Maintain Video Size

[TraumaDoc]

Okay, I'm finally getting the hang of all these formats and applications. However, I've become confused as to the concept of these "fixed" sizes for video in each format (vcd, svcd, xvcd, etc). Why are there specific restrictions on the resolution -- yes because of compression and quality, but why isn't there a max allowable.

In other words, I've converted some movies and things and they just look horrible when resized to the "standard" (s)VCD. Is there a way for me to maintain the original aspect resolution ? Or maintain the ratio at least ? Some things I have just are not really of any use when they are squared off or other resolution changes.

Any suggestions ?

[thenewboy]

TraumaDoc,

May I ask what is your source? From DVD, VHS, SVHS, etc. Remember, if your source is a VHS, the best quality you could only get is close or a little better than your source. You'll need filter to get a better result.

For the question regarding max allowable. That's really depend on your cd. You could use the bitrate calculator to max your cd size. That way, you could have a higher bitrate and better quality. Of course, if your source is an old VHS, even if you have a high bitrate, you'll still see a lot of artifacts.

Another word, choosing the format (vcd, svcd, etc) and getting better quality is totally two different thing. Don't get confuse. The reason it has so many format is because people like us, for our desire only, tried to get the best quality possible from a cd, created the extension of xvcd and xsvcd. But for producing companies, they need to maintain a steady quality for their products, therefore, they've chosen the standards.

So, I suggest you to stay with vcd and figure out what went wrong that made your creation look so horrible. Use a CD-RW for testing so you could erase if you don't like it. Look through the How To on the left for help and if you really can't find your answer, post it in the forum. There's a lot of pros out there that can help. Hope I'm not confusing you and please excuse my english as its my second language. Good Luck, Jordan

[TraumaDoc]

No, all of the stuff is either DVD rips and so forth. When I first started all I did was rip DVD to DIVX (avi) and watch via the computer. Now I finally have the DVD player and so forth and have a lot of my avi's and friends avi's (we swapped). So, now, I am wanting to make many of those into DVD playable -- I simply have been using the programs found here to make "svcd," etc. Using the standard templates always takes them to a standard size. I've seen and played with the bitrate stuff, but will that actually let me specify an aspect/resolution ? If I take an existing, for example, 640x272(or whatever) avi ... can I make that into (s)VCD (whatever MPG) of the same proportions? Does this clear it up a bit ? I just never saw anything about the aspect ratio issue in the HowTo's etc

[droolian01]

Hi there, yes you can convert your divx avis to mpeg i or 2 with the same frame sizes but they almost certainly will not play in your dvd player.
These frame sizes, rates, bit rates etc are set down (?by the Motion Picture Expert Group - MPEG) so that manufacturers have common standards. Thats why vcd has to be 352x288 25fps bit rate 1152, that what vcd IS!!! How else would the hardware decoder work in yor dvd player. I know some players can play stuff OUT OF SPEC (get the point!)but that depends on the individual player. To be sure that your vcd or svcds play on any player best let the software apps encode to STANDARD SPECS. Hope this helps.

[droolian01]

oh another point.
If you want to maintain widescreen aspect ratios, this can be done by adding the 'black bars' to the source, but the resulting frame will then still be the standard size (352x288 pal vcd for example).
i know this can be done but don't ask me how as i am a relative newbee, but i know that the theory is correct.

[TraumaDoc]

So basically, I'm screwed?! Once I have a film in .avi format I'm stuck with it. I have figured how to maintain ratio and everything and burned to CDRW and it played in the DVD player, sound only .... So if I want to watch something that is in .avi I'm stuck with watching it with the distortion of resizing? Well basically that just sucks.

[droolian01]

Hi again. As i said before i am a relative newbee at this but you should be able to maintain the same aspect ratio of the source divx within the constraints imposed by the svcd etc.. specs. It may be tricky to do but should be posible.

Also remember that you will be displaying these converted divx's in a tv, so should be able to get very good 'subjective' quality as tv resolution is much lower than that of a svga monitor. Actually i find that even watching divx dvd rips on my tv to be better than my monitor!

[thenewboy]

TraumaDoc,

Sorry, I might have miss understand what you're trying to say. As I said before, English is my second language. But what I don't understand is why are you so concern about setting your specify aspect/resolution? Changing the aspect doesn't really affect the resolution that much. I don't know how horrible do you mean when you watch your home-made vcd. If your's a DVD-rip, then your creation should be great in quality. I am not sure what kind of quality you're expecting from a vcd or svcd. Have you ever watch a geniune vcd (produced by the original company, not the China ones - theather cam recorded)? If your source is DVD-rip and you followed the "How To" section on the left to make your vcd, then your vcd should have the same or even better quality than the geniune. If not, then some problem must had occured along the line while you're making your vcd.

I made mines from DVD capture and the quality is very acceptable. So, I'd say, if you can't accept the quality of the genuine vcd, then you're probably looking for home-made DVD. Take Care Jordan

[TraumaDoc]

Okay, my mistake, I use some terms interchangeably. I want to simply do the following.

Take existing AVI divx files of movies or whatever and covert them to be playable on my home DVD player. I, of course, want the best resolution I can get but most importantly is that I want to MAINTAIN the aspect ratio -- I do not want to distort the size of the image window. I am willing to decrease resolution or sound so that I can maintain the aspect. Otherwise it makes no sense to use a standard template to convert a 548x320 avi file into a 480x480 vcd/svcd etc .... just picked the numbers is all. I want to maintain that ratio so it appears normal on the TV

Does that help ? I have gotten as far as converting them to mpeg1 and mpeg2 with the original ratio using TMPGEnc and using advanced settings to get the ratio correct - though ocassionaly without sound coming over .... but then I'm stuck getting that onto CD without using an existing program and template -- like with Nero ... it then converts that to a "standard" changed ratio ......

Sorry, I'm rather frustrated with these whole things

[thenewboy]

TraumaDoc,

Thanks for your simplification. Maybe I am too dumb to understand why you needed to maintain the aspect ratio. If for example, your original avi's aspect is 740 x 480 (normal DVD), even you convert it into VCD format (352 x 240) and burn it onto a CD-R. You'll still be watching the same size on your TV as if you are watching a DVD but with a lesser quality/resolution! I hope this would clear up your concern.

Also, if you REALLY need to maintain your aspect ratio, you could make a XSVCD. As you said in your previous post-reply, most of your DivX are from DVD-rip. DVD's size is 740 x 480 which XSVCD is able to use. Remember one thing, if you are thinking to make something that has the same resolution/quality as the original DVD. Then you're in the wrong department. You should be visiting the How To section on the left for authoring and burning DVD-R. As an advice, duplicating or home-made DVD is possible now but due to the high cost of the recorder and the media itself, its rather better to purchase an original DVD from Tower Records, etc. than making your own DVD. At least, you wouldn't need to work yourself through all these conversion and that the cost of making the DVD is about the same or even higher than the ones they sold in stores. Therefore, many has chosen VCD, SVCD, etc which has a very reasonable cost and a decent quality/resolution as VHS.

So, my suggestion or conclusion is, I don't want to assume that you made some mistake in the conversion process which made you to experience the horrible resolution but should you try to download some sample and compare it with the vcd that you made? If its the same, then you're out of luck but if its not the same, should you try to convert your avi again? Hope it helps this time Jordan