Anamorphic MPEG issues

[coder2000]

I don't know where this would go so I am posting here.

I have a couple of MPEG-2 files that are anamorphic however the file properties state that the files are to be played at 4:3. I have to otherwise force them to be 16:9. How would I change the files so they will play normally and burn to a dvd with the write properties?

[FulciLives]

You need to change the header information of the MPEG file to read 16:9 instead of 4:3

This can be done with a variety of software yet I'm not sure which is the "easiest" because my solution would be to demux the MPEG file into a video only file and an audio only file then run the video file through pulldown.exe but that is a bit of an "old school" way to do it.

There is probably an easier way to do it. I'm just not sure what that would be.

I do know that some DVD Authoring software will allow you to set the project to 16:9 even if the header of the file is 4:3 but other DVD Authoring software will force whatever the header of the MPEG file says.

One trick (another oldie but goodie) is to go ahead and do the DVD authoring step and if the software forces you to the header (in this case 4:3) you can then change that to 16:9 by changing the IFO files in the VIDEO_TS folder using IfoEdit ... before you create your ISO IMAGE file for burning of course.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[guns1inger]

DVDPatcher can alter the headers of a programme stream (mpeg).

Authoring a 16:9 disc with a 4:3 video may work in some players that only care what the ifo files say, but won't work in others that look at the actual video headers. Better to have it right in both.

[Alex_ander]

One of these:
1.DVDPatcher (use 'patch the whole file' mode for your MPEG)
2. TMPGEnc MPEG Editor (run through it using different output AR setting).
3.Authoring in TDA2 (there's an option to change AR for a track).

[FulciLives]

DVDPatcher can alter the headers of a programme stream (mpeg).

Authoring a 16:9 disc with a 4:3 video may work in some players that only care what the ifo files say, but won't work in others that look at the actual video headers. Better to have it right in both.

Sounds like DVDPatcher is the "easy" way of doing it.

I didn't know the IfoEdit method wouldn't work 100% ... I know in the "early days" I had to do that when using SpruceUp as it always flagged the output as 4:3 even if the MPEG file was 16:9

Hmmm I guess that is why IfoEdit always worked for me because the header already said 16:9 as I was only changing the IFO files to 16:9 since SpruceUp didn't do 16:9 but my MPEG headers were correct.

Funny this comming up today ... I had to use pulldown.exe to change a M2V to 16:9 just the other day.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[coder2000]

Thanks guys. I would have hated to resort to viewing an anamorphic video on my tv or trying a method that wouldn't do what I wanted.