Odd Aspect Ratio Problem in mpg files

[nerys]

I recorded a ton of "how its made" off the television. Anyway as time allows I edit and name the files (seperate each segment into seperate files name it what that segment is)

Everything was going fine. My computer got pissy with me last week so I beat it into submission (4.5 years since my last reformt) I did not feel like fixing it so I just reformated and started clean :-)

Well now for some reason these mpg's are coming out SQUARE instead of the proper 4:3

I am fearful of editing them in case this "odd" change becomes permanent during the cutting.

Suggestions? Clearly I am either missing or have the "wrong" of something that I had before. They play fine. Some extra pixelation is present which I attribute to the aspect ratio distortion. This aspect ration issue occurs in ALL media players so its not just the player. I am assuming its a codec issue or something like that?

If I take the SAME files and play them on another computer they play FINE aspect ratio correct pixelation normal etc..

NOW when I goto PROPETIES in media player classic on the WORKING machine I get MPEG2 Video 480x480 4:3 (odd but it plays fine) 29.97 etc..

on the primary machine (the one not working right) I get this:

Video: äò1
53031x0 29.97fps

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[nerys]

You know something thats REALLY annoying 50% of the time I SOLVE the problem RIGHT after posting (in this case 30 seconds after posting)

I decided to uninstall and reinstall the mpg2 codec and GO FIGURE it works fine now Grrrrr I literally screwed with this for the last 2 hours trying to fix it before posting Grrrr

[Baldrick]

[nerys]

GRRR I hate me today. Apparently problem NOT solved. Well now videos play correctly but TMPGENC can no longer ACCESS them. When I load a video it sys Could Not open this file with DirectShow. (0x80040295) Detail : Bunch of Crap symbols

Now what? I rebooted I reinstalled WT Alternative and the mpg2 codecs no joy. They play fine now and details shows fine but TMPGENC will not touch them now GRRRR Suggestions?

Found out direct show is part of direct x so I am going to try reinstalling that and see what happens....

[Baldrick]

What mpeg2 codec are you using?

[nerys]

Stinky's - same on all machines.

----

Reinstalled Direct X 9.0c No joy TMPGENC still will not touch them Same error.

Works fine on the other machine (that ones just too slow for the mass editing I need to do)

[nerys]

No one has any idea how i can fix this?

[guns1inger]

open them in g-spot and confirm the aspect ratio

play them back in VLC, which will use it's own codecs and not your system codecs

try using DGIndex and avisynth to open the files in tmpgenc

[nerys]

They opened fine in TMPGENC before. They opened fine in TMPGENC this time (wrong aspect ratio)

When I uninstalled and then reinstalled the mpeg2 codec this FIXED the aspect ratio problem (it plays fine and properties displays fine now)

SO the aspect ratio problem is now solved.

BUT now I can no longer access the files in TMPGENC (only on this machine all other machines have no problem) so its a codec issue of some kind. Is there a better mpeg2 codec I should be using? I get a Garbled Direct Show error from TMPGENC.

[Midzuki]

nerys wrote:

Is there a better mpeg2 codec I should be using?

MainConcept? Elecard?

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[nerys]

I removed the codec and installed a different one. Found another free one (dscaler) from this site and it is working fine now sort of. I do not like the playback. its "funky" almost like its flickering or something. TMPGENC works so I am going to leave it since I am not recompressing the funkiness should not become a part of the new files (ie the old files also flicker now so its just a codec issue) suggestions on a good free mpeg2 codec not looking tospend $50 on mainconcept