Question about conversion...

[Immortal25]

Hey ppls.
I've been converting divx/xvid to dvd since I got my dvd burner and watching them on tv is cool

But I'm never sure of the right/perfect settings. I personally don't like the two black margins in movies...I find the movie appear smaller on tv and seems like a whole lot of wasted space in those black areas.

I like my movie to be fullscreen...as in using up the whole tv screen. But don't misunderstand my fullscreen term. As we all know about the WS and FS term in dvd...the FS(fullscreen) would cut the left and right end of the movie thus you're not able to see the whole picture...

I wouldn't want that as well. So basically, all I want is a guide to making my movie fill up the whole tv screen without the black areas, yet without cutting the edges off and no stretching as well. It looks really weird when the movie stretches and elongated....

So any tips would be appreciated.

Btw, what's with the 4:3, 16:9 and 2:11:1? What's the difference and which is the best actually?

Thanks once more!

[SilverDales]

Surely if you fill the whole screen without chopping then ends off its going to stretch!! and vis a vis if you don't stretch then you've got to chop the ends off!!

[Immortal25]

But... I've seen in previews as in the tvs at the local dvd shops and stuff and they can play the movie full screen? So they actually chopped off the sides? What about in theaters? And what about the tv programs we see on tv..local tv stations could make it fullscreen eh? Or did they actually chop the edges as well without us...or rather me noticing??

Why don't they make the dvd full screen in the first place
What's with the annoying black margins...
Movie makers could have just made the movie to fill up the screen then there wouldn't be any need to chop, stretch, zoom

[SilverDales]

Try these two sites for an explanation. It might help.

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/2933/favaspectratio.html
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/anamorphic/aspectratios/widescreenorama.html

[Immortal25]

Thanks for the links..Lots of info there. I've read a lot but it's reall complex IMO..
Umm, instead of confusing myself further, I just need some basic advice. I use tmpgenc and I just wanna know what's the best setting to configure the divx movies...
Alright, if I have to use widescreen in order to retain the whole movie...without cutting anything off, then is there at least some way to reduce the black lines? Any way to make the movie as big as possible but retaining the whole original aspect?

[SilverDales]

under MPEG settings/Advance under Video Arrange Method change to Full Screen(keep aspect ratio)
that will fill the screen horizontally without stretching the film vertically so you will get some black lines.
there are plenty of guides for TMPgenc on here.

[iantri]

Immortal25, it you think about this for a bit I'm sure you'll see why it is completely impossible to "reduce" the black bars without stretching the image or cutting out part.

Yes, they do crop the movies when they are shown on TV, which you will notice if you carefully consider the staging of the actors and set. (Think, for example, in a given scene, why is the camera put in such a way that we can only see half of each character's head? The answer is probably that it was cut off in the transfer) The transfer is done though, not just by cropping off the sides but by "panning and scanning" across scenes as necessary so that the screen shows the important parts of the picture.

Filmmakers make movies in other aspect ratios because it offers the opportunity for more exciting and interesting shots and framing. The movies are made to be seen in a theatre, not on your TV. Note that most made for TV movies are made in full screen. Some newer made for TV movies are shot widescreen, but this is because of the increase in HDTV and widescreen sets.

The aspect ratios are simply ratios of the screens' width to height.
4:3 is the aspect ratio of regular TV. 16:9 is the aspect ratio of HDTV (put differently, 1.78:1). 1.85:1 is "Academy Flat" aspect ratio (many movies are shot in this). 2.11:1, 2.20:1 and 2.35:1 are all aspect ratios that are more than twice as wide as they are tall, giving more room for action and special effects.

It is not a matter of which is better; movies that do not rely on fancy visual effects will probably be shot at 1.85:1. Movies that do will probably be shot at 2.35:1.

Actually, come to think of it, there is a way for you do reduce (nearly eliminate) the black bars without stretching or cutting off the image. Since you are in Malaysia, you use PAL, so no HDTV (HDTV is higher quality and widescreen), but there are a number of PAL widescreen TV sets now. Of course, this is a sizable expense, but it is your only option.

[ZippyP.]

There is only one sure fire way to "fill the screen without stretching or cutting off the picture"...buy a widescreen TV. That's what they're for, to show a widescreen image in all it's glory.

To accomplish the same thing with a regular TV is asking for an impossibility.

iantri: beat me to the obvious suggestion. :P

[ZippyP.]

Why don't they make the dvd full screen in the first place
What's with the annoying black margins...
Movie makers could have just made the movie to fill up the screen then there wouldn't be any need to chop, stretch, zoom

Movies are made for display in a theater and usually it's the director who decides the aspect ratio of the film, it is his artistic choice. If the display is changed for the home consumer it is a grave disservice to the artistic vision that went into the making of the film. This is usually done by making it into a Pan 'n Scan format where the display is moved around so as not to cut off faces and people that need to be in the frame. Pan 'n Scan cannot be done at home.

Granted, for some movies it doesn't make too much difference. But can you imagine Lawrence of Arabia, Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor or other big screen epics that are chopped to fit. They would be a pale imitation of the original.

Use the zoom function on your DVD player if you really need to make the image bigger, otherwise just turn the lights down so that you can't see the borders and enjoy seeing the full image. Oh, and save up for a widescreen TV.

[Immortal25]

lol Thanks guys for the replies... yeah perhaps I'll save up some money and get a widescreen tv...that would be way better. But for now, I guess I'll live with the black margins...or depending on the type of movie, I'll either view it in fullscreen or widescreen
Well, I'll have to experiment with the various movie files and stuff with me tmpgenc..
Thanks guys