File > Open DVD > Paste location
And the player immediately correctly detects and does not stretch beyond recognition the 4:3 menu:
Sure, yes, you can VLC media player > Media > Open disc... > Paste location
then
VLC media player > Video > Aspect Ratio > 4:3 to get what you get above in two steps but
You are opening a FOLDER, not a disc. There is an Open Folder... VLC menu option but that doesn't get you to where you can paste a FOLDER location (!) The Open Disc... menu option gets you to where you can paste a FOLDER location. That may make sense to us (?) but when you try explaining all of this to your grandma or your computer illiterate cousins = problem. Please consider re-designing these to accomplish the obvious in as few steps as possible. Thank you for making this program.