2.40:1 aspect ratio help - Please....

[ionblue]

I've been trying to find the best settings for converting DVD's to a format that I can stream to my freshly modded Xbox and have been having a hell of a time getting it right. I finally got settings that work for AC3 passthrough using mencoder MPEG4 for video and "passthrough" for audio. No other settings worked - all I ended up with was stereo instead of 5.1.

Anyway, back on point. Now I can't seem to get the aspect ratio right to be able to watch both on my 16x9 tv AND my Mac. The DVD I am using is 2.40:1 ratio. ffmpegX auto selects 16x9 for size, but that still leaves bars. If I use Autocrop, forget about it! I end up with a rectangle in the middle of the screen with only a section of the video actually showing! If I set the crop myself to what I think it should be (and incidently, Handbrake uses these settings) - 64 - 64 - 0 - 0 - than it will stretch fine on the TV, but is all compressed on my Mac. I've even tried "Unconstrained" and setting the crop - I get the same thing. In fact I've tried just about every combination I can find and get the same thing.

So, is there a way to preserve the AC3 5.1 audio as I have done AND get the video cropped the way it should be, too? Please? Help?

Thanks.

Anthony

[Case]

If I use Autocrop, forget about it! I end up with a rectangle in the middle of the screen with only a section of the video actually showing!

The Autocrop uses a frame from the Preview start time. If the frame at the default 00:30 is mostly black, then it will crop wrongly, as indicated by the white crop line in mplayer.

[ionblue]

hmmm....that's interesting. I didn't realize that!! If that was in the FAQ somewhere, I missed it. Sorry bout that. I'll have to give that another whirl after changing the time and see what I come up with.

Thanks much.