TMPGEnc Xpress - Clip Settings - No setting for 8:9 PAR

[terpsfan101]

I must be missing something fairly obvious here. Why is there no setting for an 8:9 pixel aspect ratio in the clip settings? I am trying to convert this DVD file into an XVID avi:

720x480
SAR = 3:2
PAR = 8:9
DAR = 4:3

But when I open the DVD file in TMPGEnc Xpress it selects a pixel aspect ratio of 10:11. When I save a frame of my clip in a picture file the dimensions of the picture are 654x480. So I change the aspect ratio in the clip settings to display 4:3, and the dimensions of my picture frame are still 654x480.

What I would like to know is why doesn't TMPGEnc Xpress have a pixel aspect ratio setting of 8:9. If I encode my video to a 4:3 XVID, there are tiny vertical black bars on the left and right side of the encoded video because the program thinks the inputted video clip has a PAR of 10/11. I can get around this by selecting "full-size, no margins" under the resize filter, but doesn't this distort the original picture?

[terpsfan101]

There is also no setting for a 32:27 PAR in the clip settings for widescreen video. The PAR values that TMPGEnc lets you choose from are correct for a 704x480 video source. (704/480)*(10/11) = 4/3 and (704/480)*(40/33) = 16/9. I am very confused here. Can anyone explain to me why there are no PAR settings of 8:9 and 32:27 in the clip properties.

[terpsfan101]

When I look at the resizing tab in GSpot it recommends I resize to 656x480, which is close to the 654x480 DAR that TMPGEnc displays my video clip at in the clip editor. This doesn't make any sense to me. Why do both programs want to resizing my DVD clip with a DAR of 4:3 to an AVI with a DAR of 1.36:1?

[terpsfan101]

OK, maybe someone can tell me the best way to convert a 720x480 DVD clip with an aspect ratio of 4:3 to an XVID avi with 4x3 dimensions (640x480, 576x432, 512x384). Hold my hand please.

[terpsfan101]

I could really use an experts opinion here. When I loaded my DVD file into virtualdub, it correctly recognized my source as 8:9 PAR. I still had to select the aspect ratio myself. I think the correct PAR choice has (Source) listed after it. Am I correct in thinking that TMPGEnc XPress does not correctly identify the PAR for 720x480 DVD sources?

[Alex_ander]

Ignore those shown PAR numbers, they don't matter here, quite enough the program recognizes (4:3 DAR + resolution). There's nothing else to specify in dropdown manually for an imported file anyway. PAR is reference information here (for those who can't live without it ) and it's neither used by the program nor taken from file.
11/10 comes from the idea that (by ITU601) 704x480 part of image always represents 4:3 or 16:9. That is wrong in case of 720x480 mpeg2, unless the numbers 704 and 480 are written into sequence_display_extension optional mpeg parameter. And that is quite rare. There is no other parameter in mpeg2/DVD file to calculate anything different from 8:9 (that number directly comes from 720x480 and 4:3).

[terpsfan101]

Alexander, so I shouldn't be concerned that a frame of my clip exports as a picture file with dimensions of 654x480. Your explanation is a little advanced. So the program recognizes the 4:3 DAR, but displays it incorrectly?

[Alex_ander]

You can always correct numbers in filters. 654x480 come from Picture resize filter which is on by default and and has default 'keep AR' setting. And AR of original file by the ideology of PAR is defined as 480 vertically and 640 corrected by factor 720/704=654.5 (the program actually considers 720x480 wider than 4:3, unlike 704x480). Begin with unchecking 'keep AR' and adjust resize settings using common sence, crop vertical black borders (if any, many DVD manufactures also follow 10/11 ideology) to 704 before resizing to fullscreen.

[terpsfan101]

Unticking the keep aspect ratio box seemed to the trick. I compared a frame of my encoded AVI from TMPGEnc to a frame of my encoded AVI in Virtualdub, and they were both identically re-sized.

[terpsfan101]

Hopefully, this will be helpful to TMPGEnc Xpress users.

