Need help converting 4x3 dvd to 4x3 h264 mp4 for psp 1001 -add pillar bars?

[yoda313]

Ok I'm at a loss to figure this out. I have a 4x3 dvd I want to get onto my psp. Its a first series 1001 fat model. I can make perfect 16x9 files for it using corel dvd copy 6 and format factory.

My psp will play h264 mp4 files that are 16x9 at 368x208 perfectly. I also have 16x9 480x272 files on it that work great as well.

For the life of me I can't get 4x3 videos to play on the psp. Whats bizarre is I've made 320x240 4x3 h264 mp4 files with corel dvd copy that will show up on the psp. They display in the video tab and I can play it but only for a second or two and it immediately says its an unsupported file. Even though it sees the file and starts to play it.

Is there a way to use the widescreen output but flag it 4x3 for the psp? I don't want it to be stretched.

Or could I somehow letterbox a 4x3 video into a 16x9 frame but make it the regular height so no information is lost - since this is a 4.3" screen real estate is important to keep as much as I can.

You're thoughts are appreciated.

I've tried both psp output modes for format factory and corel dvd copy 6 and can't seem to get a working 4x3 output from it.

Also this is a dvd with english subtitles and I need to keep the subtitles since it is a foreign language track without an english track except the subtitles.

I have just finished a test using xvid4psp 5.0 and got a 480x272 4:3 file that is h264 in mp4 but it still won't play on the psp.

I am not sure how to go about this. I can make perfect 16:9 videos but I'm having the toughest time getting a usable 4:3 out of it.

Your help is appreciated.

Edit - just thought of something since I can create perfect 16x9 files I need to make 4x3 inside of 16x9. I know that the vertical bars you see when watching 4x3 material on a 16x9 screen are called pillar bars. How would you go about encoding those for the mobile h264 mp4 profile?

I would want to maintain the height without stretching the width. Hence I'd need to add pillar bars inside the 16x9 frame to maintain the proper width. How would I do this? What tools would I need? And how would this impact hardcoding subtitles from the dvd? FYI I still have the dvd ripped on the harddrive as a single 7gb vob file.

Edit 2 - can ripbot do this? I have it on my computer but my uac is on at the moment and I'd have to restart after switching it off (vista premium 32bit).

edit 3 - I have ripbot loaded and the dvd loaded. I have checked the psp profile for sd 1.33:1 Here is what it says:

psp - 480x272 1.33:1


#Resize
video=Spline36Resize(video,360,270).Sharpen(0.2).A ddBorders(60,0,60,2)


So does that mean it will add boarders to 360x270 to make it square inside of a 480x272 frame? I will find out.

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Also how can I hardcode the subs directly from the vobs with ripbot? I don't see the possiblity in the menu. I've had a hard time ripping the subs. I used subrip but got a bunch of sup files and a srt file but when I tried the srt file in xvid4psp all I got was the filename xxxxx.sup popping up all the time instead of actual text. I must have done something wrong - first time trying to rip subtitles - I've usually let the program do the subtitle selection on its own but this isn't working out so well.

edit 4 - the conversion just completed.

It works great! The resize with the borders created a perfectly playable 480x272 file that my psp reads and plays flawlessly. I used the middle cq level and it looks great.

Now I only have to figure out how to do the subtitles properly. I used one that I thought would work but again it just kept saying file xxxx.sup. So obviously I need to read up on how to do subtitles properly.

But I might be able to use the resize function in another program to get a proper file that will play right on my psp and get the correct subtitles.

This is great I got it 90% solved. One last trick now

Edit 5 - SUCCESS!

Last night I read up a guide on subrip. Popped in the vob and got to work. I then got a srt file after about 10 minutes or so following prompts for letters.

I then redid the same settings for a 4:3 psp profile in a 16:9 frame in ripbot. Loaded the subtitle file and let it go.

I just popped in the file on my psp and WALLA! it works! The subtitles appear to be correct. Also the frame is perfectly proportioned without distortion.

Only disappointing thing is there are a few spelling errors here and there. HOwever it is accurate enough to forgive without losing the meaning. Odd things like I's replacing L's and things like that. But the main thing is I can follow it and know what is going on.

The next tries I may go into a editor and do spell checking.

I'm glad I got this figured out. Plus this is my first time making my own subtitles! Before I've let whatever program I was using suck the subtitles out of the file or dvd.