"Uncropping" video?

[OldBoy]

I've been using DVD Shrink and iWisoft Free Video Converter for quite some time to take several pieces of a particular video (all VOB files) and combine the pieces into one video to post on YouTube. I use DVD Shrink to cut up the video and iWisoft to merge it into one.

This morning, I ran into a problem I'd yet to face. When I cut and viewed my newest video, its pieces have the normal length but the width is tremendously tightened. None of the settings - which appear as they did when I pieced together all of my previous videos - have been changed. No matter what I do to try to expand the width of, or "uncrop", the video, I'm unsuccessful and the video looks distorted. The only thing that seems to work is to view the clips in "4:3", however, in doing that, the video is no longer distorted but it appears to have considerably shrunk.

Anyone know what possibly could be going on? Maybe there is something else I can try besides these two programs? Thanks!
--
OldBoy

[filmboss80]

It would help to know more about your source file. (Run it through GSpot or MediaInfo.) I suspect your source is 4:3 letterboxed instead of being full 16:9 widescreen, but I have no way of knowing for sure without more info.

Also, I know nothing about iWisoft, but it seems utterly unnecessary (and may even be problematic) since DVD Shrink should be able to merge your final movie in the reauthor mode.

[OldBoy]

filmboss80, thanks for your response. I just ran GSpot...how do I get the source file after running?

[filmboss80]

No, you open the video file in GSpot and see what information it gives you about the source file (including aspect ratio). If you want us to interpret it, post a screenshot of the GSpot findings.

Gspot is not a converter; it just tells you what kind of video file you are dealing with, so that you can take the appropriate steps in making adjustments.

Alternately, you can use MediaInfo for about the same thing. It will give you text info that you can cut and paste here, if you don't want to post a GSpot image.

[OldBoy]

filmboss80,

Here's the output text after running in MediaInfo:

General
Complete name : D:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_01_1.VOB
Format : MPEG-PS
File size : 988 MiB
Duration : 30s 692ms
Overall bit rate : 270 Mbps
Video
ID : 224 (0xE0)
Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : Main@Main
Format settings, BVOP : Yes
Format settings, Matrix : Default
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Duration : 30s 603ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 264 Mbps
Nominal bit rate : 9 800 Kbps
Width : 352 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Top Field First
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 52.224
Stream size : 965 MiB (98%)
Audio
ID : 128 (0x80)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Duration : 30s 692ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 256 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -67ms
Stream size : 959 KiB (0%)
Menu

[filmboss80]

Right off the bat, I see your dealing with HalfD1 resolution. (Is this from an original DVD or some piss-poor copy?) You might want to try DVDPatcher to reset the aspect ratio to 16:9.

[OldBoy]

It's a very piss-poor copy. I tried changing the aspect ratio using DVDPatcher and apparently it cannot reset because it is right protected...

[TJohns]

According to the "WHAT IS DVD" link up on the left menu, 16:9 is not supported in Half-D1 mode. Because Half-D1 can only be 4:3, the movie has been letterboxed to fit the frame (the shrunked image with black bars top/bottom you mention). The Half-D1 image is going to be stretched to "normal" width anyway at playback ... it also might just be that the preview your looking at doesn't understand this and shows the movie at "native" resolution.

[OldBoy]

All,
After playing with it, it seems the issue is with the merging of files with the iWisoft Free Video Converter; when I upload the individual files from DVD Shrink 3.2 onto YouTube, the clips have the correct width-height. However, when merged using the iWisoft Free Video Converter, the width is significantly shortened (as described originally).

filmboss80, you say DVD Shrink should be able to merge my final movie in the reauthor mode... When I reauthor all the clips, the output are individual files...in other words, how can the files be merged into one using DVD Shrink? Or, does anyone have a better suggestion if there is something much better than DVD Shrink?

Thanks for all your help!
--
OldBoy

[filmboss80]

filmboss80, you say DVD Shrink should be able to merge my final movie in the reauthor mode... When I reauthor all the clips, the output are individual files...in other words, how can the files be merged into one using DVD Shrink? Or, does anyone have a better suggestion if there is something much better than DVD Shrink?

Yes, you can. Check out the DVD Shrink guides: http://www.dvdshrink.info/guides.php

I only mentioned DVD Shrink because you were using it. It is certainly not the only or best tool for editing DVD video. There are several choices from free (like Mpg2Cut2) to payware (like MPEG-VCR, VideoReDo, etc).

[OldBoy]

filmboss80,

I decided to, in a way, start over and download Mpg2Cut2 to see if I'd have better luck. From my approximately 1-hour video, I intend to take nine different 30- to 90-second segments from the 1 hour and merge them into one video (it's highlights from a football game), equalling a video of 7 to 9 minutes. Please excuse my ignorance with all of this...

Using Mpg2Cut2, I added all 9 files and, when I "Play" from preview, all 9 files are played continuously in a perfect, 7-to-9-minute video, or exactly what I'm hoping as the end result. However, I'm having troubles saving and viewing exactly what I'm previewing... I chose to "Save All Clips" but the video that is played is only a fraction of what I was previewing in the first place (in fact, the video cuts off even before reaching the end of the first of the 9 files).

I must be doing something wrong... Thanks.
--
OldBoy

[OldBoy]

Anyone help me out with Mpg2Cut2? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

[OldBoy]

Please, anyone... I still cannot figure how to save all these clips into one...please...

[filmboss80]

After you have isolated each clip, reopen Mpg2Cut2 and open the first video of your compilation and drag the slider to the end. Then, choose File > Append File and select your second clip. This will add the 2nd clip to the end of the first. Add each clip thereafter using Append File until you're done, then select File > Save All Clips, creating a new file name for the entire compilation.

Although free, Mpg2Cut2 isn't the easiest to figure out. If you still have problems with it, consider some of the payware solutions mentioned in post #10.

By the way: All clips must be same aspect ratio, same frame rate, etc.

[OldBoy]

filmboss80,
Great! Got it and was able to figure the problem. Thanks so much for the help.

[evansataz]

just thought i would share my findings that worked for me to uncrop a video without re-encoding it and only takes minutes instead of hours.

Let's say you download a video that has the aspect ratio of 1920x1080 and it has those "black bars" and you can't simply stretch to fit the screen.
well this is what i do to get rid of them and stretch to fit so it is full screen 16/9 and no video is cropped, only the black bars are

1st i load the video file into handbrake and its set to auto cropping and the result shows me the crop amount for left,top,right,bottom.

i close handbrake and next load the video into mkvmerge GUI, select the video track and go to format specific tab.

enter the cropping amount values given by handbrake left,top,right,bottom and that will uncrop the bars for you without re-encoding.

NOTE: before you remux, and the original video has chapters then make sure to load chapters by going to the chapter editor dropd-own and select load chapters and just select the video you loaded and it will detect the chapters. next you want to save the chaters it found by going to the drop-down again and select save as and save it to chapters.xml file. next go to global tab and select the chapter.xml file you just saved and this will keep the original chapters when you remux your video.

Hope this helps those that don't want the bars and cant stretch to fit the screen another way.