widescreen

[moesyzlak]

When converting to VCD with TMPGEnc, is there a way to avoid the squeezed look that happens when converting something in letterbox? I think I'm going cross-eyed watching this thing.

Thanks in advance.

[ampuated limb]

I encountered this problem just a few days ago and took me awhile to figure it out. the solution is basically simple.

Ok, first you'll need to calculate the width to length ratio of the source video. you can find it out by using VirtualDub.
Start VirtualDub, File>open video file>select and open the video.
After that, File>File Information. In the box, look next the the first line, where it says "Frame size", it tells the frame size, just divide the length into the width and that's the width to length ratio
For ex: if the frame size is 640x272, divide 640/272 to get 2.3529 for the width to length ratio.

After you get the ratio, you can close VirtualDub, open TMPGEnc and enable the project wizard. On the third page of the project wizard, click on the "other settings" button. Click on the "Advanced" tab. For the "Video Arrange Method:" option, select "Center (custom size)", this will allow you to input your own frame size. Now, for normal televisions, the standard width is 320. If you have a big screen tv, you'll have to use a higher number than 320 for your width, i don't know the standard for big screens tvs. So assuming you have a normal television, use 320 for the width and for the length, you'll have to divide the ratio that was previously calculated into 320. You want to mantain the same width to length ratio for the converted mpg as the source.
For ex: if your calculated ratio is 2.4, divide 320/2.4 to get 133 for the length, so the framesize is 320x133
if your calculated ratio is 2.3529, divide 320/2.3529 to get 136 for the length, so the framesize is 320x136.
Then click ok, and proceed to encode it the way your normally do.

so basically, you just want to mantain the same ratio for the converted mpg as the source vid.
Hope that helps :)

[Truman]

This is only partly correct. Short said, it is not that simple. Avi pixel aspect ratio is 1:1 (VGA), so 640x272 is a aspect ratio of ~1:2.35.
But MPEG aspect ratio does not depend on the frame size.
Standard VCD resolution is 352x240 resp. 352x288, DAR 4:3.
Standard SVCD resolution is 480x480 resp. 480x576, DAR 4:3.
No matter whether you have a small or big TV, no matter which MPEG resolution you use, it will be displayed full screen.
An example AVI 640x272, 25 fps -->SVCD PAL:

Source: 640 / 272 = 2.353
Calculation: horizontal D-1 resolution x PAL pixel aspect ratio / source aspect ratio = target vertical resolution
720 x (59/54) / 2.353 = 334

"custom size" is 480x334, target res 480x576, TMPG's resize filter will add the borders top 121 and buttom 121.

moesyzlak, if you want a different example, tell me the source file specs and your target format or simply use FitCD to calculate how to resize.
However, I think it is very usefull to use the video arrange method "center[custom size]", because I guess all the other resize methods use a wrong pixel aspect ratio (16/15 instead of 59/54), but I'm not too sure about that.

[moesyzlak]

OK, I figured something out before seeing these replies and it seems to work. Here's what I did:

In the TMPGE project wizard, under "Expert Setting For Source", change the aspect ratio from 1:1 VGA to 16:9 525 line(NTSC). On the next page of the project wizard click on "Other Settings." Click the Advanced tab and change the Video Arrange Method from Full Screen to Full Screen (Keep Aspect Ratio).

This seesm to have worked and I have a regular, non-squeezed, letterbox picture.

Thanks for the help!

[Mr Walker]

Why dont you use % instead, we all know that 352/288 will result in a fullscreen picture (pal).
But 352/288(~1,22) is not the same as 4/3(~1,33), guess it all is a matter of the different pixel-sizes that truman is talkin about.

Also with a little math we can see the difference between the fullscreen and widescreen ratios.
Example: 2,35/1=2,35 and 16/9=1,77 and 4/3=1,33 so how small are the widescreen modes to the fullscreen.
1,33/2,35 = 56,7%
1,33/1,77 = 75%

(these are the standard Aspect ratios)

So simple check the movies Aspect Ratio and calculate what you will use in the center(custom size)

A 2.35 movie to pal vcd = 352*163 (288*0,567)
a 16/9 movie to ntsc svcd = 480*360 (480*0,75)

And as we talk about % there is no different for NTSC or SVCD or any format.

[Truman]

Well, that sounds logical. Unfortunately I switched my brain off since I use FitCD to calculate
It is much easier to calculate if you want tv overscan area or if you pay attention the the (macro-)block boundaries. I wont use the pocket calculator any longer.
btw I want to remind, that the MPEG resolution has nothing to do with the DAR. Even a 352x72 MPEG can be displayed 4:3, i.e. full screen.