Encoding Programs Resizing Source File

[TheCatacomb]

Hello, I have an .avi file that I captured using a screen recording program.

My .avi is 720x480 letterboxed (4:3). But whenever encoding to MPEG2, whether in Mainconcept Reference, or Convertxtodvd, the video frame becomes smaller, and the image is squeezed. I don't know why these programs are distorting it. I am encoding in 4:3, same as the original file.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

EDIT: When I take virtualdub screenshots of both files they're the same. But for some reason the video players are squeezing the video vertically and horizontally. Am I doing something wrong in the encoding process?

AVI when viewed in VLC and MPC:
http://www.imagebam.com/image/4eb110472824678

MPEG2 when viewed in VLC and MPC:
http://www.imagebam.com/image/eb724c472824679

[LMotlow]

720x480 isn't 4:3.
It's 1.5:1.

When encoded for MPEG 4:3 aspect ratio, the playback image is squeezed horizontally to 4:3, not vertically. Look at your own posted images. The MPEG2 plays a wide screen letterboxed image in a 4:3 frame, the way it's supposed to play.

Apparently your source is already 720x480. Is your source already an encoded format like MPEG or other digital format? If so, why are you capturing?

When you take VirtualDub screenshots of 720x480 video, it's being displayed as 720x480. Why are making screen captures of VirtualDub images? Don't you know VDub can capture frames directly to the clipboard? If you want see 4:3 in Virtualdub from a 720x480 frame, right-click on the image and choose 4:3 for the image display. You can do with the input pane and the output pane.

[TheCatacomb]

It's a capture of a stream. Last resort, I know, but every other version of this movie is very low quality.

Is there anything I can do so that the image does not get squeezed? The original capture is already in the correct aspect ratio.

[TheCatacomb]

720x480 isn't 4:3.
When you take VirtualDub screenshots of 720x480 video, it's being displayed as 720x480. Why are making screen captures of VirtualDub images? Don't you know VDub can capture frames directly to the clipboard? If you want see 4:3 in Virtualdub from a 720x480 frame, right-click on the image and choose 4:3 for the image display. You can do with the input pane and the output pane.

I didn't take screen captures of virtualdub images. I did as you said, I captured directly to the clipboard. I compared the screenshots of the MPEG and AVI for those and they looked the same.

I posted screen captures of the squeezed image VLC and MPC are displaying during playback.

[LMotlow]

It's a capture of a stream. Last resort, I know, but every other version of this movie is very low quality.

Is there anything that I can do so that the image does not get squeezed? The original capture is already in the correct aspect ratio.

A capture of a stream from what source?

Encode to square-pixel 720x480 and set the display aspect ratio to 1:1. You won't be able to author and burn that aspect ratio to DVD, BluRay, or AVCHD, if that's what you're after.

I didn't take screen captures of virtualdub images. I did as you said, I captured directly to the clipboard. I compared the screenshots of the MPEG and AVI for those and they looked the same.

Of course they did. They're both 720x480. Your MPEG version was encoded to play at 4:3, and in a player it correctly displays as 4:3.

If you think the 720x480 1.5:1 image you posted doesn't look horizontally distorted, you're going to have a very difficult time working with video.

[TheCatacomb]

[A capture of a stream from what source?

Encode to square-pixel 640x480 and set the display aspect ratio to 1:1. You won't be able to author and burn that frame size to DVD, BluRay, or AVCHD, if that's what you're after.

If you think the 720x480 image you posted doesn't look horizontally distorted, you're going to have a very difficult time working with video. need help.

What is the source used for the stream? I don't know. But it looks like VHS.

I can't encode square pixels as I'm trying to encode to DVD.

I've compared my capture (avi) to the the original stream and it looks exactly the same. I've also compared it to a TV rip and VHS of the same movie, and it also looks the same. That's why I said the MPEG looks distorted, but the avi does not.

Thanks for the help so far.

[TheCatacomb]

To clear up any confusion, this is how the image is supposed to look. 720x480 letterboxed AVI file prior to encoding:
http://www.imagebam.com/image/f05cf2472829680

But this is how it looks after I encode and play in VLC/MPC:
http://www.imagebam.com/image/57474b472830019

[LMotlow]

To clear up any confusion, this is how the image is supposed to look. 720x480 letterboxed AVI file prior to encoding:
http://www.imagebam.com/image/f05cf2472829680

But this is how it looks after I encode and play in VLC/MPC:
http://www.imagebam.com/image/57474b472830019

So encode it to a 1:1 display aspect ratio, and stop setting the display aspect ratio to 4:3. It will display as 720x480 when played.

[manono]

So encode it to a 1:1 display aspect ratio, and stop setting the display aspect ratio to 4:3.

