Converting/Compressing 16x9 DV to WMP-Native Format

[dtronvig]

I'm trying to convert 16x9 NTSC DV files to a file format that I can send to anybody. I figure that would be a format you can play in standard-issue WMP, without adding DivX or whatever. I'd like to compress by 10-20X in the process. When I convert to WMV using Windows Media Encoder, it doesn't keep the aspect ratio, but displays in WMP squeezed to 4x3. I don't quite get how a 480x640 file identifies itself as having a 16x9 aspect ratio in any case, but it isn't happening for me.

So, how would I do that? Can I somehow tweak the WMV file to give it a 16x9 aspect? Otherwise, what converter should I use, to what format, with what relevant settings? If this is covered somewhere, please just refer me there.

Thanks for any help,
Drew

[Soopafresh]

Mpeg1 is the universal codec - can be played without downloading codecs on either Macs or PCs.

[dtronvig]

Thanks Soopafresh, I'll check it out.

[Soopafresh]

No problem. I'd deinterlace the DV footage with virtualdub or similar, then encode the resulting AVI into Mpeg1. Upload a few seconds of your source DV file somewhere and we'll help you with the settings.

[thecoalman]

Under the compression tab click the edit button on the top right. On the bottom right put a check next to "allow non-square pixel output" . click OK.

Under the video size tab, select the correct pixel aspect ratio....

I don't quite get how a 480x640 file identifies itself as having a 16x9 aspect ratio in any case,

Most video files can be flagged for the aspect ratio, DVD works the same way, 16:9 and 4:3 on a DVD both use 720x480. In fact if you read the documnetation for WME you should just be able to select the "allow non-square pixel output" and it should use the flag in the original file, for whatever reason that won't work for me and to avoid any problems I manually set it myself under the video size tab.

[dtronvig]

It turns out that the DV file comes off the camcorder at 720x480, for what that's worth. The camcorder records non-interlaced, so that's not an issue in this case.

I've posted a 26MB clip at http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=EAD1D05D6BA8734A [removed that pesky period]

I've tried to convert the DV file using AVIMPG2 v.1.24b13, but 16x9 doesn't seem to be an option for encoding MPEG-1 files. Maybe that's a limitation of the format. 16x9 is an option for MPEG-2 files, but those won't play in WMP, at least without an additional codec. So, if there isn't another program that will encode an MPEG-1 file as 16x9, I'm still looking for that native WMP file format that will support it.

Any Ideas?

Thanks,
Drew

[Soopafresh]

http://dvbportal.dyn1.de/forum

wmvarchanger-1.0.0.zip

[dtronvig]

thecoalman: I'm trying to set up WME, but for some reason when I try to Apply Session Properties, I get the error message "Two-pass encoding is not available for live broadcasts, screen captures, or when encoding from multiple sources." The only source in the Sources tab is the DV file, so I don't know what it's talking about.

Soopafresh: I'll check out that link.

Thanks,
Drew

[Soopafresh]

Drew - That's a heck of a nice clip. Clear and clean. What kind of camera? Lemme do a few test encodes. I'll be back in just a bit.

[thecoalman]

It turns out that the DV file comes off the camcorder at 720x480,

All DV files are 720x480 (or PAL equivalent).

Two-pass encoding is not available for live broadcasts, screen captures, or when encoding from multiple sources."

Make sure under the ouput tab you have encode to file selected, under the sources tab make sure that "file" is selected next to "source from"

Try starting a new session with the wizard if that doesn't help, make sure to selcet "convert a file"

[Soopafresh]

Mpeg1 4K - Faux 16x9 by resizing to 720x400

clip_mpeg1_4000.mpg

[dtronvig]

Soopafresh:

Thanks. I thought it could be sharper, but the camera is a Sony DCR-HC96. Aside from a 16x9 screen and the option of recording in 16x9, it can record under remarkably low available light, basically by not filtering out IR. This seems to be exclusive to Sony camcorders; maybe they have a patent. The low-light "Nightshot" recordings have little or no color, but since I'm mostly interested in stealing dance moves, it's still a great option for taping in dark rooms. This clip was recorded, of course, in pretty good light.

I gotta get some sleep, so I'll catch up on all this tomorrow.

Have fun,
Drew

[Soopafresh]

Just in case, here's the Avisynth script, complete with required plugins - you'll just need to install Avisynth if you haven't already. Also, Quenc is a very good Mpeg1 encoder.

dv_enc.rar

quenc071.rar


Top pic is without Avisynth degraining, bottom pic is with. Image is masked in order to show the noise.

z3.jpg

[thecoalman]

Mpeg1 4K - Faux 16x9 by resizing to 720x400

You can do that with the WMV encoder too if you want to go that route, compression tab>edit>tab with the bitrate .

As Soopafresh mentioned MPEG is the most compatible but it's also going to be roughly 4X the file size for the same quality.

[Soopafresh]

How true, coalman. It's the Mac users you have to worry about by going the WMV route.

[45tripp]

I've posted a 26MB clip at http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=EAD1D05D6BA8734A.

Is this sample still up? I can't seem to get it.

[Soopafresh]

Remove the . at the end of the url

[45tripp]

missed that dot completely...

[Soopafresh]

Also, consider bringing up the brightness levels. Here's a bit using the HDRagc plugin for Avisynth (modify to taste).



dv_enc.avi

[dtronvig]

Hi Guys,

I've installed AviSynth--which is totally new to me--and, in my ignorance, I've run into a couple of problems.

First, AviSynth (working in VirtualDub) seems to be "unable to load" any plugin whose path contains a space, like anything in "Program Files". This happens whether I specify the path in the script or I don't specify, defaulting, I guess, to the path in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\AviSynth\plugindir2_5. (The path\filename in the script is, of course, contained within double quotes.) I can work around that and get the plugins to load by moving them to a new path without spaces, but it would be great if I could get Windows, VirtualDub, AviSynth or whatever to deal with spaces in the path.

Once I got the plugins to load, AviSynth "couldn't locate a decompressor for fourcc dvsd". I don't know what decompressor file should be where, but I've installed the Sony software for the camcorder, and both VirtualDub and WMP can play the DV-encoded AVI file just fine.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Drew