Is it possible to convert non-anamorphic video to anamorphic

[evt]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone has ever tried converting non-anamorphic video to anamorphic video (enhanced for widescreen). And if so, what software did you use.

While I don't necessarily expect an improvement in pq my DVD player (Panasonic S97) does a horrible job of stretching non-anamorphic dvd's so I was looking for a way around it.

[guns1inger]

Yes, it can be done quite easily. If it is a DVD, I would suggest DVD Rebuilder Pro as the simplest way. It has an option to take letterboxed 4:3 and output 16:9.

If it is avi source then it is simply a matter of resizing correctly before encoding. FitCD or the resize calculator i my sig can give you the numbers.

[FulciLives]

Assuming you start out with Full D1 resolution ...

For 720x480 NTSC you would cut 60 from the top and 60 from the bottom. This will give you 720x360. You then resize that back to 720x480 and it is now 16x9

For 720x576 PAL you would cut 72 from the top and 72 from the bottom. This will give you 720x432. You then resize that back to 720x576 and it is now 16x9

You MUST be very carefull how you do the resize if you have interlaced video. The method that FitCD uses is OK but not the best. You might want to check into using AviSynth. The doom9 forum has an excellent AviSynth forum and that would be the place to ask. It has been a long time since I've had to do this and I'm fuzzy on it myself.

...

OK I looked at an old AviSynth script and this is how I did it:

LoadPlugin("Convolution3d.dll")
avisource("D:\CAPTURE\br.avi")
Trim(195,42620)
crop(0,60,-0,-60)
jdl_UnfoldFieldsVertical(true)
Convolution3D(0, 6, 10, 6, 8, 2.8, 0)
LanczosResize(688,480)
jdl_FoldFieldsVertical(true)
AddBorders(16,0,16,0)
ConvertToYUY2(interlaced=true)

This was based on a capture that was done at 688x480 and I know that sounds like an "odd" width (688 instead of 720) but that was with a BT based capture card and that was how it worked for a proper DVD aspect ratio.

To get the jdl stuff look here on this website: http://www.avisynth.org/stickboy/

Good Luck

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

Here is a sample script with the stuff you need for the resize only part:
For NTSC

crop(0,60,-0,-60)
jdl_UnfoldFieldsVertical(true)
LanczosResize(720,480)
jdl_FoldFieldsVertical(true)

For PAL

crop(0,72,-0,-72)
jdl_UnfoldFieldsVertical(true)
LanczosResize(720,576)
jdl_FoldFieldsVertical(true)

[mikiem]

Check the source -- if it's progressive with pulldown, you shouldn't have to worry about resize, except you'll take a resizing/rendering quality hit. If it's interlaced, as John posted, things can get wierd -- 1 field line = 1 pixel height, until you enlarge -> then line one is line one plus part of line 2 etc. Also as John posted, Avisynth or V/Dub let you unfold fields, work on them separately to try & get away from that.

In a perfect world we'd be able to generate an accurate full frame from every field, but AFAIK no one's found that perfect world yet.

[evt]

Thanks for the advice guys. I tried DVD Rebuilder but I wasn't able to convert to 16x9.

I set DVD Rebuilder to No Compression mode and went into options and selected Convert LB 4x3 to 16x9 I then selected prepare, then encode, then rebuild.

When the process was complete the result was still a LB 4x3 picture.

Do I have to use DVD Rebuilder in conjunction with an encoder like CCE even though I don't want to compress the video. Even in the case of a dual layer DVD I'd rather just burn to a dual layer disc.

The thing is I own about 15 - 20 non-anamorphic DVD's for which there is no 16x9 version available so I'd like to convert them to 16x9 with software since my DVD player does a poor job of scaling LB 4x3.

[MaxBlack]

DVD Rebuilder should have worked. Try it again, in 3-click mode, and this time, after PREPARE phase, look at one of the .avs files for the main movie VTS, and it should look something like this:

#------------------
# AVS File Created by DVD Rebuilder
# VOBID:01, CELLID:03
#------------------
LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\DVD-RB PRO\DGDecode.dll")
mpeg2source("D:\DVD REBUILDER WORK\D2VAVS\V01.D2V")
trim(7982,8228)
LanczosResize(720,480,0,60,720,360)
ConvertToYV12()

Note the LanczosResize; that is what is doing the anamorphic conversion. Yes, the whole movie is re-encoded because you are changing the shape & size of the video frames. I use the free HCbatch encoder that comes with DVD-RB Pro, works great.

