How change aspect ratio of video before burning?

[VenusAndMars]

I need to change the aspect ratio of a video to be watched on a standard TV (1.33:1 i.e. 4:3) I suppose) from Ultra Panavision 70 (2.76:1) or Widescreen (2.39:1) before burning it onto DVD.

Yes, I realize there will be image loss on the sides, but that is of course inevitable.

Are there any DVD authoring tools that will let me do both the aspect ratio change and the subsequent burning?

Thank you!

[theewizard]

avstodvd
you can CROP the video to fit 4:3
you can set it up to burn, IF you have imgburn installed on your PC

i prefer to have it create the DVD folder on the PC hhd, then test this with vlc or mpc
then use imgburn to create the ISO then burn the ISO

its multiple steps, but it gives me a file i can check for errors and playback at each step
before the final burn, saves on wasted/coaster DVDs

[VenusAndMars]

Thank you theewizard.

"you can CROP the video to fit 4:3"

I know it, but, with your approach perhaps I should use Avidemux? It is a personal favorite,
and I know my way around it fairly well.

"you can set it up to burn, IF you have imgburn installed on your PC"

Sure, who doesn't...

"i prefer to have it create the DVD folder on the PC hhd, then test this with vlc or mpc
then use imgburn to create the ISO then burn the ISO"

Right. VLC and MPC are the very players I use for 'proofing'; KMPlayer for 'regular watching'.

So, in ImgBurn I select 'create ISO from video file'? And it will still play as a standard off-the-shelf DVD?

"its multiple steps, but it gives me a file i can check for errors and playback at each step
before the final burn, saves on wasted/coaster DVDs"

I like your approach, and don't mind doing what it takes. 'If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right'.
Plus, I'll be presenting a friend with the DVD, so I want to make as sure as I can that it does come out right.

'See, I don't have a standalone DVD player to do the final testing; only my trusty HP dvd640 writer.

[theewizard]

Avs2dvd will do the cropping while encoding to MPEG 2
(Technically avisynth will frame serve the cropped video to the encoder)

But if you use avidemux to crop the video will be encoded
Then it will be encoded again when you author the DVD
Unless you have avidemux encode to DVD STD
And tell avs2dvd to keep DVD compliant video

I think using one program for the whole process greatly simplifies things

[VenusAndMars]

OK, so you recommend that I stick with AVS2DVD for the whole process.

AVS2DVD is another favorite where I know my way around fairly well, so that's good

Your suggestion makes sense, even though I don't have your technical insights, but have
only the sketchiest idea of what goes on behind the interface.

That it's a lot, and very involved at that, I think I understand by the way it engages
the hardware...it's not possible, nor probably recommedable, to try and do anything
else simultaneously.

I think have understood this much, though, that video manipulation is a very
complex thing. Much more so it seems to me, than the audio file fiddling I do
using Audacity, and where I am much more confident of what I am doing and can
foresee the results of my monkeying around with the parameters.

This latter has everything to do with the fact that I began playing music
professionally waay back in 1973-74 at 16 or 17, and am very comfortable with
different aspects of the physics of musical sound.

I thank thee, wizard, for thine help with this!

[aedipuss]

you don't need to crop off half the picture. widescreen videos are usually re-encoded to 4/3 with black bars top and bottom so the whole video is present. cropping the sides off is just stupid.

[VenusAndMars]

Thanks eatingpussy for your un-asked-for input, but the video in question is not reencoded to 4:3 and does not have any black bars anywhere.

But thanks, I guess, Mr Better-off-dead.

[Skiller]

Something to think about:

You could also encode the DVD in 16:9 anamorphic and simply enable Pan & Scan in the IFO files using PcgEdit (actually it's a static center cut, there won't be any panning if you don't add the necessary metadata).



Pro:
• At it's core the video is anamorphic 16:9 and will playback as such when necessary


Con:
• You get a fixed 1.33 times magnification on a 4:3 TV which is not enough to fill the screen if the video is wider than 16:9, like 2.39:1 for example, but the bars are much smaller...

[manono]

Something to think about:

You could also encode the DVD in 16:9 anamorphic and simply enable Pan & Scan in the IFO files using PcgEdit (actually it's a static center cut, there won't be any panning if you don't add the necessary metadata).

Like you, Skiller, I immediately thought of PGCEdit. At least that way, after the person gets a widescreen television he'll be able to play it in the intended aspect ratio. Maybe some authoring programs can do it during authoring time, but PGCEdit can easily do it after authoring so that it plays as cropped 1.33:1 on old 'square' televisions.

Open the DVD and highlight and right-click on the movie. In the choices that open up hit 'Domain Stream Attributes'. The common way widescreen films are set up is for 'Automatic Letterbox'. Just check 'Automatic Pan&Scan' instead'. 'OK' back to the main screen and File->Save DVD. No reencoding, no ruining for all time the aspect ratio.

[VenusAndMars]

Thank you skiller and manono. I certainly appreciate your tips on this, and will <PrtSc> and save your answers complete with the attached Streams attributes example for my own use and edification - it is always fun to learn a new program. Also, trial/donate-ware (i.e. if it is full-featured from the get-go) is such a sympathetic Idea.

I always donate once I am satisfied that the software is good enough and suits my needs and that it's a keeper.

- - -

In this particular case, however, the DVD is intended for a dyed-in-the-wool, 70 year old technophobe and self-proclaimed fuddy-duddy. That this person will get a widescreen television is simply not on the map...

Again thanks for thinking about this and letting me know!

[netmask56]

If you have a 4:3 TV then choice 4:3 as your project in your authoring program then the resulting DVD will be shown in correct aspect ratio, if you then play it to a 16:9 TV then the DVD player should apply black bars either side. So the disc should look correct on either type of TV. Using IFOEdit if you check the parameters of your authored disc, if necessary you can make a change in the ifo file. From http://forum.digital-digest.com/f14/using-ifoedit-setting-16-9-16x9-flag-59409.html See this for images demonstrating the process - text below

In IfoEdit, click on the "Open" button and open the VTS_01_0.IFO file

IfoEdit should now display the information for this file. Look for the line shown in the screenshot below (marked in red), notice that it specifies the "4:3" aspect ratio for this title set.

Double-click on this line to edit it. A new window should open, and it is here that you can select the correct (16:9) aspect ratio for your widescreen DVD. You should also select (check) the "Automatic Pan&Scan" and "Automatic Letterboxed" options. Enabling these options will allow your DVD player to set how this DVD should be played.

When you have finished editing, press "OK" to close the window.

Click on the "Save" button to save your edited IFO file, and select "Yes" when IfoEdit asks if you wish to create a BUP (BackUP) file.

Now repeat steps 2 thru 5 for each title set you need to modify. When you are finished with these title sets, you will then need to open up VIDEO_TS.IFO, and then repeat the changes for each of the title sets you have modified - it will be fairly obvious where you need to make the changes. For example, the screenshot below shows a DVD with 3 title sets that need to be changed.

After you have finished editing all your IFO files, you can close IfoEdit and try to play back these files again within a software DVD player like PowerDVD (in PowerDVD, use the "Open DVD files on hard disk drive" option), and you should immediately find that the content plays back at the correct aspect ratio, and that the "Keep Aspect Ratio" option now works properly.

Now all you need to do is to burn your copied and edited DVD files to a DVD disc,.....

[VenusAndMars]

Great, thank you netmask56!