technically a “video stream”.
Sometimes, the games might have an option for defining the video display command.
It might be worth looking at for the game’s video streaming. 
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I have found a command which somewhat relates to this problem. My desktop res: 1920x1080. My game res: 1280 x 1024. DVI-D-0 (my graphics output) was obtained with the xrandr -q command.
nvidia-settings --assign CurrentMetaMode=“DVI-D-0: 1920x1080+0+0 { ViewPortIn = 1280x1024+0+0, ViewPortOut = 1280x1024+320+28 }”
The above command changes my desktop to a 1280x1024 window centred with black bars → 320 pixels at the left and right sides, 28 pixels at the top and bottom. This is what I thought changing the res through Display settings would do.
Using this, I have been able to run one of the games I am testing in full screen and it fits to the adjusted window perfectly. The other game does not seem to handle this viewport stuff at all and just shows a black screen. :-/
Revert back to 16:9 on the desktop:
nvidia-settings --assign CurrentMetaMode=“DVI-D-0: 1920x1080+0+0”
While the aspect ratio is not switching on the fly as it does on Windows, this is at least a workaround which might be scripted, albeit not working with every single app I have tried.
Have you considered asking in the Nvidia site itself, to see if anyone can assist with your specific issue?