Cropping 8 pixels from the left and right sides of the 720x480 DVD source yielded a 640x480 avi that was in perfect proportion to the cropped 704x480 source displayed at 640x480. Even if your source fills the entire 720x480 area, you still need to crop 8 pixels from the left and right of the picture. When your output is 4:3 square pixels and your source is 704x480 (before or after cropping), it doesn't matter what "full screen" resize filter you choose. It also doesn't matter if the keep AR tab is checked or not. The output for all 4 combinations (Full Screen, Full Screen Keep AR, Full Screen No Margin, and Full Screen No Margin Keep AR) is identical.

When your source is a 16:9 widescreen DVD, crop to 704x480. Because none of the output mod16 sizes are perfectly 16:9, you need to choose "Full Screen No Margin" and check the "Keep AR" box if you want your output video to fill the entire screen. If you don't mind tiny black bars on your output video, then choose "Full Screen" "Keep AR". If your destination Display Aspect Ratio (DAR) is greater then your source DAR, your output video will be slightly pillarboxed. If your destination DAR is less than your source DAR, your output video will be slightly letterboxed.

[Island_Dweller]

Hi terps, I'm new here myself, but I've worked with TMPGenc Xpress for a few years and here's what I know so far.

Cropping 8 pixels from the left and right sides of the 720x480 DVD source yielded a 640x480 avi that was in perfect proportion to the cropped 704x480 source displayed at 640x480. Even if your source fills the entire 720x480 area, you still need to crop 8 pixels from the left and right of the picture. When your output is 4:3 square pixels and your source is 704x480 (before or after cropping), it doesn't matter what "full screen" resize filter you choose. It also doesn't matter if the keep AR tab is checked or not. The output for all 4 combinations (Full Screen, Full Screen Keep AR, Full Screen No Margin, and Full Screen No Margin Keep AR) is identical.

If you're willing to waste 8 pixels on each side, then it's your right, but when importing clips, you could just choose "Display 4:3" in the aspect ratio drop down box, instead of "Pixel 10:11 (NTSC 4:3)".

When your source is a 16:9 widescreen DVD, crop to 704x480. Because none of the output mod16 sizes are perfectly 16:9, you need to choose "Full Screen No Margin" and check the "Keep AR" box if you want your output video to fill the entire screen. If you don't mind tiny black bars on your output video, then choose "Full Screen" "Keep AR". If your destination Display Aspect Ratio (DAR) is greater then your source DAR, your output video will be slightly pillarboxed. If your destination DAR is less than your source DAR, your output video will be slightly letterboxed.

Not necessarily. If you have a widescreen DVD, you don't need to crop valid pixels, just choose "Display 16:9".

Moreoever, if you go with 720x480 (pixel 40:33) or 720x576 (pixel 16:11), tmpgenc Xpress assumes a display aspect ratio of 20:11, which can be accurately resized to 640x352, which is also MOD16, btw.

[natong]

I faced the same problem with xpress v4.7.7

My DVD is NTSC 720x480. When I convert to mp4, I choose 720x480 and Display 4:3. When playing with KMPlayer, the resolution wasn't 4:3.


Crop 8 pixels left and right is the best solution ?

[natong]

I use gspot to check DVD's .VOB, the PAR is 8:9. So I thing we shouldn't crop it.

the resize method to 704x480 with not keep aspect ratio is the best choice.

[DB83]

The answer was already given in post #11.

All dvds have the storage aspect ratio of 720*480 pixels (NTSC). That is 3:2 (for 4:3) if you consider this as square pixels. DVD does NOT use square pixels for the pixel aspect ratio 'PAR' adjusts this 3:2 to 4:3 by applying a ratio of 8:9 ie converts 720*480 to 720*540. This will be different for a 16:9 dvd.

So there is no need to crop. Just ensure that you select the correct option.

Better than that, do NOT use TMPENC to create xVID. There are plenty of free options such as autogk which WILL automatically create the xVID in the correct display aspect ratio ie without any cropping, unneccessary letter-boxing etc. etc..