Author to DVD to get Anamorphic SVCD to play properly?

[LisaB]

I have an anamorphic 16x9 SVCD. Like most DVD players, mine ignores aspect ratio tags in SVCD files, and thus the video is stretched vertically when I play it.

Of course, I could always re-encode with black bars...but that would mean a quality hit, not to mention a lot of encoding time.

However, it is my understanding that anamorphic is standard in the DVD world, and so DVD players actually pay attention to aspect ratio for DVD video.

So, if I use a program like SVCD2DVDMPG or TMPGEnc DVDAuthor, which allows converting S/VCD content to DVD content without re-encoding the video, will this enable me to view my SVCD movie with the correct aspect ratio on my standalone DVD without having to re-encode?

If so, are there any settings I need to be aware of when using SVCD2DVDMPG? I just got a DVD burner, but is it possible to just do miniDVD and burn to CD-R?

[Gurm]

Well...

You MIGHT get lucky. You might not.

It really depends on how thoroughly faked our your player is by the header magic CB works.

Pioneer players, mine included, just get ALL confused. I wouldn't want to even THINK about an anamorphic SVCD transfer. But other players are much better.

YMMV...

- Gurm

[LisaB]

Oh, sure, I know if my DVD player doesn't support DVD-SVCD (I think that's what they're calling it), then I can't pull this trick off......but if it does...I wonder if it is likely to work...

Come one...anybody? Has no one out there put an anamorphic SVCD on a DVD?

[Gurm]

Lisa,

It's more than that.

It's whether your DVD player will, upon seeing a DVD-SVCD, decide to render it "mostly" as a DVD or "mostly" as an SVCD.

My Pioneer renders it "mostly" as an SVCD, which means that the ONLY benefit I gain from this process is saving blank CD's, and not getting up to switch them.

Other players that I've tried render it "mostly" as a DVD, which means that the anamorphic "might" work, and that you can FF and RW like a DVD, etc. etc.

So... try it. Burn to a rewriteable first and give it a shot.

- Gurm

[LisaB]

I'm getting the Pioneer 105, but I'll try anyway I guess...

Hope it's a good burner. It does seem to be very popular, and now finally inexpensive.

[joepic]

I'm getting the Pioneer 105

There maybe some confusion here, GURM is talking about his DVD standalone player being a Pioneer not the burner.

[LisaB]

Answer: Yes, anamorphic SVCD works when authored to DVD!

I use TMPGEnc DVD Author. Before starting, I used DVDPatcher to set DAR flags to 16:9 for the whole file.

Use SVCD2DVDMPG and patch entire file to 720 or 704 width (not 352!). After authoring, repatch VOB's, entire files, to original aspect ratio.

Apparently, 16:9 is not a valid aspec ratio for 352x480(576), thus the 720 or 704.

[furii]

Lisa,

Just out of curiosity what kind of dvd player are you playing this on?

[LisaB]

Fujilink TH368 is the player I am using. It is a very obscure brand, the main reason it was purchased is because it plays cd-g (i.e., karaoke). But it also plays mpeg burned straight to ISO CD or DVD. It doesn't like DVD-RW or Ultra-Highspeed CD-RW.

I bet this will work on just about any DVD player that will play SVCD authored to DVD....

Oh, and what I meant to say was...after authoring repatch entire VOB files to original *WIDTH* (i.e., 480)