Black Borders won't go away!!!

[mirandapanda]

When I burn a dvd the picture is fine in the preview mode on windows dvd maker but as soon as I put it in my dvd player there are black borders around the picture and it looks like it has been squished in from the sides, (actor's heads looked squished and long). I have burned it using 4:3 and 16:9 ratios, (I'm just trying anything now)...
I have seen thousands of people asking this question, but I can't find a straight answer...

[guns1inger]

I haven't seen thousands asking the same question, so I don't know where you have been hanging out.

I would start by giving us more information about the source (and perhaps a g-spot screenshot to go with it), and some post creation details about the DVD. Again, perhaps g-spot the VOBs.

It sounds like a 16:9 encoded video that has been incorrectly flagged as 4:3, however it could also be to do with the playback set up, so some information on that might help.

What does it look like on the PC ? Using what software ?
What does it look like on the TV ? What type of TV (4:3 or 16:9) ?

[mirandapanda]

so on the computer, if I play the file in windows media, it looks fine, (widescreen, picture looks normal). I'm using windows dvd maker to burn and encode the files. When I play the dvd on the tv it has the widescreen black bars at the top and bottom, (like normal), but then it has black bars on both the left and right sides of the picture as well and the picture looks squished from the sides, (it looks like the tv wont let the picture stretch out to the edges of the screen). It happens on 90% of the dvds that I burn. The tv is 4:3.

[guns1inger]

Again - what is the source : use g-spot and post a screenshot.

Open the DVD and post a screenshot of g-spot from one of the main VOB files.

Try using FAVC or DVD Flick instead of Windows DVD Maker and see what happens.

[mirandapanda]

the file is avi not vob but I put it into gspot. GSpot says status: all codecs are installed.

[guns1inger]

The file is, apart from being a pirated movie and against the forums rules to discuss, approx. 2.35 :1. If you Windows DVD maker is not making a wdiescreen DVD from it, then you are using ir wrong. Without a screenshot from one of the DVD VOBs created by Windows DVD Maker, there is nothing else to say, and as this thread is likely to get locked very soon, you aren't likelty to solve the problem.

[mats.hogberg]

No help with illegal downloads here at VideoHelp.

/Mats