If you just can't get it to work, find DVD2SVCD (here somewhere) and give it a go. A little more complicated though.

P.S. There is something of a "double whammy" I think, if you try to take a DL disc movie (larger than a DVD5) and try to both "upconvert" it to an anamorphic widescreen AND compress it to fit a DVD5. If it's a long movie, you should consider Rebuilding to a DL disc, which again is doable w/DVD-RB Pro by changing the TARGET_SECTORS option in the REBUILDER.INI file) to reflect the larger size of a DVD+R DL disc.

[manono]

Do I have to use DVD Rebuilder in conjunction with an encoder like CCE even though I don't want to compress the video.

Of course you do. You can't crop and resize without reencoding.

[AVR2]

While I don't necessarily expect an improvement in pq

That's good, because cropping and resizing 4:3 video to 16:9 anamorphic will always result in a loss of both quality and picture information.

[bdf24]

Do I have to use DVD Rebuilder in conjunction with an encoder like CCE even though I don't want to compress the video.

Of course you do. You can't crop and resize without reencoding.

I was just going to say the same thing till I read your reply.

[MaxBlack]

...While I don't necessarily expect an improvement in pq my DVD player (Panasonic S97) does a horrible job of stretching non-anamorphic dvd's so I was looking for a way around it.

To evt, don't be discouraged by other posters' comments. Both DVD-RB and DVD2SVCD do a great job with this task. If indeed your player does "a horrible job" w/letterboxed discs, conversion is worth a try--indeed others who have done this will swear by it!

[evt]

Okay I managed to get it to work; I used the HC Encoder mode and I set the option to convert LB 4x3 to 16x9. The disc I converted was a DVD5; now how can I convert a a dual layer disc? Do I just select No Compression mode or can I still use HC Encoder and adjust a setting of some sort? If I have to adjust a setting can someone please provide step-by-step instructions.

Thanks again guys.

[FulciLives]

Okay I managed to get it to work; I used the HC Encoder mode and I set the option to convert LB 4x3 to 16x9. The disc I converted was a DVD5; now how can I convert a a dual layer disc? Do I just select No Compression mode or can I still use HC Encoder and adjust a setting of some sort? If I have to adjust a setting can someone please provide step-by-step instructions.

Thanks again guys.

The main reason DVD Rebuilder was created is to make a back-up of a dual layer DVD to a single layer DVD recordable.

I'm sure there are guies here as well as the doom9 website on how to use it properly.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[guns1inger]

It will have to re-encode because it has changed the video. Set it up for no compresssion, then just run the prepare stage and see what numbers it prodces at the end.

You will also have to change your rebuilder.ini file to alter the target sizes. From the manual

Target Output Size

TargetSectors= nnnn
CCETargetSectors=nnnn
ReJigTargetSectors=nnnn
QuEncTargetSectors=nnnn
HCTargetSectors=nnnn
ProcodertSectors=nnnn


Use Sectors, 1 sector = 2Kb.
Example: CCETargetSectors=2236400

As a reference the default for DVD-RB is 2236400 sectors and the maximum for a DVD-5 is around 2267500. You should always leave a some room for error.

TargetSectors will be the default for all methods. Other, mode specific, target sector settings will override it when using that mode.

Disclaimer: Don't blame DVD-RB if you use this hidden option and the result is too large or small. Remove the setting and try again.

Note : These numbers pertain to DVD5 sizing. You will have to get DVD9 sizes yourself.

[manono]

Never mind. Sorry.

[MaxBlack]

...how can I convert a a dual layer disc? Do I just select No Compression mode or can I still use HC Encoder and adjust a setting of some sort? If I have to adjust a setting can someone please provide step-by-step instructions...

Try putting the following into your REBUILDER.INI file. Note my DL discs are the Verbatims:

#This is for DVD+R DL discs, about 110Meg less than the full 4173824
TargetSectors=4116776
#This is so RB leaves the layer break alone
LAYER_BREAK_REMOVAL=0

This will tell RB that you have DVD9 "headroom" to use, and HC (use "Best" mode) will re-encode to take advantage of the extra bits available. Regarding the layer break, leaving the original one in ought to work unless you re-organize the disc somehow (the file sizes leading-up to the break must be longer than those after the break). I'd try it the above way first (as it worked for me).

P.S. Re "No compression" mode, I don't recall changing that at all for the couple of DVD9s I've made. Since you will be re-encoding anyway, I'd leave this alone (don't set it to "no compression") and let the encoder do the work (knowing the target it needs to keep below).