diff --git a/src/f_wipe.c b/src/f_wipe.c
index 8cdc012a..025d047d 100644
--- a/src/f_wipe.c
+++ b/src/f_wipe.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static void wipe_shittyColMajorXform(byte *array, int width, int height)
 
 static int wipe_initColorXForm(int width, int height, int ticks)
 {
-  memcpy(wipe_scr, wipe_scr_start, width*height);
+  V_PutBlock(0, 0, width, height, wipe_scr_start);
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ static int wipe_initMelt(int width, int height, int ticks)
   col_y = Z_Malloc(num_columns * sizeof(*col_y), PU_STATIC, NULL);
 
   // copy start screen to main screen
-  memcpy(wipe_scr, wipe_scr_start, width*height);
+  V_PutBlock(0, 0, width, height, wipe_scr_start);
 
   // makes this wipe faster (in theory)
   // to have stuff in column-major format
@@ -152,14 +152,14 @@ static int wipe_doMelt(int width, int height, int ticks)
     for (y = 0; y < scroff; ++y)
     {
       *d = *s;
-      d += width;
+      d += video.pitch;
       s++;
     }
     s = wipe_scr_start + x * height;
     for (; y < height; ++y)
     {
       *d = *s;
-      d += width;
+      d += video.pitch;
       s++;
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/i_video.c b/src/i_video.c
index 9377ccea..f37d5621 100644
--- a/src/i_video.c
+++ b/src/i_video.c
@@ -436,20 +436,6 @@ void I_StartFrame(void)
 
 static void UpdateRender(void)
 {
-    int i;
-
-    // Copy linear video buffer to rectangle on surface
-
-    byte *dest = screenbuffer->pixels;
-    const pixel_t *src = I_VideoBuffer;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < blit_rect.h; ++i)
-    {
-        memcpy(dest, src, blit_rect.w);
-        dest += screenbuffer->w;
-        src += blit_rect.w;
-    }
-
     SDL_LowerBlit(screenbuffer, &blit_rect, argbbuffer, &blit_rect);
     SDL_UpdateTexture(texture, &blit_rect, argbbuffer->pixels, argbbuffer->pitch);
     SDL_RenderClear(renderer);
@@ -639,9 +625,9 @@ void I_FinishUpdate(void)
 // I_ReadScreen
 //
 
-void I_ReadScreen(byte *scr)
+void I_ReadScreen(byte *dst)
 {
-   memcpy(scr, I_VideoBuffer, video.width * video.height * sizeof(*I_VideoBuffer));
+    V_GetBlock(0, 0, video.width, video.height, dst);
 }
 
 //
@@ -1381,6 +1367,8 @@ static void CreateSurfaces(void)
     w = (w + 3) & ~3;
     h = (h + 3) & ~3;
 
+    video.pitch = w;
+
     // [FG] create paletted frame buffer
 
     if (screenbuffer != NULL)
@@ -1393,14 +1381,12 @@ static void CreateSurfaces(void)
                                         0, 0, 0, 0);
     SDL_FillRect(screenbuffer, NULL, 0);
 
-    if (I_VideoBuffer != NULL)
-    {
-        Z_Free(I_VideoBuffer);
-    }
-
-    I_VideoBuffer = Z_Calloc(1, w * h * sizeof(*I_VideoBuffer), PU_STATIC, NULL);
+    I_VideoBuffer = screenbuffer->pixels;
     V_RestoreBuffer();
 
+    // Clear the screen to black.
+    memset(I_VideoBuffer, 0, w * h * sizeof(*I_VideoBuffer));
+
     if (argbbuffer != NULL)
     {
         SDL_FreeSurface(argbbuffer);
diff --git a/src/m_snapshot.c b/src/m_snapshot.c
index 3c0985d0..6c001529 100644
--- a/src/m_snapshot.c
+++ b/src/m_snapshot.c
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 #include "doomtype.h"
 #include "doomstat.h"
 
-#include "i_video.h"
 #include "m_io.h"
 #include "v_video.h"
 #include "r_main.h"
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ static void M_TakeSnapshot (void)
   {
     for (x = video.deltaw; x < NONWIDEWIDTH + video.deltaw; x++)
     {
-      *p++ = s[V_ScaleY(y) * video.width + V_ScaleX(x)];
+      *p++ = s[V_ScaleY(y) * video.pitch + V_ScaleX(x)];
     }
   }
 
@@ -164,7 +163,7 @@ boolean M_DrawSnapshot (int n, int x, int y, int w, int h)
   const fixed_t step_x = (SCREENWIDTH << FRACBITS) / rect.sw;
   const fixed_t step_y = (SCREENHEIGHT << FRACBITS) / rect.sh;
 
