convert dv to widescreen vcd

[buttsy00]

Hi,

Can someone please tell me the best way to convert dv (720 x 576 - PAL) to Widescreen PAL VCD. So it can be viewed on my widescreen tv with black bars appearing on the top and bottom (if necessary).

I would like to keep using TMPGEnc if it is possible.

Any help would be appreciated.

[buttsy00]

Does anyone know how this can be done?

[vhelp]

Hi buttsy00..

I just so happen to be doing the same thing.

But, first, imo, forget about VCD. If you mean Standard VCD that is.
Won't quite work very well.. as I've tried this a few times, and just finished
my analyisis on this DV-to-Standard VCD over this long weekend.
I even looked into widescreen those too. Forget about it. Anyways..

Just so you know, I've ben doing these for a while now, and I'm just finishing
up w/ any last minute issues (nailing it shut)

If you still want to do Widescreen encode w/ your DV CAM (assuming you mean,
home footage) you can proceed w/ the approache below:

Scenario A (DV to TMPG)...
* Set your CAM to 16:9 mode and shoot your footage as usual.
* Firewire this to your hd, in any DV app you are comfortable with.
* Now, open your DV .avi source file inside TMPG, and make following changes:
** - Video Tab: Size [720] x [480] <<-- use 576 for PAL source
** - Video Tab: AspectRatio [16:9 Display]
** - Video Tab: FrameRate [29.97] <<-- use 25fps for PAL source
** - Video Tab: EncodeMode: [Interlace]
-- -- -- --
** - Advanced Tab: VideoSourceType [Interlace]
** - Advanced Tab: FieldOrder [Bottom field first (Field B)]
** - Advanced Tab: SourceAspectRatio [16:9 525 line (NTSC)] <<-- use 625 for PAL
** - Advanced Tab: VideoArrangeMethod [Full screen (keep aspect ratio)]

Scenario B ...
* there are various other ways of widescreening a DV CAM source, but the
...above is the simpliest of all.

Note 1 - What Scenario A will do is give you a true 16:9 (1:777) aspect
ratio which is the standard for widescreen tv's. Also, this mode (1:777) will
fill the widescreen tv set completely (assuming you have a widescreen tv set)
But, if you view this 1:777 on a standard tv set, then it will put some black
bars on top/bottom

Note 2 - There are other widescreen output views ie, 1:85 and 2:35 for instance.
These will undoubtly have black bars (aka letterbox) on top/bottom of each, but
one will have more black bars than the other ie, 2:35 will have more blackness
to it.

For true widescreen view, I think that the 1:777 view would be most ultimate
in viewing pleasure because there are no black bars and the look and feel is
awsome on such tv's. It gives you the Movie-going experience/feel.

Hope that helped some
-vhelp

[buttsy00]

Thanks vhelp,

Although I don't think thats possible for what I am doing....

I am connecting my VCR up to my DV camera and I don't think there is an option for widescreen when you are just playing the video as such.

Do you think SVCD would be a better option? Can you fit as many minutes on an SVCD as you can on an VCD (74/80 mins)?

I have a widescreen tv when I encode it to a standard tv the picture isn't as clear on the widescreen as it is on a standard 4:3 tv.

[vhelp]

hmmm..

..then i'm a little as to what you're trying to do here

I thought you were trying to learn how to do widescreen because you were
shooting widescreen (my assumption) but, I guess I was wrong.

Now, I'm not sure why you are using your VCR as the go between. I think
it best if you explain your process a bit so we all can help ya better, cause
I'm confused at the moment

-vhelp

[buttsy00]

Sorry for confusing you!

Basically what I am trying to do is convert some vhs tapes to either VCD or SVCD in widescreen format for viewing on my widescreen tv.

I connect my vcr to my pc using my DV camera and firewire card and then transfer it to the pc at a resolution of 720 x 576.

I would then like to encode the dv file (720 x 576 - PAL) to a widescreen VCD or SVCD, depending on what will work better.

I have a widescreen tv but when I encode it to a standard VCD and play it on a widescreen tv the picture isn't as clear as it is on standard 4:3 tv.

I still want to be able watch it on a standard tv but if the quality isn't as good as the widescreen then thats ok.

Hope this helps you understand what I am trying to do.

[buttsy00]

Should I change the option in TMPGEnc "Aspect Ratio" to 16:9 Display? Would that then convert dv to Widescreen VCD/SVCD?

What about the "Advanced" option "Source Aspet Ratio" should I leave that as "4:3 625 Line (PAL, 704x576)"? or should I change that to maybe "16:9 625 Line (PAL) or "16:9 Dispay"?

Any help would be appreciated guys.

[Dragonsf]

Using SAR or DAR doesn't make sense in your case.You have to change the resolution to anamorphic before changing any of this ARs.And as you have read in the other thread (where you cross post your problem), nobody is really sure, if it works with SVCD.
If you can (and will) do a manual switch to 16:9 on your TV, anamorphic SVCDs will work (even if your player won't support it).
But you need anamorphic source material for that.

[buttsy00]

How do I change the resolution to anamorphic before changing any of this ARs?

[Dragonsf]

With AviSynth, you can do this:
Crop off the top and bottom black bars and resize the result.
I.E.

Calculation: 720x576=4*180/3*192 (1 pixel has an AR of 180/192)
new AR: 16*45/(9*45*192/180)=720/432

Start aspect is 4:3 (720x576)->destination is 16:9 (720x432),
crop (576-432)/2 = 144/2=72 lines at top and bottom

so crop off the 72 and bottom 72 lines and resize this format to 720x576 again.

c=avisource ("...")
c=c.crop(0,72,720,432).bilinearresize(720,576)
return c

Use this as framserver to your favourite encoder