Can you change a window boxed DVD to 16:9

[AndyLGR]

I received 2 concert dvds that seem to have the incorrect aspect ration on them. But I am having problems in making one of them 16:9 and I am hoping someone can offer any help / advice.

Show # 1
When watching the show there were black bars down both sides and it was clear that the picture was horizontally squashed to fit into 4:3 AR, as everyone was taller and thinner. When I changed my TV to 16:9 the picture corrected itself. I analysed the disc in gspot and it showed as 4:3 aspect ratio PAL dvd. So I used dvdpatcher to change the vob file to 16:9, I then re-authored the disc to add chapters and it plays fine and in the correct ratio with no squashing of the image.

Show # 2
Again I analysed it in gspot and it showed as 4:3 aspect ratio PAL dvd. However this dvd is window boxed. There looks to be no squashing or stretching on the picture and it has black bars horizontally and vertically. When I change my tv to display in 16:9 it looks as though the image is stretched horizontally and the people seem shorter and fatter. I had hoped to use dvdpatcher to change the aspect ratio to 16:9, but all this does when I put it in to the DVD authoring package (tmpgenc) is to make make the picture the correct width for 16:9 but it squashes it vertically and again everyone seems fatter.

Is there anything that can be done to this second disc, to make it play at 16:9 but with everything at the correct ratio without any distortion to the people? Or am I stuck with what essentially seems like a 16:9 picture but within a 4:3 AR?

I don’t have access to the original source files, I just have copies of them on disc.

Thanks

[fritzi93]

For quick and dirty (also the easiest way), you could try DVDRB, and use the option to convert 4:3 to 16:9. That means re-encoding, but I don't think you can successfully patch that second DVD. If I'm wrong, no doubt someone will speedily correct me.

I have a very early production DVD (Home Alone) that was poorly authored; it displays like yours. DVDRB can fix that one, maybe yours too. Good luck.

[DB83]

You can re-author the 2nd disk by removing 72 lines top and 72 lines bottom and re-encode the video at 16:9 - Mpeg2 source so you may well also have to de-interlace the video before cropping.

There will be some loss of quality in the re-encoding.

[manono]

fritzi93's right. You have to reencode the entire thing. Or just use the zoom on your remote control. Because it's widescreen 4:3 cropping out the black bars and resizing so you can encode it as 16:9 (or letting DVD-RB do it for you) won't help a whole lot because the resolution just isn't there to begin with.

[AndyLGR]

fritzi93's right. You have to reencode the entire thing. Or just use the zoom on your remote control. Because it's widescreen 4:3 cropping out the black bars and resizing so you can encode it as 16:9 (or letting DVD-RB do it for you) won't help a whole lot because the resolution just isn't there to begin with.

So DVD-RB isnt the way to go?

[manono]

DVD-RB will do the job. I'm just saying the picture won't be any (or much) better than what you'll get from just using the zoom button on your remote control. It'll still be blurry whether zoomed or converted to 16:9 by DVD-RB.