WinDVD Creator changing aspect ratio on recorded files

[ClayinCA]

I am extremely new to this DVD-recording thing, and I don't think I'm violating any rules here by asking about this, but if I am, please correct me.

I have some files, given to me by a friend, which I think might have come from a bittorrent. They're HDTV files and in widescreen. When I use WinDVD Creator to make a DVD from these files, the resulting DVDs look beautiful, with one exception: the aspect ratio of the original widescreen picture is stretched into full frame on the DVD. I've gone though the help menu thoroughly on the WinDVD program, but can't find anything about maintaining the widescreen aspect ratio.

Does anybody know a way to do this? Is there a different, better program I should be using? Or is this some limitation of either the kind of file or the kind of DVD writer I have? (It's a Pacific Digital external writer.)

At my wits-end here - any help will be HUGELY appreciated!

[guns1inger]

In future, don't mention your friend, or wher you think the source might be. Don't ask, don't tell.

When you say stretched, do you mean it looks tall and thin ? Chances are it was broadcast in 16:9 anamorphic. Viewed at 4:3 will fill the screen, but make everything tall. If WinDVD Creator did it's job properly, it should have tagged the output as 16:9, and everything would be OK. By the looks of it, it hasn't done this. The question is, why not ? When you loaded the footage, did you tell WinDVD Creator it was 16:9 ? When you output the footage, did you specify it was to be 16:9 ?

All is not lost though. IFOEdit, one of the most daunting tools around, should be able to set things straight. You need to get the DVD content back onto your hard drive (DVD Decrypter), then use IFOEdit to set the 16:9 flags correctly. Don't ask me how though, I just know it can be done)

Of course, if things don't look tall and thin, this advice is moot.

[ClayinCA]

In future, don't mention your friend, or wher you think the source might be. Don't ask, don't tell.

Understood - I didn't want to get anybody in trouble, so I appreciate the advice!

When you say stretched, do you mean it looks tall and thin ?

Exactly!

Chances are it was broadcast in 16:9 anamorphic. Viewed at 4:3 will fill the screen, but make everything tall. If WinDVD Creator did it's job properly, it should have tagged the output as 16:9, and everything would be OK. By the looks of it, it hasn't done this. The question is, why not ? When you loaded the footage, did you tell WinDVD Creator it was 16:9 ? When you output the footage, did you specify it was to be 16:9 ?

I didn't know you had that option on WinDVD Creator. Going back over it now, I still can't figure out how to do this. The only "Output Format" I could find was under Options, but it only offers the choice between NTSC and PAL. There seems to be a filter called "Wide" in the "Video filters" menu, but I'm not sure if this is it or not.

All is not lost though. IFOEdit, one of the most daunting tools around, should be able to set things straight. You need to get the DVD content back onto your hard drive (DVD Decrypter), then use IFOEdit to set the 16:9 flags correctly. Don't ask me how though, I just know it can be done)

Hmmm...well I've got DVD Decrypter, but I'll have to look into the other program. I'm really over my head here -- thanks very much for the advice. If anybody else has any suggestions, I'd be eternally grateful for those as well!

Thanks!

Of course, if things don't look tall and thin, this advice is moot.

[guns1inger]

Wide is probably it - as in Widescreen. I can't any mention of this feature on the website, or any mention of 16:9. You can give it a try with Wide output and see what happens. If this doesn't fix it then you will have to take more drastic action. Let's cross that bridge if we have to later.

[ClayinCA]

Well, I tried using the "Wide" video filter, and it helped - a little. The image is still stretched, but not as much, and the image on the finalized DVD has a slight black band across the top and bottom, as though it tried to do the letterboxing but didn't quite make it.

The odd thing is that when I applied the "Wide" filter, the image in the preview video window looked correct - but not in the final DVD.

I'm about ready to give up...

[guns1inger]

It is one of two things.

1. The 16:9 flags still have not been set correctly
2. Your DVD player is not set correctly

It is probably 1, but you never know. If the DVD looks OK when playing on the PC, but wrong on TV, check that your DVD player is outputing letterbox for 16:9, then try watching it again.

If the problem is 1., then I would suggest getting an authoring program that can do 16:9 properly. Tmpgenc DVD Author, DVD Lab, DVD Workshop 2 can all do this.

But don't give up just when it's getting interesting.

[ClayinCA]

Hi guns1inger,

Dunno if you (or anyone else who'd know about this) is still out there. I've been using the "Wide" filter on WinDVD fairly successfully, but have encountered another problem: this solution works fine if I'm recording at top quality (to fit 60 minutes onto a DVD) or the next step down (90 minutes), but whever I try to fit more on than that, the "Wide" filter crams everything down *too* small, so I'm left with my original problem.

I've also tried using Easy Media Creator 7.0, but it has the same problem, and again I can find nothing on the help menu that's...well, helpful. So I think you're right, and it's a case of WinDVD (and Easy Media) not tagging the output as 16:9. The problem, is, I don't know how to do this. You originally asked me "When you loaded the footage, did you tell WinDVD Creator it was 16:9 ? When you output the footage, did you specify it was to be 16:9?" And the answer is, no I didn't, because I can't find anything in either of these wretched programs to allow me to do this!

I hate to sound like a broken record, but does anybody have any help for me on this, that will allow me to use either of the two programs I already own? I don't want to have to shell out a ton of $$ for another program like the one guns1inger mentions, especially if it's overly difficult to figure out.

Thanks in advance!