DV to SVCD(Tmpeg2.0 & Nero5.5) to TV(Pioneer 343) = Crop

[lmennuti]

I'm near wits end with trying to get this right. My goal is simple; Keep the WHOLE frame intact (no cropping on the TV) along with the Aspect Ratio, horizontal borders are fine just let me keep the whole image!

1. Capture
- Firewire capture AVI from DV Camcorder @ 720x480

2. Convert (using TmpegEnc 2.0)
- Open AVI, load 'SuperVideoCD(NTSC)' template
- Settings, Advanced Tab, set 'Video arrange Method'
-- tried 'Full Screen (Keep Aspect Ratio)'
-- tried 'Center (Keep Aspect Ratio)'
-- tried 480x320 and 480x427 for 'Center (custom size)'. Using a little Algebra, I mathmatically figured out what the proper settings should be at 480x480 so that when stretched onto a 4:3 screen would be correct (or at least I thought I did).

3. Burn (using Nero 5.5.5.1)
- Make SuperVCD with Menus

4. Watch (using Pioneer DV343 on a 4:3 TV)
- The 343 allows you 3 settings for how video is viewed on a TV; '4:3 Letterbox', '4:3 Pan&Scan' and '16:9 Widescreen'
- Except when I used the 480x320 Custom Setting (which produced too much horizontal stretch), EVERYTHING else in EVERY combination resulted in the video being fullscreen (no borders) with a portion of the sides cropped to allow for proper Aspect Ratio.

Any and all help is MUCH appreciated!

[EricB]

I have the same hardware as you and did this very thing last night. Two different ways but both require different software than you have listed.

In ULEAD VideoMaker 5.0, you can use a video in the title track. This is meant for insetting a smaller video on top of the main track. You can scale this title to say 90% and get a border. Just leave the main video track blank.

In Adobe Premiere, use the Camera video effect on the track and set the zoom to reduce the size.

In both cases, save the files as DV, then use TMPGenc to encode to SVCD.

[doobit]

I agree with EricB you need to reduce the size of the picture first. TVs will tend to overscan the DV aspect to fit their 4:3 ratio. The other solution is to buy a digital TV.

[lmennuti]

Okay, let me make sure I've got what you're saying...

The problem is with the AVI being brought into TMPGenc being too large (720x480). So I need to open the AVI in Premiere and basically zoom down to something like 704 Horizontal rez, resave AVI and THEN bring to TMPGenc?

I shall give it a go.

Thanks for the help!

I have done this very thing. I had to not use the tmpgenc template. I will look tonight at my notes as to what I did.