How to convert fullscreen to widescreen and vice versa?

[coxanhvn]

Problem: I have a music DVD in fullscreen, but it has several songs that are in widescreen.
Question: I extracted those vob files using DVD Shrink. How do I convert (or "encode", which one?) these files into widescreen mode with the original settings, so that when I burn them to DVD, it will full fill the widescreen tv and function just like the original vob files? And vice versa, from widescreen to fullscreen?



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[guns1inger]

Assuming these are NTSC, from 60 lines from the top and 60 from the bottom, resize back to 480 and encode for 16:9 and author as 16:9.

However, if this footage is interlaced you need to be careful when resizing, and should use avisynth to separate the fields before resizing. if you search for posts on this you will find plenty.

For the fullscreen material you have a choice. You can add pillarboxing to the sides to preserve the 4:3 aspect ratio, then resize for DVD compliant 16:9 and encode and author accordingly, or simply do the same 60 line top and bottom crop as you did for the letterboxed material, and accept you will lose some of the image.

Something to be aware of with music videos - the actual aspect ratio is often completely arbitrary, so it may be wider than 16:9, in which case after cropping you will still have some black bars, or it could be somewhere between 4:3 and 16:9, in which case you will lose some image. Most should be 16:9 or wider nowadays, but older ones could be anything. Rules don't really apply here.

[coxanhvn]

Thank you very much for your reply, but I'm sorry I couldn't say I got it, it's just so "pro" with this newbie.

Do you know any simple softs (like Shrink) for cropping whichever area of the DVD?

I just want to make it fullfill my TV screen, does it have to be either 4:3 or 16:9 when creating a video file? Can we make one with 1:2 ratio (width:height)?

[manono]

Do you know any simple softs (like Shrink) for cropping whichever area of the DVD?

No, there's nothing simple that does it. However, DVD-Rebuilder has a 4:3 to 16:9 setting that can do the job if your intent is to make a 16:9 DVD from it.

Otherwise your best bet is to learn some AviSynth scripting and then encode and author manually.

...does it have to be either 4:3 or 16:9

If for DVD, yes.

Can we make one with 1:2 ratio (width:height)?

Sorry, but you're not making any sense at all there.

[jagabo]

Converting widescreen (16:9) to fullscreen (4:3) will not turn out like your cropped sample, it will turn out like this (stretched):



or like this (zoomed and cropped)



Conversely, if this second image was a frame from a full frame source, converting it to 16:9 would give you this (stretched):



this (pillarboxed):



or this (zoomed and cropped):



Converting a widescreen video that is letterboxed in a 4:3 frame (like your first image) by cropping 60 lines off the top and bottom and resizing the frame will result in video that fills the frame of a 16:9 TV but it will be blurry and you will get another round of MPEG artifacts. If the video is interlaced you will get even more artifacts from separating the fields, resizing, and weaving the fields back together.

You're better off leaving your videos like they are.

[coxanhvn]

Can we make one with 1:2 ratio (width:height)?

Sorry, but you're not making any sense at all there.

I meant could we make a video file in which the height is double the width, jusk like a 9:16, instead of 16:9?

Thank you very much for all of your suggestions guns1inger, manono, and especially your sample pictures jagabo!

I think since I don't know anything about scripting and encoding, I may just leave it so, thanks again!

[MysticE]

How do I convert (or "encode", which one?) these files into widescreen mode with the original settings, so that when I burn them to DVD, it will full fill the widescreen tv and function just like the original vob files? And vice versa, from widescreen to fullscreen?

It's quite easy, I do it all the time. AVStoDVD is the tool (stick with the last Alpha though as the latest release has problems with NTSC). You don't have to know anything about scripting either.

Be sure to untick 'keep compliant video' under Preferences-> Audio Video. When you right click the file to 'Edit' go to the Video tab and untick 'Auto Video Setup' then change the AR to 16:9. You can now Preview the vid and see how it looks. If it's a 2.35 vid and you'd like to narrow the bars (get it closer to true 16:9) go the the AviSynth tab and untick 'Auto AviSynth Script'. You can now use the 'Crop' function. You only need to crop left/right, it will automatically adjust the height (narrowing the bars). You might also want to lock in the HCenc encoder.

If things look a bit off as was mentioned you can use the 'Vertical Resize' option to readjust. I've seldom found this to be the case though.

If you have ConvertXtoDVD 3 it too will easily fix them for you. It has many presets and manual adjustments under 'Video Resize'.

[Cornucopia]

Can we make one with 1:2 ratio (width:height)?

Sorry, but you're not making any sense at all there.

I meant could we make a video file in which the height is double the width, jusk like a 9:16, instead of 16:9?

Thank you very much for all of your suggestions guns1inger, manono, and especially your sample pictures jagabo!

I think since I don't know anything about scripting and encoding, I may just leave it so, thanks again!

Sure it can be done (9:16). What are your intentions with it?

You will of course, have to choose which method is appropriate:

A. Zoom in and crop



B. Zoom out and "pill-letterbox"



C. Non-AR conserving squeeze



D. Rotate



or
E. something special, like multiple monitors used as a tryptich with panels



(BTW, your original sample WASN'T true 16:9! )

If you need help with this, let us know...

Scott