How to make a widescreen 16:9 SVCD?

[shimrod]

Is this possible? I use PAL.

What resolution for the AVI file before converting to SVCD?
Is it 480x576?

I use DVD2AVI, then Virtualdub with frameserving to CCE.


Any help is very welcome!

[SupaCoopa]

Are you trying to convert a widescreen DivX to SVCD or rip a DVD to SVCD?

If you're trying to convert DivX, have a look at this thread:
http://forum.vcdhelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=81923&highlight=
Any size of AVI is OK, but you'll have to use TMPEGEnc.

If you're trying to rip a DVD, why not use DVD2SVCD? It's a one-stop program and makes excellent widescreen SVCDs. Check it out at:
http://dvd2svcd.doom9.org

[shimrod]

I will check out DVD2SVCD.

Thanx SupaCoopa.

[Tomas]

16:9 AVI resize to 480x576 and in CCE set aspect ratio 16:9

or

16:9 AVI resize to 480x432 and expand to frame 480x576 and in CCE set aspect ratio to 4:3.

try this Bitrate Calculator:
http://www.tomzavodny.cz/projekty_en.php?page=program_avivcdbitcalc

[SupaCoopa]

Shimrod, if you're going to use DVD2SVCD, which is an excellent choice, you're going to find this thread useful:
http://rilanparty.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5905
It's from the Doom9 MPEG Forum and thoroughly explains how to get widescreen SVCD using DVD2SVCD.

[shimrod]

I have some testing to do.

Thanks for helping me out!

[Digifreak2]

If you want to check the aspect ratios of your output try a clip of a Universal Studios movie like Jurassic or Mummy. The globe at the beginning will show you the distortions very well. Test them on your computer and at full screen(set "keep aspect ratio" on soft player) and test them on your widescreen TV (make sure your DVD player is in widescreen mode). Compare them to the DVD or VOB.

[shimrod]

I read the posts of the Doom9 forum link I got from SupaCoopa:
http://rilanparty.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5905

I do have a question about encoding an anamorphic SVCD.

SVCD FREAK says in his post that there is a difference in quality/bitrate depending on the source having aspect ratio 1.85:1 or 2.35:1.

I don't really agree to this:
- In both cases the resulting anamorphic SVCD contains no black bars right?
- No matter what the aspect ratio on the DVD is, the resulting SVCD will always contain full-screen movie data of 480x576 resolution. A movie that will be stretched horizontally on a 16:9 TV screen.
- So with a source of 1.85:1 or 2.35:1, there are always 480x576 (=276480) pixels movie data that need to be encoded to SVCD. So you always have to use the same high bitrate.

This makes sence right? Any thoughts/comments on this?

Shimrod.

[herbapou]

i am not sure if I understood you correctly shimrod but 2:35 movie WILL show black bars on a 16:9 widescreen TV. On the other hand, 1:85 will play full screen.

I am not too familiar about PAL but with NTCS, the full SVCD resolution is 480x480. But a regular widescreen movie dont use it all. Both 2:35 and 1:85 will contain black borders inside the 480x480 resolution.

On the other hand, an anamorphic wide screen movie will use all the resolution (screwing up even more the aspect ratio inside the 480x480 box). But all that extra resolution is getting use when play on a 16:9 TV, resulting in a better picture (but at a highter bitrate cost, because encoding a movie in full 480x480 take more space than encoding a movie with black borders)

In the end, its all about the total numbers of pixels.

[SupaCoopa]

Herbapou is correct that a 2.35 movie will show black bars on a 16:9 set, about the same amount a 1.85 movie will show on a 4:3 set. Academy Aspect Ratio (1.85) is 16:9 full screen (ie no black bars on a wide TV if encoded as "anamorphic" SVCD).

However this means that 1.85 encoded as "widescreen" SVCD will have no black bars encoded in the video. That's why these movies are the most "bitrate hungry" ones. Black bars only require a negligible amount of bitrate (practically null) so the "wider" the picture the better the quality (as a rule of thumb) per given size. The same reason to quality issue between "anamorphic" and "4:3" encoded SVCDs.

I go for anamorphic anytime, even when this means more CDs per movie. A 1.85 anamorphic SVCD looks sad to me below 2.1Kbit.
A 2.35 anamorphic could get away with 1.8Kbit or so.

Keep it wide!

[mojo]

So let me jump into the fray here with a question - I have a 2.35:1 AVI I downloaded and I'd like to encode it as an anamorphic SVCD (NTSC) to play back on my 16:9 TV. What settings would I use in TMPGenc? Do I manually have to type in a resolution to get the right about of squish? The original AVI is 704x300 (no black bars).

Thanks for any help!


Mojo

[SupaCoopa]

Mojo, quoting for a previous thread about this:
If you plan on watching the (S)VCD on a widescreen TV or a alternation between widescreen TVs and modern normal TVs, choose "Source Aspect Ratio 1:1" and "Video Aspect Ratio 16:9". If you plan on watching the (S)VCD solely on normal TVs, choose "Source Aspect Ratio 1:1" and "Video Aspect Ratio 4:3". "Video Arrange Method" should be "Full Screen (Keep Aspect Ratio)" in both cases so that TMPG will take good care of letterboxing.

You can read the whole "Widescrene AVI => (S)VCD" thread at:
http://forum.vcdhelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=81923&highlight=

I am currently in the middle of writing a "Widescreen DivX to anamorphic (S)VCD" guide, will post it as soon as it's finished.
Cheers

[shimrod]

Thanks to all for helping me out here!

I can see you have a lot of experience in this area SupaCoopa.
I'm looking forward to that Widescreen Divx --> SVCD guide.

I have a 4:3 TV that can switch to wide mode. I want to encode all my videos to widescreen. My current TV is able to letterbox them and I can enjoy them later on a real 16:9 TV.

I had the encoding thing all wrong:
- I removed the black bars from the 2.35 movie before encoding it.
- The result is a widescreen movie - but the frames are slightly incorrect.
(not completely round heads etc... )

I did not know that a 2.35 movie contains black bars on a 16:9 widescreen TV.

I think I understand it now. I will leave the 2.35 source video as it is and resize it (without cropping the black bars) to 480:576 (PAL) and encode it to SVCD. That should give me a nice widescreen 2.35 movie right?

What I don't understand is... since 1.85 is the only aspect ratio that delivers a full screen image (without black bars) on a 16:9 widescreen TV, why are most DVD's encoded in 2.35 (showing black bars) and not in 1.85 ???

Thanks again for all the help!!