That's okay for MPEG but not for DVD video.

I haven't seen enough to be able to tell that it's supposed to be square pixel 720x480. Like LMotlow, I would think anything capped at 720x480 isn't square pixel. But, if you really want it to display in the same aspect ratio as the AVI after having made the DVD, you'll have to add black bars above and below. One way, in AviSynth speak, is to resize it to 720x432 and then add 24 rows of pixels both above and below to bring it back to 720x480:

LanczosResize(720,432)
AddBorders(0,24,0,24)

Then encode as 4:3 for MPEG-2 DVD video. I have no idea whether or not Mainconcept Reference or Convertxtodvd can do these things within the programs. I believe MainConcept will accept AviSynth scripts as input, as will most MPEG-2 encoders.

[TheCatacomb]

Thanks for the help, guys.

So encode it to a 1:1 display aspect ratio, and stop setting the display aspect ratio to 4:3.

That's okay for MPEG but not for DVD video.

I haven't seen enough to be able to tell that it's supposed to be square pixel 720x480. Like LMotlow, I would think anything capped at 720x480 isn't square pixel. But, if you really want it to display in the same aspect ratio as the AVI after having made the DVD, you'll have to add black bars above and below. One way, in AviSynth speak, is to resize it to 720x432 and then add 24 rows of pixels both above and below to bring it back to 720x480:

LanczosResize(720,432)
AddBorders(0,24,0,24)

Then encode as 4:3 for MPEG-2 DVD video. I have no idea whether or not Mainconcept Reference or Convertxtodvd can do these things within the programs. I believe MainConcept will accept AviSynth scripts as input, as will most MPEG-2 encoders.

Yeah, I've frameserved from Avisynth to Mainconcept in the past.

Perhaps I should capture the stream again? Capturing at 720x480 pixels seems to be causing problems. Considering that 1) the streaming video looks sourced from a letterboxed NTSC VHS, and 2) I want to encode to dvd, what resolution would be better for capture?

[jagabo]

If the video is already scaled to square pixel you need to capture a 4:3 frame (like 640x480) then resize to 720x480 and encode for 4:3 DVD.

But I think the streamed video in this image http://www.imagebam.com/image/f05cf2472829680 has the wrong aspect ratio. It needs to be about 13 percent wider. It was probably a 720x480 ITU 4:3 cap uploaded as 1:1 PAR.

[TheCatacomb]

If the video is already scaled to square pixel you need to capture a 4:3 frame (like 640x480) then resize to 720x480 and encode for 4:3 DVD.

But I think the streamed video in this image http://www.imagebam.com/image/f05cf2472829680 has the wrong aspect ratio. It needs to be about 13 percent wider. It was probably a 720x480 ITU 4:3 cap uploaded as 1:1 PAR.

So I capture at 640x480, make it 13 percent wider: LanczosResize(724,480), then resize again to 720x480?


Here's some screen captures of the stream:

http://114.imagebam.com/download/fD0nKlDpM6QIuGjIkm4pYA/47285/472840132/2.jpg
http://114.imagebam.com/download/1KiMxwBptKoJs4wl01lF9A/47285/472840128/1.jpg
http://114.imagebam.com/download/AvKP8X6bfY6rnw48gBU1PQ/47285/472840382/4.jpg

Comparison between the stream and other versions of this movie:

Stream:
http://www.imagebam.com/image/b82f14472840383
TV Rip 1:
http://s020.radikal.ru/i706/1603/fa/f7395da715f9.jpg
VHS:
http://s018.radikal.ru/i524/1603/2f/a8d21ea7b160.jpg
TV Rip 2:
http://s19.radikal.ru/i192/1603/75/ad2cb7289c59.jpg

[davexnet]

Why don't you post 10 - 15 seconds of the source avi showing a scene that may help to determine the aspect ratio ?

[jagabo]

Why don't you post a link the the stream -- it it's publicly available?

[TheCatacomb]

No, it's not publicly available. It's VOD.

I attached the Toei opening (captured at 640x480), but this link should dl faster:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzvdU5YwsmAgU2o0ZnZtbnM2cHc/view?usp=sharing

[jagabo]

What is the name of the movie? See what IMDB has to say about the aspect ratio. Looks like it should be 2.35:1.

[TheCatacomb]

Title: 極悪拳法

It's not on IMDB.

[jagabo]

Title: 極悪拳法

LOL. That doesn't help me. But with your AVI file, I'd crop 52 pixels off the left and right, resize to 720x480, then encode as 4:3 DAR MPEG 2 -- I'm guessing you're using MPEG 2 to make a DVD. That gives an AR that closely matches the Toei logo from other movies.