Convert from Anamorphic to Pan&Scan

[squiddaddy]

Is it possible to convert a DVD from Anamorphic to Pan&Scan format while converting to SVCD, eliminating the black bars, and if so, can someone explain how to do it? Some DVD's are only available in Widescreen, and it would be nice to convert to normal screen before making an SVCD.


Thanks.

[Sefy]

Basicly you can do that, but WHY ?? the whole movie will get out of proportions if you crop the black bars.

[squiddaddy]

I asked so I could basically duplicate what happens when you buy a standard formatted DVD. It was my understanding that the black bars do not exist in the original movie, that it is just the playback adjusting the aspect ratio to the TV. When you buy a VHS tape, you get a message stating that the movie has been formatted to fit your screen. I still just don't see why we can't do that in the conversion process.

[Sefy]

I'm not saying you can't do that, I was asking why on earth would you want to bother a Wide Screen movie to a Full Screen ?
I just took by mistake the Full Screen version of The Grinch, and man I tell you, it's hurrible!

as for your question, you can use DVD2MPG or Flask and I think even DVDx to crop your movie if you insist on doing so.

[squiddaddy]

Thanks for the response. I didn't realize that you would lose that much quality in the video. Guess I just need to get a bigger TV, so the widescreen versions don't look so cramped.

[kinneera]

Sefy, I think what he's trying to ask is whether it is possible to convert a widescreen movie to full screen using the pan & scan method. As I understand it, pan & scan involves panning within the widescreen frame to ensure that the primary subject/focus of the scene doesn't get cut out when the widescreen is cropped on the sides (not stretched) to convert to the full screen aspect ratio.

Assuming that is the case, then the answer is no...there is no simple way of doing that with the kind of tools at our disposal.

[Sefy]

Even at Pan and Scan, it's a butcher to the Movie, you are losing so much from the sides, it's not worth it. keeping the Wide Screen is the best option.

[ya_jai]

how about for ones who watch wide screen on 20" TV or less? I always watch wide screen dvd in letter box mode with my 27" TV and always make a back up in letter box mode as well. I don't think I loose any important things out of those DVD. Yes sometime there are details that you miss but is it so important?

[Greg12]

Yes I agree with Mr. ya_jai.

I have a movie, that on my 27 inch TV, the picture is 2 inches tall. Their's more black than movie.

Yes, you loose some of the picture when you pan and scan but i'd rather loose some of the sides than have 2 inches of picture.

I think that most DVD"s could include both a Full and a Widescreen version.

And then u get these "Widescreen Collection" movies.

WHERE THE HELL IS THE FULL SCREEN COLLECTION???????!!!!!!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Greg12 on 2001-12-05 17:37:18 ]</font>

[Mr Walker]

In TMPGEnc you should use the setting "no borders keep aspect ratio" as output (if you are in the menu for cropping and choose output tab you can see how the movie will look). This will give you an full frame picture(not true pan&scan). Or you could resize an 2,35:1 movie to 16:9 with some math and get alittle bigger picture and still not loose all in the side.

For some really good info about Aspect Ratio look at this.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/anamorphic/aspectratios/widescreenorama.html

/Mr Walker

[Sefy]

If you use no border (and I know, cause I used to) you will get alot of the sides cut off, you should always have some sort of ratio, or your movie will be cut off by the sides of the TV.

[TurboRunner]

hi,

You can by getting a program called dvtools which has a ratio guide and you can find the original ratio of the widescreen video then

in tmpgenc make sure you have loaded your vcd template
and under clip frame
0. for example the orignal with borders is 352x288
1. you can chop the black borders off.
2. Then note the size of the video after border is chopped(e.g. 352x18
3. Use dvtool in video dimensions and aspect ratio insert your size of the video eg 352x188 which the program will say it is a ratio of 1.87:1.
4. Ok now still in dvtool put the height of your end resulting video in eg for pal vcd is 288 then move the bar on the width accross untill the program says its a ratio of 1.87:1 which is 538 for the width so now you resolution is 538x288.

IMPORTANT when inserting numbers in the arrange settings tab it has to be an even number so when you get the ratio in dvtool make sure the width and height are even numbers.

5. Back to Tmpgenc click on the Arrange Setting tab and select under arrange method: center(Custom Size) and in there insert 538x288

which will now show you the end result of what you movie will be full screen with no borders.

As you can see there is a heap of the sides chopped and by switching between clip frame settings and arrange settings you can compare and see the difference between you widescreen version and the fullscreen.

If you were going to play it on a pal tv set you would subtract 28 from the width in arrange settings and subtact 24 for height in arrange settings which is about the amount of area the tv set chops. That will give you black border on the top and bottom but you will not see it on a pal tv set.

It works the same on an ntsc but the amount of chopping may be different to the pal so you will have to test it out by adjusting the subtraction of 28x24 while keeping the aspect ratio of ntsc vcd which is 352x240 which is a ratio of 1.47:1.

Hope this helps

[Sefy]

If you remove the black bars on the movie (crop) the movie will appear stretched out of proportion when played back on the TV!!

[TurboRunner]

I know but thats where the arrange setting come in and it corrects the ratio to how it should be.
You give it a try and find out

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-12-06 01:34:47, Sefy wrote:
If you remove the black bars on the movie (crop) the movie will appear stretched out of proportion when played back on the TV!!

</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

[Sefy]

Both methods are not all that much fun for true movie lovers:
1) Cropping, and you end up with a unproportional movie
2) Zoom-In, you lose the sides of the movie

It's a lose/lose way, but of course, that's each persons view.

[ya_jai]

Cropping black bar on top & bottom to be full screen of true 16:9 wide screen will give you a very strange look in movie. You can compare by do all 16:9 (wide), (letter box) and full screen.
I suggest compromising by go with Letterbox instead, you'll get bigger screen but also you lose some un-important detail on the side.
in TMPGenc
If movies are 16:9 true wide screen, set to "fit to frame"
If movies are pan&scan, set to "fit to frame (perserve aspect ratio)"