Converting TS files to WMV (help)

[Jiggytrav]

I've just started converting some TS files to WMV using Windows Media Encoder and it's working just fine. However, I want to get the optimal quality conversion so I here are a few questions:

1) The TS files I have are in 1080i but my HDTV and my Xbox 360 are both set at 720p. Should I be converting the TS files to WMV keeping the resolution the same or should I convert to 1280x720 and deinterlace?

2) One particular TS file I have is 1440x1080 interlaced. But the file information says it has an aspect ratio of 20:11 which doesn't seem right. The actual content should be 1.85. If I play the file in WMP, the aspect ratio is correct (it proportioned as 1.85:1) but if I convert it to WMV keeping the resolution 1440X1080, then it looks squished left and right (as if it is 1.33:1). Is the reported resolution of 1440X1080 wrong or am I just converting incorrectly?

Thanks.

[Baldrick]

1: I would convert to 1280x720p
2: I would resize and convert to 16:9, 1280x720. The 1440x1080 is the video frame size but the display aspect ratio(DAR) is 16:9 so it will be resized to 16:9 when played back...I don't know if xbox supports DAR in WMVs.

[Jiggytrav]

1: I would convert to 1280x720p
2: I would resize and convert to 16:9, 1280x720. The 1440x1080 is the video frame size but the display aspect ratio(DAR) is 16:9 so it will be resized to 16:9 when played back...I don't know if xbox supports DAR in WMVs.

Ah, that must be it because when it plays through the Xbox 360, it doesn't stretch it out like it does when I play it on my PC.

So if I convert it to 1280x720, won't it crop part of the picture since 1440x1080 is not the same dimensions as 1280x720? I don't mind downconverting to 720p but not if I'm going to lose part of the picture and I'm not sure how to make sure that doesn't happen in WME.

Also, should I use the "deinterlace" option in WME since these are 1080i files? Or does it automatically deinterlace since I'm going to 1280x720 resolution?