Changing the pixel size of Xvid AVI, but nothing else

[seaders]

So, my DVD Ripper of choice is Xilisoft, I find it the fastest option, with enough options, but nice enough GUI to be extremely usable. My problem with it, as I found out to my displeasure is when ripping 16:9 DVDs to Xvid avis. Now, they give you an option of the aspect ratio, but that bears no impact on the avi you end up with, no matter what you choose, it gives you a 4:3 avi, with 4:3 pixel size.

Now, I found a great program, MPEG4Modifier, http://www.moitah.net/ which changes the header information of the files, to say 16:9, instead of 4:3, so that programs like Windows Media Player and the like play it properly, which is great, but that wasn't what I wanted to use the rips for. I've an Archos MP4 player and wanted to watch the rips while travelling. Problem is that the Archos doesn't take any notice of the headers, obviously, it just plays the file how it is, so when it's on there, it still tries to play as 4:3 and all messed up.

So, after trying all the other way rounds, and not really interested in going through each and every DVD I ripped and doing it all over again, I was wondering if there's a program that'll hopefully batch convert loads of files, but not re-encode, just change pixel size. Is this even possible, I don't know? I've used AviDemux a little bit and that's great for just copying the stream you put in, but if I change a setting, I think it needs to fully re-encode, which I think would be a massive waste of effort.

Just to give you an example of this, as AviDemux also sees through my hack, here's an example of what it sees, as you can see, I've put a fake filter on the file, just to get a preview. So even though its size is 720*576, it's coming up as a stretched, 4:3 image:


Thanks for any help you'd be able to give and I'll take on board any and all reasonable suggestions.

[manono]

So even though its size is 720*576, it's coming up as a stretched, 4:3 image

No it's not. It's coming up as the original 1.25:1 (5:4) 720x576 image, exactly the way it's stored on the DVD. Since it's a 16:9 DVD, a resize has to be done to make it look "normal". Nothing has been done to that image to change it from it's original size.

If you want to do a proper resize, then do it. If this Xilisoft won't do it for you, maybe it's not the "extremely usable" program you seem to think it is. You might try AutoGK. You need it to be resized to 1024x576, 624x352, or some other 1.78:1 ratio.

[seaders]

Thanks for the reply.

Are you suggesting AutoGK for the re-ripping of the DVDs, or the conversion of the already ripped AVI files? I really don't want to have to go through the ripping process again and will realistically do anything to avoid it. The only thing I want is to fix the ripped files, so that they'll play in 16:9 size. If that can be done without the arduous re-encoding process, then I really want to do that, if not, then I'll have to bear that and re-encode.

I have tried AutoGK before and it was probably down to my lack of knowledge about it, but I'm sure that it ripped the DVD out of sync, nearly certain. Above all else, that's the one thing that kills me about ripping, when something's out of sync, I can never get it right again, with Xilisoft, I've never had that happen.

[seaders]

Actually, looking at it again, all I really want is a program that can set the aspect ratio, properly. Not by editing the header files, like I described with MPEG4Modifier, but properly. Preferably without the re-encoding process, but as I said, if that needs to be done, it needs to be done.

[guns1inger]

You have two choices.

1. Encode with non-square pixels and set the aspect ratio flag to 16:9. Apparently Xilisoft can't do this (not a surprised, never been impressed by it), and even if it could, your player could not read the aspect ratio flag anyway

2. Encode 1:1 pixel aspect ratio so that your player displays the image correctly. AutoGK does this.

There is no way to alter your already ripped 16:9 material (flagged or unflagged) to 1:1 PAR without re-encoding. Virtualdub, Xvid4PSP and others can do this as a batch (once you set up each job), but everything must be re-encode to meet what you need for your player.

[jagabo]

Mpeg4Modifies is setting the PAR/DAR flags properly. The problem is your players ignores them. Since you player doesn't respect PAR/DAR flags you have to resize the frame to a 16:9 size like ~720x400 before compression with square pixels. As guns1inger pointed out, AutoGK can do this.

[seaders]

You have two choices.

1. Encode with non-square pixels and set the aspect ratio flag to 16:9. Apparently Xilisoft can't do this (not a surprised, never been impressed by it), and even if it could, your player could not read the aspect ratio flag anyway

2. Encode 1:1 pixel aspect ratio so that your player displays the image correctly. AutoGK does this.

There is no way to alter your already ripped 16:9 material (flagged or unflagged) to 1:1 PAR without re-encoding. Virtualdub, Xvid4PSP and others can do this as a batch (once you set up each job), but everything must be re-encode to meet what you need for your player.

Thanks for that, you're the first person who's given me a definitive answer on this. I must go back to AutoGK, because while I do like Xilisoft, it has this problem and the XVid codec it uses is a dodgy one, because you can't open the files up in VirtualDub, nor VirtualDubMod.

Looking at Xvid4PSP now, looks a good program and I'll probably use that for the conversion. Thanks again, guns1inger, will let you know how it turns out.

[seaders]

yeah, I'm a dumbass. not once did I think it's the size of the rip that was the problem. in Xilisoft, there's an option on the right-hand side that's "Video-size". now, thinking that you'd obviously put the actual size of the VOB file, 720*576 there and it'd be ripped properly, that's what I did. but no, I've just checked there and as soon as you change that to 720*400, it rips it in perfect 16:9 aspect ratio. can't believe I never actually checked that.

thanks guys, hugely appreciate the help, support and quick responses, this has been the most helpful forum I've tried, really great, thank you.

[seaders]

ok, so I went back to the drawing board and am currently using AnyDVD to rip the DVDs to HD, then AutoGK to convert into AVI. the only irritating thing is my DVDs are episode DVDs, not movies and AutoGK converting the whole disk rather than the individual PGC that you select. it's just adding an extra step, where I split them up after conversion, with AviDemux. thanks again for all the help

[manono]

Yeah, that's a well known problem with AutoGK. The solution is to decrypt by episodes to begin with using DVD Decrypter in IFO Mode.

[seaders]

Yeah, that's a well known problem with AutoGK. The solution is to decrypt by episodes to begin with using DVD Decrypter in IFO Mode.

yeah, after reading up about it, I realised that. in future, I'll do that, but for now, the extra step with AviDemux isn't too painful so I'll leave as is.