Creating 16:9 file from 4:3 file

[ehmjay]

I have a film that I'm getting ready to release on DVD. It was shot in 16:9 and edited in final cut pro. However because some of the footage got shot in the standard 4:3 all all the photos were not 16:9 I edited in the normal 4:3 template. Once my film was finished I matted the film for 1.85:1 so that when viewed on a TV it would be letterboxed.

So here is my question...

How do I go about taking this final 4:3 letterboxed film, and remove the letterboxing to create a new file that will be 16:9 ready for use in DVDSP or iDVD?

What I'm trying to accomplish is being able to toss the disc into a DVD player and if you have a standard TV it would show letterboxed and if you have a widescreen tv it would show in 16:9.

How do I go about doing so? I do have Compressor, and QT Pro.

If someone could give me somewhat of a step-by-step guide through this (rather than just saying "you gotta do this") that would be really great.

Thanks in advanced.

[BsMx]

1. Download and install ffmpegx
2. Open the application, than drag-and-drop your 4:3 video to the source format.
3. Choose Output Format (I always use the DivX first, cause 'DVD ffmpeg' is not compatible with DVDSP).
4. Go to "Video" and set 16:9 and then NTSC or PAL and set a HIGH bitrate.
5. Go to "Audio" and if you want it to encode, then choose the format and the setting, if not, choose "passthrough" and deselect "encode audio"
6. Now go to "filters" and choose "autocrop" for it to eliminate the black bars up and down the vid.
7. Set it to encode. When it's finished I encode it now to DVD using "DVD mpeg2enc", with the conveniant bitrate, -DVD 16:9- (<- that's important if you want your vid look in that format) and then encode it.

I assume you know how to use DVDSP, but if not, just drop the m2v (and audio file) to the application and set the aspect ratio to "16:9 letterboxed" (if you have the latest version it automatically sets it, as long as your file is 16:9 encoded).

This is my way, I know ffmpegx can directly crop the file while converting it to MPEG2 but then you have to add flags or something to it and when I've done that, i have a lot of problems with the audio sync and that stuff... but maybe someone who knows more than me, will tell you another way.

Anyways... if you have any doubts, please tell me

[ehmjay]

Wow! thank you so much! that really helps...just one thing. Where do i find "DVD mpeg2enc"?? is it an option in ffmpegx or is it a seperate program?

[ehmjay]

bump

[willrob]

It is one of the codecs insalled during the process of intalling ffmpegx. It has to be downloaded seperately, but the installation takes you to it—you download it—and then the installer asks you where it is.