16:9 aspect ratio in PAL for VCD and DVD

[Cole]

Can someone please confirm for me:

I am capturing a film at from a digital receiver, but capturing the picture at 4:3. I know I am loosing some of the broadcast picture, but set at 16:9 I get the squashed version. If I do capture at 16:9 and then want to re-encode to VCD or DVD (both letterboxed) are the ratios I need (PAL):

DVD 720 x 410 (letterboxed 720 x 576)
VCD 352 x 200 (letterboxed 352 x 288)

From what I have read, I know that the 16:9 done correctly can fill a 16:9 television (and 4:3 telly letterboxed), but I will also be wanting to have copies on my hard drive and AFAIK my PC will just play the squashed version (also need to experiment before I commit to 16:9 capture/encoding).

The answers regards the ratio, that I have found on my search only seem to apply to NTSC.

Thanks for any help.

[lumis]

vcd = cannot be anamorphic widescreen
dvd = can be anamorphic widescreen, but only @ 720/704, not 352 (half d1)

[Cole]

Thanks for the quick reply lumis, but I am not after creating an anamorphic - what I meant was if I have a squashed 16:9 picture to convert would I have to apply my figures to bring the picture only to the correct ratio.

I will still be encoding (the VCD for example) to 352x288 adding black bars top and bottom, but for the actual picture, would it be 352x200?

[johns0]

The picture would be 352x200(AddBorders(0,44,0,44).

[Cole]

Much appreciated johns0.

It should then follow that my DVD res. appears to right as well.

Thanks again.

[guns1inger]

With your DVD you should leave it anamorphic with the 16:9 flags. Your player will then decide it the output should be anamorphic or letterboxed. Your software player should display anamorphic correctly if it is tagged.

[Cole]

Yes, from what I have seen on my search, ultimately I will end up moving over to anamorphic DVDs. It was just I was initially a little reluctant to go down this path (i.e. resetting my digibox's output) with some of my captures just in case. But as I said, I will be doing some experimenting and get there in the end.