Resizing to the right ratio.

[MKayHavoc]

Hi all.

I hope someone can help me as I have spent hours on this. First of all I am using MainConcept MPEG Encoder because I have a CyberHome CH-DVD 402 and TMPEGEnc encoded films don't play right due to the player. I'm using VirtualDub to resize the avi's and then frame serving into MainConcept MPEG Encoder.

I have 2 avi files both 716MB. The file information from VitualDub is:

Video Stream
Frame Size: 640x352
FPS: 23.976
Decompressor: XviD MPEG-4 Codec

Audio Stream
Sampling Rate: 48000Hz
Channels: 5 (Stereo)

MC Encoder tells me this is an MPEG2 file. Fine, fare enough, but I can't get that onto CD without it stretching the image, I'm using VCDEasy, Nero, EasyCD Creator anything I can get my hands on, same thing, stretched. (If anyone has any ideas at this point let me know).

So I figured I would encode it as an SVCD which is of course 480x480. So I resized it in VirtualDub. This seemed to work. However, when it came to me splitting the newely convered mpg's and then burn them to CD. Starting with the first part:

VCDEasy sad there were bad sector in the file and only created part of the .bin file needed.

EasyCD Creator didn't even bother to try to burn it, just ejected my CD after previously giving me an error message say unsupported specifcation.

And Nero wanted to re-encode it, which I allowed it to do and the first part seemed to work fine.

Onto the second part.

VCDEasy created the CD image no problem. Went onto CD like a dream. But the sound was out of sink. The same thing happened with Nero (It didn't want to re-encode this time). And again EasyCD Creator didn;t work.

I used Easy MPEG Splitter to split the Mpgs.

Does anyone understand my problem and could you please help.


Cheers All
MKay

[SaSi]

It appears you are not short in problems. Let's try and solve them one by one.

The aspect ratio of the file in question (640 x 352) appears to be 1.81. To encode this for SVCD playback, you need to add the stripes yourself (actually with VirtualDUB).

The MPEG frame will be 480 x 480, but within this frame you need to create a letterboxed frame for the movie. Using the same aspect ratio (1.81), we can calculate that for a width of 480, the height must be 266. So the actual movie frame within the 480x480 picture will be 480 x 266 and this will keep the correct aspect ratio. You need to add 2 x 107 stripes on top and bottom using VirtualDUB. Use the resize filter and make the movie 480 x 266 expanding this into an overall frame of 480 x 480 with black colour.

[Conquest10]

doesn't he only need to add two 64 pixel borders to the top and bottom?

[MKayHavoc]

When I mentioned that I resized it, I ment that I had added the stripes, exactly the way that you said. My problems seem to happen when I am burning. Any ideas?

[SaSi]

When I mentioned that I resized it, I ment that I had added the stripes, exactly the way that you said. My problems seem to happen when I am burning. Any ideas?

Now I'm lost. I thought your problems was a vertically streched picture when playing on the DVD player. Is that not?

What exactly is your problem when burning?

Can you give info on what program and settings you use for burning?

[MKayHavoc]

OK, I've got 2 MPG's which I have encoded with MainConcept MPEG Encoder. It plays fine on my machine. But I have encoded it as SVCD, so I have had to split them it to 4 parts to fit onto 4 cds. I have been using Nero to burn them onto CD as SVCD. When burning the first part Nero wants to re-encode the MPG so I let it do it and that part sems to work. fine. But when I go to so the second part it doesn't want to re-encode it and just burns it straight to CD. The result however is that the sound is out os sync with the Video. Any Ideas?

[DJRumpy]

Conquest10, you are correct, Sasi got the math is wrong (it happens..I've messed mine up enough times to know ). Since the video is going to SVCD, which doesn't support a 16:9 aspect ratio, the video has to be resized to meet a 4:3 aspect ratio. Since the Source is going to be resized to 480 horizontal, you divide that by 1.33 ( 4/3=1.33 ) to get the new vertical value ( 480 / 1.33 = 360 ). This means 120 pixels of letterboxing (480 - 360 = 120 ), or 60 top border, and 60 bottom border.

MKayHavoc, it sounds like you may be going about this the hard way. You should be joining our two AVI's into a single AVI (Use VirtualDub and Append AVI from the FILE menu). If the audio is AC3, use AC3FIX.EXE to repair the bad frames (it will have them if the audio is AC3 and they were joined using VirtualDub).

Encode the single AVI to MPEG. Use TMPGenc to split these files into smaller pieces, or simply use the Source Range settings in your encoder to selectively encode your 4 MPEG's. I'm not familiar enough with the Main Concept encoder, but I'm sure someone here can tell you how to encode a range from your source video to produce smaller mpegs. When burning with Nero, your getting an error that the MPEG is non-compliant, meaning either the resolution is wrong, the aspect ratio is wrong, the audio is wrong, or the header information is wrong/missing due to the split that you performed. In any case, you should not let Nero re-encode, as the encoder's quality is very poor in comparison to the MC Encoder.

[Mr Grumpy]

Are you bothered about where the film is split? If not, create separate audio and video streams when creating your MPEG2 and use BBMPEG to Mux them together, allowing it to split the MPG into 795MB chunks. Then use VCDEasy to author (or Nero if you prefer)


I must admit to taking the easy route when resizing

I use FitCD - point it to the AVI in question, select the output type (e.g. SVCD) and format (e.g. NTSC) and it tells you what size to crop and resize to.

It can also create the AVISynth script for you too.

You can also set allowances for TV overscan (the bits you can't see because the tube is hidden behind the plastic surround) and other stuff I've never bothered to work out

[DJRumpy]

I never mess with overscan. Your not loosing much, but some people just want it all . I think the amount comes out to less than 20 pixels, which isn't really all that much. It's kinda funy about the bitrate calculators. Even after all this time, I prefer the one right here on DVDRHelp. I like the interface. Clean and simple. I wish they would create a VB version, or give me the math for each function, and I'll do it.

I wasn't aware that bbMPEG would split at a specific size. I'll have to take another look at it. It' tends to be a bit flakey. I think Adam told me there is an XP patch for it which should ease my crashing problems. It sounds like it's worth another glance.