Cropping 16:9 VOB files to 4:3?

[guy24s]

What is the easiest route (with good results) to crop a 16:9 file to make it 4:3? I have some footage which was shot in 4:3 ratio, but someone took the 4:3 footage and added black bars on the sides to play it on widescreen TVs. I have tried removing the sides with TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 5, and while it does crop the file like I want, the picture is shaking, like a ghosting effect.
Any suggestions on how I should go about, using as few steps/softwares as possible, but receive result where the image is not shaking? Preferrably without having to convert the VOB files to AVI and then back to VOB again...
Thank you for reading and for any suggestions.

[Hikmet]

Use black area top and bottom (letterbox)... And before, use deinterlace...

[guy24s]

Not sure what you mean with adding black top and bottom...can you please explain further? Can I deinterlace without converting the VOB into a different fileformat?

[Hikmet]

Not sure what you mean with adding black top and bottom...can you please explain further? Can I deinterlace without converting the VOB into a different fileformat?

Not sure what you mean with adding black top and bottom

Letterbox...

Can I deinterlace without converting the VOB into a different fileformat

No. If you want make VOB file, than reencode MPEG2 format.

Your video is shake, because you use invalid deinterlace method. Check options your program. You don't apply deinterlace, or apply true deinterlace method. Example, YADIF method is best...

[jagabo]

What is the source video? DVD? What is the final destination for the video? DVD? Crop 90 pixels off the left, 90 pixels off the right, resize the width back to 720, encode as 4:3. This shouldn't require deinterlacing as only the width is resized. Make sure the software knows the source is interlaced, identifies the field order correctly, and encodes interlaced.

[noemi7]

Are you going to watch it on widescreen TV? If so, and after conversion to 4:3 your TV will display it with black bars anyway. So, it doesn't make sense to convert it.

[sanlyn]

It makes sense if you want to display on older TV's or other 4:3 devices. A few sample frames from the source would yield more specific answers.

TMPGenc Mastering Works 5 is basically ane encoder. It can edit and crop, but the output will be reencoded anyway. Apparently the encoder settings aren't correct for the O.P.'s input.

[Alex_ander]

It makes sense if you want to display on older TV's or other 4:3 devices.

There's no need in DVD2DVD re-encoding for this purpose. It is easy to change 'letterbox' setting to 'pan&scan' in ifo's with DVDRemake or PGCEdit.

[sanlyn]

True. I wouldn't use Mastering Works for the task. Pretty decent software, but not for this.

[budwzr]

... and while it does crop the file like I want, the picture is shaking, like a ghosting effect.

Shaking and Ghosting are two different animals.

[Hikmet]

... and while it does crop the file like I want, the picture is shaking, like a ghosting effect.

Shaking and Ghosting are two different animals.

No, if wrong deinterlace method choosen than occur shake and ghost.

[budwzr]

You mean "jitter" and "blending" though, right?

[Hikmet]

You mean "jitter" and "blending" though, right?

No, "Jitter" is randomly and occur when signal not good. This shaking occur when interlace row order invalid.

"Blending" is combine/mix two image. If combine operation is wrong, than occur ghosting effect.

[budwzr]

Well, to me it sounds like it's already flattened, since it was 4:3 in a 16:9 format. So deinterlacing wouldn't be possible any more.

Wait! Hold the fort. The OP started off the post about "Somebody shot footage .....". THEN it turns out the files are VOB. So wassupwitdat?

[manono]

What is the easiest route (with good results) to crop a 16:9 file to make it 4:3? I have some footage which was shot in 4:3 ratio, but someone took the 4:3 footage and added black bars on the sides to play it on widescreen TVs.

That last sentence makes no sense. It's going to play with black bars anyway on a 16:9 TV set, either bars encoded into the video like you have or bars added by the player. It's 4:3 TV sets you should worry about. You asked for 'easiest' and Alex_ander already provided the answer - just change from Letterbox to Pan And Scan using PGCEdit. Otherwise you'll have to reencode.

I have tried removing the sides with TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 5, and while it does crop the file like I want, the picture is shaking, like a ghosting effect.

Sounds like you screwed up and changed the field order, not to mention degrading the quality by reencoding.

[guy24s]

I do understand it won't make a difference when viewing the final product on a widescreen TV, but this video in question is going on a DVD with other stuff that is already in 4:3 720x480 resolution, I want everything to be the same. So tell me how to "physically" remove the sides, cropping approx. 90 pixels on each side but without getting the shaky effect. By shaky I mean like a double exposed ghosting effect. I'm sorry if I am using the wrong word, english is not my native tongue.

[manono]

So you don't have the source 4:3 video? Because it was compromised first by converting it to 16:9 (thus losing resolution) then by encoding for DVD. And now you want to crop and reencode yet again?

I don't use TMPGEnc, but I suppose it must have a way to set the field order so you don't get the jerky playback. I'd do it in AviSynth like so:

Crop(90,0,-90,0)
LanczosResize(720,Height)#or your favorite resizer.

Crop and resize and then reencode as 4:3. And figure out what the original field order is and make sure to keep it when reencoding.

[smrpix]

TMPGenc VMW has easy to use crop and due interlace tools in the filters category. You can preview what you are doing before rendering.

I'm having a hard time understanding what you mean by shaking as that could describe any number of issues, but the ghosting sounds like you are doing a frame rate conversion. A short sample would help.

[jagabo]

TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 5

I don't know that software but with many editors you right click on the video in the timeline and select properties from the context menu. Look for settings like interlace/progressive, field order, aspect ratio. Make sure they are all set correctly for the source. Otherwise you get problems like those you are describing.

If you don't know the properties of your source upload a small sample with motion. Use a program like Mpg2cut2 or DgIndex to extract sample without reencoding or otherwise changing it.

[r0lZ]

Try the PgcEdit route. On a real TV, it will do exactly what you want (but it will probably not work with a software player on PC.)

Just load the DVD, right-click on the PGC you want to change, and select Domain Stream Attributes. Untick Automatic LetterBox and tick Automatic Pan&Scan. Save, and burn a RW to test.

Really simple, no? So, why would you like to re-encode and lose quality?