Tivo video: resolution issues

[quark4]

I transferred a TV show from my Tivo to my home computer. Then I converted it to an mpeg2 file. Next step was to author a DVD and burn it. When I tried to burn an NTSC DVD, my authoring tool flashed a warning that the resolution of the mepg2 file was not the same as the NTSC DVD standard. (And how could it be? My original video was of a TV show, 480x480 or something like that.)

The tool told me that my video would be converted to 720x480 NTSC DVD format by putting black vertical bars on both sides. Of course, in addition to these side bars the NTSC DVD will have black bars at the top and bottom too.

This doesn't sound right. Why should I have to convert a 480x480 video by putting black bars all around to burn it to DVD, when I want to watch it on a 480x480 TV screen later?

Any insights will be appreciated.

[yoda313]

Hi,

480x480 is SVCD resolution. Thats what the authoring software thinks it is. Even if its high quality looking on the tv if you capture at 480x480 that isn't dvd standard.

Just capture on to the pc at 720x480 the first time and you won't have to reencode it.

Kevin

[kirky99]

The problem is he didn't capture it, it was a show transfer directory from Tivo. Tivo captures it's video in 480x480, why they do that is beyond me.

Unfortunately I have yet to find an acceptable way to convert the videos to work well for me. I've been having trouble with audio sync. My issue may be a codec issue, but frankly I've been too busy to care much about it. Just haven't done any Tivo2Go transfers.

[johns0]

No need to convert,just use dvdlab or dvdauthorgui and author,then burn and see if it plays on your dvd player,most newer ones will play this type of dvd.

[SatStorm]

For a "true" DVD, you need to re-encode your source to a DVD Valid framesize. 352/704/720 x 480/576 that is

You can also use dvdlab / dvdauthor to create a non standard DVD that might play OK on your standalone

A third alternative, go buy a cheap DVD standalone that accept mpeg files as is. Burn your stuff on DVDs as data, and watch them that way.