Set/Fix QuickTime "atoms"/"flags"?

[rumplestiltskin]

I have some video clips (H264 in an MP4 container). The device that created them (a Samsung SC-MX20 camcorder) fails to set the "16:9" flag. I can export from any number of applications and fix this but, of course, I'm transcoding. Is there an app for Mac or PC that can set the wide-screen flag so it displays properly?

I use both OSX and XP so I don't care which platform the solution might be found.

Thanks!

[poisondeathray]

Mp4muxer and certain builds of mp4box (YAMB is the gui) can set it in the container. Most windows based media players will have no difficulty with the flag, but their display characteristics may vary depending on the settings (e.g. some will upsize the display, but all should retain the proper aspect ratio).

If you use mp4box, the setting is the PAR, not the DAR. (e.g. for a 720x480 frame, 16:9 DAR, you would use a PAR of 32:27 in most cases)

If you plan on using QT, mp4muxer is more compatible

[rumplestiltskin]

Well, poisondeathray (a nice handle), neither of the two apps seems able to do anything with the video.

The "flag", by the way, is the "pasp" (picture aspect ratio).

[poisondeathray]

It works for display purposes, still thru container level signalling, but not thru the PASP box. (e.g 720x480 frame with DAR 16:9 will get displayed properly @ 853x480 thru QT player, and most other software players)

Here is a sample with the SAR adjusted at the container level by YAMB, that will play properly in QT player (~1MB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VSQ12O89

Here is more info if you want, lot of technobabble
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=141145

If you want to use MP4 use the PASP box, and make sure you have a proper MP4 file with IOD and BIFS and OD track.
If you don't like BIFS & Object Descriptor Framework you don't really want to use the MP4 file format, use 3GP, MOV or M4V instead.
...
The "transformation matrix" used by MP4muxer has nothing to do with container level signaling of PAR or SAR, this is don via PASP box/atom.