Fast and easy mpeg resize?

[winifreid]

I downloaded some public domain mpeg2 files from archive.org, but they are in odd resolutions that are not dvd compliant. I have CCE and Tmpenc plus. What is the best way to resize these? Should I resize up or down? Most of these are B&W and have color cast. Can you also suggest a setting to convert to true B&W.

Thanks

[winifreid]

I should also say that I have avisynth, but have never used it. I know how I can resize with Tmpenc, but it is slow and I forgot what the setting was to make it B&W. I assume using avisynth and CCE would be much faster.

[winifreid]

Here is an link to a file I would like to convert:
http://www.archive.org/details/M_
I really just want to make these dvd compatible. I considered using fit2disc, but don't want to pay until I know it will work. Is there something easier? Some of these files have non compliant frame rates and resolutions.

[BJ_M]

the mpeg2 versionis dvd compliant ... but pal ..

just change the speed to 24fps for ntsc (and add pulldown flag) and you dont have to re-encode it .. which would reduce quality greatly ....

you can use restream for this -- or other tools ....

[redwudz]

BJ_M's method is likely the best, but you can try DivxToDVD if you want easy. There is still a freeware version available. It can do PAL<>NTSC conversion and does well at sorting out odd formats. It also works with MPEG inputs.

[winifreid]

How do I add pulldown flag in restream? So the 640x384 resolution is not a problem?

[manono]

So how is slowing it to 23.976fps going to help make an NTSC DVD if the resolution is still 720x576? And why would she want out-of-synch audio?

No, it'll have to be reencoded. She can keep it at 25fps and keep the original audio if she likes, and use DGPulldown afterwards set for 25->29.97. Or slow it to 23.976ps, slow down the audio, and use Pulldown.exe when done.

Edit: how do you know it's 640x384? Of course that will be a problem, if that's the resolution, which I doubt. I was going by what BJ_M said that it's a PAL DVD compliant MPEG. M is a fullscreen movie and unless they've cropped the heck out of it, it's not 640x384.

Edited for gender.

[winifreid]

Also, if I change the framerate, will that not change the audio sync?

[BJ_M]

as pointed out here a few time -- a pal resolution video will play on most ntsc players IF the frame rate is correct and/or change the resolution with restream..

demux the audio and use besweet to change the frame rate (and encode it to ac3 as the original is mpeg audio anyway)

i believe several guides here on this -- and it is easy AND fast and preserves the best quality .. as the original encode there is not so good - re-encoding it not going to help things for the most part ...

[manono]

Baloney. I assume you're talking about the patch method. As a moderator you should be ashamed of yourself for promoting crappy fly-by-night methods. As you've explained it so far, it wouldn't work anyway. Are you also claiming that an authoring app will accept this altered mess as a source for an NTSC DVD. If she decides to do it, it should be done right.

And if the quality is as bad as you say (it told me I needed 53 hours to get it, and I wasn't about to do it), then Winifried should get the Criterion release of this great film.

[winifreid]

This is just one of the films available. Some are already compliant, but many are either the wrong resolution or framerate, some are both. I would like to author them to ntsc dvd. I have tried a couple by just burning the mpeg, but it appears there are some errors in the encodes because some of them just frooze.

[jagabo]

That particular MPEG2 file is 640x384, 25 fps, and has a Display Aspect Ratio of 4:3. It's also very badly telecined or badly captured -- with many double exposures (blend deinterlace?) and duplicate frames.

The quick dirty encode to PAL with TMPGEnc is to set the Source Aspect Ratio to 4:3, Video Arrange Method to Full Screen, Video Source Type is Non-interlace. The output settings should be frame size should be 720x576, 4:3 display, 25 fps, non-interlace.

If you want to make it fully B/W add the Simple Color Correction filter and turn the Red and Blue settings all the way down to -255.

For NTSC, I'd encode it the same way but with a 720x480 frame size and as elementary streams. Then run DGPulldown to add 3:2:3:2:2 pulldown (the 25 -> 29.97 fps setting) to create the 29.97 fps frame rate. Then multiplex the video and audio together.

[winifreid]

So I don't change the frame rate with tmpgenc, but with dgpulldown? (I need ntsc)

[jagabo]

So I don't change the frame rate with tmpgenc, but with dgpulldown? (I need ntsc)

Yes, DGPulldown leaves the video encoded as 25 progressive frames per second. But it adds instruction that tell the DVD player how to produce 59.94 fields per second for the television.

[winifreid]

Do I need to check the box that says do not frame rate conversion? And which aspect ratio do I pick? One says 4:3 displa, another says 4:3 525 line (NTSC)....

[jagabo]

Do I need to check the box that says do not frame rate conversion?

That setting lets you choose between two methods of changing the frame rate: simply displaying the existing frames faster or slower (thereby changing the running time of the video), or adding/removing frames to maintain running time. For example, converting 1 second of 25 fps video to 30 fps, you can simply display the 25 existing frames faster (changing the running time to 5/6 second), or you can duplicate every 5th frame to make 30 frames, keeping the run time at 1 second.

Since you aren't changing the frame rate It doesn't matter which you choose.

And which aspect ratio do I pick? One says 4:3 displa, another says 4:3 525 line (NTSC)....

I don't really know what the difference between those two settings is. Since you will be using a valid DVD resolution I don't think it matters.