DV to Avi resizing problems

[MikeMaster]

Hello everybody,
Im having some problems converting my old DV-tapes to Avi files. Im trying to convert my old JVC DV-tapes to Avi files so i can play them on my Humax decoder on my TV. Problem is that after conversion they turn out with black borders left and right of my screen. The original DV tape plays fullscreen directly from my camcorder. Ill explain what i did:
1. captured the DV-tape with WinDV (type 2)
Videoinspector says the file is Sony Digital Video Codec, 29020 Kbps and 720x576 resolution
2. used Virtualdub with the following settings:
- Video Compression Xvid MPEG-4 Codec, target bitrate 2000
- Audio Compression Lame MP3 32000Hz, 128 kbps
- deinterlace filter
- resize filter *

I tried resizing to different sizes, with and without keeping the aspect ratio and also not adding the resize filter. Result all comes out the same, well at least with the black borders left and right of the screen.

Im feeling im missing something very basic here?

Thank you,

[Baldrick]

I guess your dv-avi is 16:9. Then must you make your avi xvid 16:9 also.

You could convert to 720x576 and change the display aspect ratio in the avi file with mpeg4 modifier(the Display AR).

But some video players might ignore the display aspect ratio in avi files and then must you reconvert to a 16:9 frame size, like 640x360 in virtualdub.

[MikeMaster]

Thank you. I tried your suggestion, it now turns out full screen however it shows distorted ("big heads").
I tried to do some reading up on this subject but im having trouble understanding the basic idea here (and i'm certainly no tech expert ):
I hook my camera to my TV and I get a perfect screen (size and ratio) but when i play the same (converted) movie on the same TV from my media player (Humax) it gets somewhat messed up.

[manono]

Your video is 4:3, maybe. Resize to some 1.33:1 resolution. Try 640x480, for example.

If you have an old 4:3 TV, it'll fill the screen. With a widescreen TV set, it'll have black on the left and right sides, but no more big heads (if your video is 4:3).

You can right-click on the picture in VDub and try either 16:9 (Baldrick's suggestion) or 4:3 (mine) and see which looks 'normal'.

[MikeMaster]

Thank you, ill try that (i do have a widescreen TV).
This may be a dumb question but i am wondering why i always have a perfect screen when i hook the camera directly to the TV, regardless which tv it is.

[manono]

It always fills the screen, no matter which TV it's hooked up to? There are only two choices. One is that on one of the TVs the aspect ratio is off (circles are ovals). The other is that the aspect ratio is good but parts of the picture are being cut off by one of the TV sets - something is zooming in the picture.