-  byte *dest = I_VideoBuffer + rect.sy * video.width + rect.sx;
+  byte *dest = I_VideoBuffer + rect.sy * video.pitch + rect.sx;
 
   fixed_t srcx, srcy;
   int destx, desty;
@@ -172,7 +171,7 @@ boolean M_DrawSnapshot (int n, int x, int y, int w, int h)
 
   for (desty = 0, srcy = 0; desty < rect.sh; desty++, srcy += step_y)
   {
-    destline = dest + desty * video.width;
+    destline = dest + desty * video.pitch;
     srcline = snapshots[n] + (srcy >> FRACBITS) * SCREENWIDTH;
 
     for (destx = 0, srcx = 0; destx < rect.sw; destx++, srcx += step_x)
diff --git a/src/r_draw.c b/src/r_draw.c
index abbb0f9f..d1df014d 100644
--- a/src/r_draw.c
+++ b/src/r_draw.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ int  viewwindowx;
 int  viewwindowy; 
 static byte **ylookup = NULL;
 static int  *columnofs = NULL;
-static int  linesize = SCREENWIDTH;  // killough 11/98
+static int  linesize;  // killough 11/98
 
 // Color tables for different players,
 //  translate a limited part to another
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ void R_InitBuffer(void)
 {
   int i;
 
-  linesize = video.width;    // killough 11/98
+  linesize = video.pitch;    // killough 11/98
 
   // Handle resize,
   //  e.g. smaller view windows
diff --git a/src/r_voxel.c b/src/r_voxel.c
index 1a3bc2a6..fe42eca6 100644
--- a/src/r_voxel.c
+++ b/src/r_voxel.c
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ static void VX_DrawColumn (vissprite_t * spr, int x, int y)
 
 	boolean shadow = ((spr->mobjflags & MF_SHADOW) != 0);
 
-	int linesize = video.width;
+	int linesize = video.pitch;
 	byte * dest = I_VideoBuffer + viewwindowy * linesize + viewwindowx;
 
 	// iterate over screen columns
diff --git a/src/st_stuff.c b/src/st_stuff.c
index 64f4d25a..b837e131 100644
--- a/src/st_stuff.c
+++ b/src/st_stuff.c
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ static void ST_DrawSolidBackground(int st_x)
     {
       for (x = 0; x < depth; x++)
       {
-        byte *c = st_backing_screen + V_ScaleY(y) * video.width + V_ScaleX(x + offset);
+        byte *c = st_backing_screen + V_ScaleY(y) * video.pitch + V_ScaleX(x + offset);
         r += pal[3 * c[0] + 0];
         g += pal[3 * c[0] + 1];
         b += pal[3 * c[0] + 2];
@@ -1327,14 +1327,7 @@ void ST_Init(void)
 
 void ST_InitRes(void)
 {
-  vrect_t rect;
-
-  rect.x = 0;
-  rect.y = 0;
-  rect.w = video.unscaledw;
-  rect.h = StatusBarBufferHeight();
-
-  V_ScaleRect(&rect);
+  int height = V_ScaleY(StatusBarBufferHeight());
 
   if (st_backing_screen)
   {
@@ -1342,7 +1335,7 @@ void ST_InitRes(void)
   }
 
   // killough 11/98: allocate enough for hires
-  st_backing_screen = Z_Malloc(rect.sw * rect.sh * sizeof(*st_backing_screen), PU_STATIC, 0);
+  st_backing_screen = Z_Malloc(video.pitch * height * sizeof(*st_backing_screen), PU_STATIC, 0);
 }
 
 void ST_Warnings(void)
diff --git a/src/v_video.c b/src/v_video.c
index d77d2bc4..987ee59f 100644
--- a/src/v_video.c
+++ b/src/v_video.c
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ void V_Init(void)
     int i;
     fixed_t frac, lastfrac;
 
-    linesize = video.width;
+    linesize = video.pitch;
 
     video.xscale = (video.width << FRACBITS) / video.unscaledw;
     video.yscale = (video.height << FRACBITS) / SCREENHEIGHT;
diff --git a/src/v_video.h b/src/v_video.h
index 44ec9d25..e4f8cb23 100644
--- a/src/v_video.h
+++ b/src/v_video.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ typedef struct
 {
     int width;
     int height;
+    int pitch;
     int unscaledw;  // unscaled width with correction for widecreen
     int deltaw;     // widescreen delta