Identify whether the source is spherical
A panoramic or spherical projection is appropriate for certain source material, but an ordinary flat video can look distorted through the wrong view. Begin by checking what the recording actually represents. A wide frame alone does not prove it is a spherical capture.
Keep one known flat sample and, if needed, a genuinely spherical sample you are permitted to use. Record the player build and video output. Do not re-encode the original merely because the displayed geometry changed after a control was pressed.
Inspect the documented view control
QMPlay2 documents spherical view under Playback, Video filters and Spherical view, with a default Control-3 shortcut and supported OpenGL/Vulkan outputs. Inspect the actual current mode in the installed build. A customized shortcut can make accidental changes harder to recognize.
Record the starting mode and choose the intended view deliberately. Keep the source, window and output unchanged for the first comparison. A display aspect setting elsewhere is another variable and should not be adjusted at the same time.
Compare the same recognizable scene
Use a scene containing straight edges or familiar geometry in the known flat sample. Observe whether the ordinary view restores the expected appearance. For an appropriate spherical source, assess the intended navigation separately rather than interpreting a flat projection as proof of a damaged file.
Keep the result attached to the actual sample. A mode that suits one source may be wrong for another. If the picture remains distorted, preserve the view state and source properties before changing renderer or display scaling.
Retain a predictable ordinary setting
After the comparison, leave the player in the mode intended for its usual content and check another known item. Keep the special-purpose shortcut understandable to anyone else using the computer. A later accidental toggle can otherwise look like a recurring decoder problem.
The expected outcome is understood projection behavior for the actual media. It does not add a 360-degree capture to an ordinary film, alter the original file or certify every graphics driver. Retain the selected mode, output and source identity for any remaining display report.
Questions answered
Does a curved picture mean the source file is damaged?
First inspect the active projection mode using the same known sample. A view setting can change displayed geometry.
Can spherical mode turn an ordinary film into a true 360-degree recording?
No. Match the presentation to the source that actually exists.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.