DVD Architect squashes my video

[Lyris]

Hey everyone,

I've got a 720x480 23.976fps AVI movie that I'm trying to get onto DVD. Aspect ratio is 4:3.

Previously I used the Adobe Premiere MPEG encoder plug-in to encode this, and Besweet to convert the PCM audio track to AC3. This produced a file that went out of sync with the picture.

So instead, I've used Sony DVD Architect. I set it up and told it I want to make a 4:3 NTSC DVD. I simply dragged my 720x480 AVI source in, and let it do the rest. And now the sound is properly in sync - just one problem. The picture is squashed when I preview it in DVD Arch, and also renders this way! Surely importing a 720x480 full-screen AVI should produce a 720x480 full-screen DVD?

Is there some options screen I can't find? I thought there'd be a screen where I could turn off options like this. Can anyone offer any advice?

[guns1inger]

Was this DV AVI, or some other codec. If it was not DV, then the squashing may be compensation for the fact that PC pixels are square (pixel aspect ratio 1:1), where as NTSC pixels are not (0.909090909090 approx).

Can you post a screen grab to show the extent of the problem ?

Do you have a standalone encoder that you can use to encode the video to DVD compliant mpeg before loading it into DVDA ?

[BJ_M]

the only way you can get DVDA , is to own vegas also.

so what aspect ratio does vegas say the original avi was to begin with ?

You can encode it in vegas for a little more control btw ..

also - new build of DVDA out yesterday

[Lyris]

The video isn't DV - it's stored in HuffYUV (Video for Windows) format.

The video hasn't been through Vegas, but when I import it into it it tells me the Aspect Ratio is 1.0000 (Square). Changing this to 0.9091 (NTSC DV) gives me the desired image. How would I go about doing this same thing - changing the ratio - in DVDA? Or do I have to encode in Vegas?

Thanks for all your help so far.

[BJ_M]

encode in vegas

[Lyris]

I now have another question.

After encoding the video in Vegas, DVDA wants to reencode it, although it's of the correct type - MPEG-2, 720x480, 23.976fps. Why does it want to reencode it?

[BJ_M]

prob. because you did not use the DVDA template as you should have ....

if you think it is correct otherwise - you can turn off re-encode

[Lyris]

D'oh, that was indeed the problem. Wasn't aware that DVDA is a little picker than other authroing programs. Thanks!