black bars missing when encoding

[buraku]

This is the first time i've encountered this problem and i can't think of any reason why this is happening.

After I rip the 16:9 dvd (i've tried both dvd shrink and decrypter) and view the rip with media player or windvd, the movie looks just like the dvd would on my tv, with black bars at the bottom and top.

but when i prepare it to encode with xvid, whatever app i use to encode with stretches the image vertically to cover the top and bottom black bars. it does it in dvdx, dvd2avi, whatever. and the stats always still show the vid as being 720 x 480, which it is, but with bars missing for some reason so that the image stretches to fit 720 x 480.

the majority of the time i either use dvdx and set crop to custom/selection so that i can crop the black bars and still keep the original aspect ratio. or i prepare to frameserve to another app with dvd2avi. but in both apps, the file is shown without the bars for some reason.

i've tried everything. why is this happening?

[davefx]

maybe it is an anamorphic file. this will use 720 x 480 frame size with a widescreen aspect ratio, and it will look exactly like you say.

[buraku]

what do i do about this?

[celtic_druid]

Exactly, the player is stretching it horizontally. What you see in DVD2avi, etc. is how the actual file looks, as pixels on a PC monitor are square.

TWo options, set the PAR in the XviD config so that it resizes, same as the original or resize to 1:1 instead of 16:9.

[buraku]

thanks. i was about to serve to vdub and go through resizing and cropping filters. i think your option sounds easier.

[buraku]

well, the par configuration didn't work, so i used vdub filters instead. if i were to do this again, which resizing option would be the best to use? bilinear, bicubic, precise bicubic, or lanczor?

[funkguy4]

i think the best option would be to not serve thru VDub
avisynth yo

[buraku]

haha, yeah i've been hesitant to do so because of the lack of gui interface, but i guess now is the time to nut it up and step to the plate with avisynth.

[monzie]

If the DVD was encoded at 16:9 (regardless of the final AR) the horizontal of the avi should be 852 wide to keep the correct aspect ratio (16:9 enhanced mpeg2 enododings are 33% wider than standard 4:3 encodings YET contain no extra information..ie they are still 720 X 480...so using 852 would be pointless unless you want maximium height, 480).

Try this GUIDE (you can swap SmartRipper for DVDDecrypter if you want) and remember install all the software as given at the top of the page:

http://www.nanomessiah.com/dvd-backup/dvd-to-xvid.html

HTH

[buraku]

thanks for the tip, but the problem was that the vid was an anamorphic file and i didn't even realize it. dumb me.

[celtic_druid]

Yeah, AVISynth is faster and better quality than VDub as you get to keep the process in YV12 colourspace.

PAR works fine here, although it needs to be supported on playback to work, otherwise the pixels will be assumed 1:1.