Aspect ratio change (permanent)

[ceteganda]

I've been downloading MP4 videos from Youtube and burning them to DVD's using Freemake, with no problems. However, I downloaded a file recently with a 1:1 A/R (720 x 720), which was obviously wrong since it was badly squished! The original AR was probably 16:9 or thereabouts, and I need to convert it back to its original ratio, or manually to 16:9 so that the DVD will have something more akin to the original ratio on the DVD when I burn it. It would appear that Freemake does not have any options to change the AR of a video either permanently or for the purposes of providing a different AR prior to DVD burning.

Unfortunately, neither my TV or my DVD player have the ability for me to change the A/R for playback purposes, otherwise I would use this as a work-around.

Is there a nice simple (free) program out there for a non-technically minded person which would allow me to load the video and tell it to convert to a different AR from the original, without losing any resolution?

Thanks for any help!

[jdwebb2]

SUPER will do nicely. Free and simple enough not to need to learn anything.
Hint: Try a short amount first before re-encoding the whole video.

[Stears555]

SUPER will do nicely. Free and simple enough not to need to learn anything.
Hint: Try a short amount first before re-encoding the whole video.

Super is backward software. There is not enough detailed options for video codecs.

[DB83]

OMG !!!! SUPER will do nicely if you want your system stuffed with adware.

Two programs (both free) that should sort this out are avidemux and handbrake. Both have a small learning curve but are much better than these one-click solutions.

If the AR of the source really is 720*720 then I wonder if someone used handbrake wrongly. Can you provide a link to the source on youtube and also download mediainfo, select text mode and copy/paste the report you see direct to the forum as a reply.

[ceteganda]

Hi, DB83

Sorry to be such a rookie. Here is the Youtube link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=php-gaXcTDk.

Here is the report:

General
Complete name : C:\Videos\Youtube\Rossini's La Cenerentola - Opera [English Subtitles].mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42
File size : 1.34 GiB
Duration : 2h 0mn
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 1 594 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2013-07-26 19:18:58
Tagged date : UTC 2013-07-26 19:18:58
gsst : 0
gstd : 7213325
gssd : BADC239C4HH1381911185023099
gshh : r13---sn-q4f7dnlz.c.youtube.com

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L3.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 1 frame
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 2h 0mn
Bit rate : 1 400 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 3 665 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 1.000
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.108
Stream size : 1.18 GiB (88%)
Tagged date : UTC 2013-07-26 19:37:02

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 2h 0mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 202 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 165 MiB (12%)
Title : IsoMedia File Produced by Google, 5-11-2011
Encoded date : UTC 2013-07-26 19:29:55
Tagged date : UTC 2013-07-26 19:37:02


Thanks for your help!

[DB83]

Hmmn.

I just d/l's a lower quality version than the one you have and indeed the width is the same as the height.

Fix this in handbrake as follows (there may be other methods):

1. Set Anamorphic to 'None' and ensure that 'Keep Aspect Ratio' is unticked
2. Reduce your height to as near to 405 as is possible.

That will then give you a 16:9 image.

Why the video is like this I know not. Maybe that's the way the BBC do it.

Edit:It is a type of anamorphic. For playback purposes in VLC you can just set AR at 16:9 and it will display correctly.

[jagabo]

I'd try remuxing with the display aspect ratio set to 16:9 first.

[davexnet]

The other possibility, if the target is DVD - use AVStoDVD. No need to change the downloaded file.
When the source is loaded, you can right click the title and change the effective aspect ratio.

[jagabo]

If you're making a DVD, try telling the software your video is 16:9 DAR. Most such programs will allow you to override the DAR in case the program gets it wrong.

Here's a sample with the first 10MB of the video (no audio) remuxed into an MP4 file with a 16:9 DAR flag.

[ceteganda]

back again. using davexnet's advice I downloaded AVStoDVD and ran the video through the program. It appears to have changed the A/R to 16:9, but . . .

1. some of the top and bottom appear to have been deleted to get the new A/R.
2. SUBTITLES HAVE BEEN DELETED, OR ARE NO LONGER VISIBLE FOR SOME REASON!
3. going back to the original video, it appears that 16:9 is the correct AR when its played in VLC, but in the new video it's still a bit squished, and needs to be reset to 2.39:1 in order to look right!

I probably did something wrong in the process. I'm attaching a copy of the resulting VIDEO_TS file contents if it will help. There was an AUDIO_TS file, but it was empty. The new video seems to play OK, and the audio is OK too. Aargh!!

[DB83]

You need to post a mediainfo report of one of the main vobs. But that will inevitably just show DAR at 16:9.

BTW This is a PAL video. If you made a NTSC dvd it is possible that some cropping occured when the image was resized to 720*480. It is equally possible that the 720*720 frame fooled the program and it simply cropped the image whatever the dvd type.

If I have time I will run some tests on my d/l'd copy later today. My version is 480*480 so it will be interesting to see what gives there.

[jagabo]

3. going back to the original video, it appears that 16:9 is the correct AR when its played in VLC, but in the new video it's still a bit squished, and needs to be reset to 2.39:1 in order to look right!

AVS2DVD assume the video was 1:1 DAR because of the 1:1 frame size and lack of SAR/DAR flags. So it handled it improperly. I don't use the program but look to see if it has a setting that lets you override the source video's DAR. Set it to 16:9.

[DB83]

Quick update.

AVStoDVD, as above, failed to frame the video correctly even with the encoding correctly set to 16:9.

[jagabo]

AVStoDVD, as above, failed to frame the video correctly even with the encoding correctly set to 16:9.

Of course. It thinks the source video is 1:1 and attempts to keep that correct aspect ratio within the 16:9 DAR output. You need to convince it the source is already 16:9 DAR.

