How to create DVD from 2 videos of different resolution?

[Brent G.]

I am using WinDVD Creator an I imported 2 videos, an AVI at 640x480 res and a WMV file at higher res wide screen. When I edited the video and created the timeline, both videos looked fine. But when the video was generated to DVD, the second video was squashed vertically. If I generate each video separately, the DVD resolution is fine but of course they are separate DVD's.

Is there a way to correct his in WinDVD Creator?
How do people import videos of different resolution and create a single DVD from them.

Any constructive comments would be appreciated. Thanks

Brent

[Baldrick]

I guess one is 4:3 and the other is 16:9? If so you must either use two separate video tracks/vts for each video in windvd OR make both in same aspect ratio(crop or black borders).

[Brent G.]

I guess one is 4:3 and the other is 16:9?

Correct

If so you must either use two separate video tracks/vts for each video in Windvd

That makes sense but WinDVD has only 1 video track

OR make both in same aspect ratio(crop or black borders)

Right. I couldn't see any way to change the aspect ratio in the second video.

Maybe if I put the second video (16:9) first, then it will expand the second video? But that will probably make it blocky.

I haven't used Windows Movie Maker. Is it any better at handling this? I don't need a commercial product because all I'm doing is editing out portions of the videos and burning to DVD. They need chapter marks and that's about it.

TIA
Brent

[tomlee59]

You can't have a single title with two different aspect ratios. Your authoring software is apparently too limited to do the right thing, which is to author a disc with each of those vids as its own separate title. Both titles can reside in a single DVD, but they do have to be there as two separate titles.

I've not used any of the tools you mentioned; they look like they were consumer-grade tools for simplified operations. Your goal falls outside of that description.

There are lots of different ways to proceed. The basic workflow you need to follow will look something like this:

1) Convert each vid into DVD-compliant MPEG2, and with its own correct AR. A simple tool for doing this is QMC. There are many, many others, including what you already own, perhaps.
2) Author the result into a two-title DVD. Again, there are many choices. A popular free one is GUIforDVDAuthor.
3) Use Imgburn to burn the result onto good media.

[MysticE]

You can't have a single title with two different aspect ratios. Your authoring software is apparently too limited to do the right thing, which is to author a disc with each of those vids as its own separate title. Both titles can reside in a single DVD, but they do have to be there as two separate titles....

Are you saying to make a DVD that flops from 4:3 to 16:9? What good is that? Everything I watch is on a 16:9 set, hence I format for 16:9. Yes the 4:3 files will be pillarboxed but the AR remains correct. I'm not about to play around with the TV/player settings between clips while watching a DVD.

[tomlee59]

Well, you are making assumptions that I am not making. The OP asked about a specific problem, and the solution I've given him is non-dogmatic about what "correct AR" means. If he wants to flip back and forth, he can keep the individual ARs w/o letterboxing/pillarboxing. If he doesn't want to flip back and forth, he can go ahead and letterbox one at will.

One step at a time.

[manono]

And not all setups require switching back and forth depending on whether the material is 4:3 or 16:9. I don't have to ever touch the player or the 1080p TV set when going from 4:3 to 16:9 and vice versa. I'm not sure I approve of converting 4:3 to 16:9 with pillarbars either, since you lose resolution in the process.

[lordsmurf]

WinDVD is crapware.

You could easily do what you want with TMPGEnc DVD Author (now Authoring Works).

See this link here: http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/video/author-tsunami.htm

[Brent G.]

Lordsmurf,
Thanks for the software recommendation. I see that version is discontinued http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/tda3.html and they are now promoting TMPGenc Authoring Works 4 for $99.95 http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/taw4.html Have you tried this new software? Is it any good? Any other software recommendations? TIA

Brent

[T-Fish]

before you hand out cash for TMPGenc, give the free dvdflick a try.