DV Resolution

[mhar4]

I am new to capturing and I am a little confused about the standard DV PAL resolution. I know it is 720x576, but this is not exactly 4:3, and when I capture video (with a Formac Studio TVR) the image is slightly compressed horizontally, i.e. people look a little thin. Now, you can change the resolution to 768x576, and that gives a correct aspect ratio and everyone looks fine. But, MPEG-2 DVD PAL resolution is also 720x576. Does this mean that it is necessary in all instances to re-scale the captured DV? I know how to do this, and to remove interlacing and all the rest, but a necessary rescaling step seems odd and I am wondering if I am missing something here.

[thayne]

Keep it 720x576, 768X576 is not a valid DVD resolution. DVD players scale it correctly during playback.

[Solarjetman]

Your "problem" is that the 4:3 ratio is not a ratio of the number of pixels, but of the physical size. And a pixel on a television is not square, but it is square on a computer. So unless your video player adjusts for this, it will look odd when viewed on a computer.

In short, you have no problem, other than you may want to find a video player for your computer that will adjust for this fact.

[mhar4]

ok, that makes it all much clearer. Thanks for everyone's help.

[mhar4]

Oh, no it doesn't. If I capture video at 720x576 it looks slighly squashed on the computer screen but you are saying that when it is ripped as MPEG-2 and played on a DVD player it will be stretched out to its correct aspect. But what if I have something like a still photo imported into a DV file. It will look fine on the the computer but will it end up being stretched (i.e. flattened) on a TV screen? In other words, is there some stage of the capture-rip-author process that requires compensation for the un-square pixels of a TV?

[energy80s]

Yes, although most photo > CD applications will automatically make the adjustments for you.

[Solarjetman]

Oh, no it doesn't. If I capture video at 720x576 it looks slighly squashed on the computer screen but you are saying that when it is ripped as MPEG-2 and played on a DVD player it will be stretched out to its correct aspect.

Yes, it should look fine on the TV

But what if I have something like a still photo imported into a DV file. It will look fine on the the computer but will it end up being stretched (i.e. flattened) on a TV screen?

yep, it will look strange on the TV. But like energy80s said, many applications convert it automatically. Just make sure yours does.