Converting 1.85:1 VOB for use in iDVD

[danosmo]

Using ffmgegx, is it possible to convert my 1.85:1 VOB, keeping it's aspect ratio, for use in iDVD? Everything I have tried results in a squeezed picture. I've been searching for days and have yet to find an easy solution to my problem.

Cheers.

[rumplestiltskin]

Have you tried opening a wide-screen DVD project and then importing the footage into it?

[danosmo]

I have to convert the VOB to a quicktime recognisable file first (dv, avi, mov and not mgeg-2) and that's what I'm trying to figure out; what settings to use to maintain the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

[rumplestiltskin]

Okay, I wasn't paying attention. Sorry.

Drop the first VOB onto MPEG Streamclip. It will offer to open any others in the sequence that are in the same folder. Export to DV. Drop the DV into iMovie (probably into a wide-screen project). Send it over to iDVD.

You can set in/out points in MPEG Streamclip so you can test this with a 60 second clip to see how it looks once you get into iDVD before doing the whole thing.

Please advise how it goes.

[danosmo]

Cheers for the tip on MPEG Streamclip, it's great! Exporting to DV however will never scale a clip and always produces a standard PAL or NTSC frame size, thereby squeezing the image and distorting it. What did work however was exporting to quicktime in 16:9 and that way I was able to drop it straight into iDVD without any further mods.

Cheers