[DB83]

I do not think the prog can do that.

I did another test but this time just re-encoding part of the video in handbrake at a 16:9 ratio (reducing the height). AVStoDVD recognised it as such and made a correctly framed dvd.

I do wonder though whether there is a cleaner way to do this. The pixels in the downloaded file are definately not square.

[jagabo]

Apparently AVS2DVD lets you modify the AVS script that's used to process the video. You can override the aspect ratio there. It probably adds borders then resizes. Just remove the AddBorders.

[DB83]

It does allow modification of the AVS script - if you know what to write

The add borders said IIRC 80,0,80,0

Now I also tried YAMB which claims to correct the PAR to 16:9 PAL. All that did was to change the DAR to 3:2 and has over-written the original.

I'll download this again snce it does look like a good performance (if you like that sort of thing which I do) and try that.

[jagabo]

It does allow modification of the AVS script - if you know what to write

The add borders said IIRC 80,0,80,0

If it added borders before resizing it should have added 280 to each side (to bring the frame up to 1280x960). If it added borders before resizing it should have resized to about 570x480 then added 75 pixel borders to each side. In that case remove the AddBorders() and change the resize to 720x480.

Now I also tried YAMB which claims to correct the PAR to 16:9 PAL. All that did was to change the DAR to 3:2 and has over-written the original.

The correct pixel aspect ratio for this video is 16:9 (1.778).

[DB83]

Here is the AVS with the 720p version of the video (remember that this is PAL):


Video = Video.ConvertToYV12
Video = Video.Spline64Resize(720,576,0,156,0,-156)

[jagabo]

Just change the resize to:

 Video = Video.Spline64Resize(720,576)

Encode as 16:9 DVD.

The OP is in the USA. Does he really want a PAL DVD?

[davexnet]

There is an easier way in AVStoDVD to change the aspect ratio without manually changing the script.
Right click the title (main screen)/edit source title info/video display aspect ratio

Enter 1.778 for 16/9 - This will update the script as necessary.

( I mentioned it above in post #8 but didn't make it clear. Sorry about that)

[DB83]

Just change the resize to:

 Video = Video.Spline64Resize(720,576)

Encode as 16:9 DVD.

The OP is in the USA. Does he really want a PAL DVD?

Great. Now it works !

Of course the OP will see:

Video = Video.Spline64Resize(720,480....) if he choses to author a NTSC dvd

[jagabo]

It sound like davexnet's suggestion should work too.

[DB83]

From what I can see, the right click simply brings up a menu with the same choices as clicking on the Title menu.

The script is still updated and you will still have to edit it to remove the offending bit.

Of course, the dvd is a 'fix' but surely there is a program out there to fix the header in the appropiate way. Like I said, YAMB did not work as suggested and the only other way was to re-encode in Handbrake. For non-dvd that may be quicker.

[ceteganda]

Wow! I really appreciate all the help. The main reason I'm pursuing this to this extent is that this is a really beautiful and unique production of this opera, and I can't find it as a commercial release anywhere. It's part of a series of "Opera in Cinema," which produces cinematic versions of popular operas for theatrical release. I'd really like to know where this person got this, in order to upload it to Youtube.

From your discussion, though, sounds like even if I found a retail DVD, there's a good chance its PAL instead of NTSC, which wouldn't be playable on a player here in the US.

Didn't see anything about the loss of subtitles. Do you think this is from the program chopping part of the video itself to arrive at the right AR, or were they stripped somehow?

Would it be possible for someone to compile all the suggestions and come up with a step-by-step list that I could follow to see if I can end up with a video with the 16:9 AR, subtitles and resolution close to the original? (assuming its still possible to get there using AVStoDVD!) The operative word here is DETAILED. Remember, I'm a rookie at this! This might also be a good way to assess whether something worked or not, for further analysis.

ONCE AGAIN, THANKS FOR ALL YOUR TIME AND EFFORT!

(At this point, would it be against the rules to pay someone, or make a contribution to the website, to burn a region 1 DVD for me?)

[DB83]

I can fill you in on the source as it appears here.

The BBC show Operas, Ballets etc. usually on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. I believe that this is one of them. The presenter is a well known BBC 'artist'.

Using AVStoDVD really is easy.

1. From the 'Preferences' selection, select the 'Video' tab and change the video standard to NTSC. Click OK.

2. Select Title Menu/Add Title and select your video.

3. There are now two methods to change the DAR to 16:9 but as far as I see they both do the same. Right-click in the main window just below where your video's details now show. Select 'Edit Title' and the 'video tab'. Clear the 'Auto Video Setup' checkbox and change the Video Aspect Ratio to 16:9.

4. Now select the 'Avisynth' tab and clear the check-box. Edit the line as detailed above to just show "Video = Video.Spline64Resize(720,480)" and click OK.

5. Click the big start button. The program will now do its bit and create a dvd folder in the output folder as shown (you can change that as you wish before you start.)

The program should finally report that the dvd has been created successfully. If it does not then there is a support thread for errors in the forum.

Finally you need a program called imgburn to actually burn the video_ts folder (one level lower than the dvd_0 etc. folder)to a blank disk.

[davexnet]

This is what I was referring to:

[DB83]

Ah. That is a later version than the one I have.

[davexnet]

Ah. That is a later version than the one I have.

That explains it. MrC. has made many changes and improvements!

[jagabo]

Since there was a portable version of AVS2DVD I tried davxnet's method and it worked fine -- it created a proper 16:9 DVD folder. I then used Mp4Muxer to demux the audio and video tracks of the original MP4 file download from Youtube, then remuxed them into an MP4 with the video flagged as 1280x720. Avs2DVD detected the aspect ratio properly when loading that new file.