'letterboxing' a 2.35:1 avi to k/vcd (4:3) question

[elroy]

Howdy peeps,

I have a Divx avi file that is identified (by ffmpegx) as:

VIDEO: mpeg4, 608x256, 23.98 fps.
AUDIO: mp3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 117 kb/s

I would like to encode the file as a KVCD, however when the image is resized to 352x240 and the 'letterbox' mpeg2enc option is checked the image is stretched vertically.

Is there any way to 'letterbox' (as in 'add bigger black lines') the 2.35:1 avi so that it is at the correct ratio when reformatted to the kvcd size (4:3)? - Or rather, is there any way to add bigger black lines to the kvcd so that the image is the correct ratio.. gah! you know what I mean?

Any assistance is appreciated.

~ elroy

[major]

Is "Decode with Quicktime" enabled?

[elroy]

Hi major,

Quicktime can't play the avi, although it plays fine with mplayer and VLC - If I have that option set to true when I encode the resulting file has no video.

Here's the settings that I've been trying:

_encoder=mpeg2enc
_video=true
_videoformat=8
_width=352
_height=240
_ratio=6
_videobitrate=909
_framerate=NTSC FILM (23.976)

_mpegprofile=4
_interlacemode=0
_thread=2
_qmatrix=2
_minq=5
_vbv=40
_syncoffset=0
_cbr=false
_nosvcdscan=false
_pulldown=false
_closedgop=false
_bicubicscaling=true
_letterbox=true
_gopheaders=false
_blackwhite=false
_undopulldown=false
_qtdecode=false
_mpdecode=true

_denoise=false
_deinterlace=false
_luminance=100
_saturation=100
_sharpness=125

_audio=true
_audioformat=1
_audiobitrate=224
_audiosampling=44100
_audiogain=0
_audiochannels=0
_audiomode=2
_invertmap=false

Bad (worse?) news is that since upgrading to ffmpegX v0.0.9m I can't seem to encode anything with mpeg2enc the progress window just sits there churning away (cpu load at 100%) - the Progress information for it is as follows:

Encoding started on Tue Jul 20 15:31:31 EST 2004
-f 2 -b 909 -B 260 -V 46 -a 1
/Applications/ffmpegX.app//Contents/Resources/mencvcdX: line 200: /Library/Application\: No such file or directory
-F 1
/Applications/ffmpegX.app//Contents/Resources/mencvcdX: line 202: /Library/Application\: No such file or directory
/Applications/ffmpegX.app//Contents/Resources/mencvcdX: line 203: /Library/Application\: No such file or directory


So, I guess my fist problem is kind of moot until I can figure that one out.

I've tried use ffmpeg to re-encode the file. I added 48,48,0,0 in the Filters>Image Filters options to make the image size correct for a 4:3 k/vcd. The setting that I've been using for that are:

_encoder=ffmpeg
_video=true
_videoformat=7
_width=352
_height=144
_ratio=2
_videobitrate=682
_framerate=NTSC (29.97)

_gopsize=60
_minq=2
_maxq=15
_highquality=true
_iframes=false
_bframes=false
_fourmotion=false
_twopass=false
_profile=0
_qtdecode=false
_deinterlace=false

_audio=true
_audioformat=1
_audiobitrate=224
_audiosampling=44100
_audiogain=0
_audiochannels=0
_audiomode=0
_invertmap=false

However - the problem here is that the while the video is exactly what I want - the audio is totally out of sync by the end of the file.

Again, any assistance here is appreciated.

~ elroy

[major]

Quicktime can't play the avi

If it is a DivX file, install codecs from divx.com AND 3ivx.com and try again.

Bad (worse?) news is that since upgrading to ffmpegX v0.0.9m I can't seem to encode anything with mpeg2enc

There was a bug which I fixed shortly after release. Just download again the same version of ffmpegX from http://homepage.mac.com/major4/ffmpegX.dmg

the audio is totally out of sync by the end of the file.

Which was the framerate of your source file?

[elroy]

Thanks major - trying those suggestions now.

The frame rate (as identified by ffmpegx) is 23.98 fps.

~ elroy

[elroy]

That seems to have been the cure to my ills major - thanks heaps.

I wont know if the audio is synced until the encode is finished, but with 3ivx installed Quicktime reads the file properly (I already had Divx 5.1.1 installed - thought that would have been enough... apparently not!).

Anyway - I just wanted you to know that all seems well and to say thanks for your attention and the brilliant app (which I registered just this week!).

Keep up the top work,

~ elroy