DVD to SVCD or DivX - achieve widescreen 16:9??

[colinstone]

Hi,

Tried conversions to both SVCD (480x576) DVDx 2.2 or DivX (640x576) Gordian Knot and find that picture comes out at 16:9 in small windows. If I try to go full screen width, it becomes 4:3 - with thin characters, or I loose the sides.

Initial impressions are that quality is fine for PC monitor viewing but won't stand up to the test when projected onto a 7ft wide screen.

Comments??

[FulciLives]

I think we need more information has to what process and/or tools you are using to process your video with. It is unclear from your original post.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[colinstone]

Done a trial and converted a DVD VOB 1 GB file to SVCD and DivX formats for comparison. For SVCD used DVDx2.2 and for the DivX used Gordian Knot 0.28. Only Gordian Knot had a simple option to output in 16:9 format - reacll it was 640x372 pixels. DVDx2.2 did not, or it was too difficult to determine how to do it - I tried to do a 16:9 conversion, but I still got a 4:3 format.

Having got a avi and mpg file, I then played back in various software players: Windows MP, Power DVD, Real Player, DivX2.1 on a 14 inch LCD screen. Have yet to project to 7 ft wide.

None of the players could play the mpg file in full widescreen. For the avi file only Windows MP and DivX2.1 could, but DivX played the sound back at too high a speed. Windows MP appeared to have the edge on sharpness over DivX2.1.

It would appear that Gordian Knot/Windows MP is the best combination, and the avi file takes up less space than an mpg file - 324MB to 520MB.

So comments??

Thanks.

[FulciLives]

Hello

I'm still not sure I understand you ...

You have a DVD source that is 16x9 anamorphic and you want to convert it to SVCD and/or DivX and have the final file also be anamorphic as well or be 4:3 widescreen?

How do you intend on playing back the final file? On a stand alone DVD player that supports SVCD and/or DivX (very few that will do DivX) or will you be playing back from the computer using a video out option?

Is your 7ft projector 4:3 or 16:9 or capable of both?

Can't help you without knowing all this info

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[colinstone]

Yes - input is standard 16:9 widescreen, and that is what I want as output - same as the original. DVDx only seems to output in 4:3, despite trying to tweak the settings. Gordian Knot does output 16:9 exactly the same as the input. Some software players cannot play back 16:9 at full screen, only in windows.

DivX played back on laptop, SVCD on either laptop or DVD player into InFocus X1 DLP projector. Have determined that there is no discernible difference between laptop VGA into projector vs s video from DVD player. Projector will take either 4:3 or 16:9. Both SVCD and DivX would be stereo.

Thansk for advice.