Changing and saving aspect ratios from 1920x808 to 16:9

[Moveebuff]

First let me say, the thread title should have been Changing and saving aspect ratios from 1920x808 to 1920x1080

I've read through a few of the posts here but still confused on why movies would be encoded in a 1920x808 format. Regardless of the black bars, the picture appears squished down and the proportions are out of whack. I'm using MPC-HC as my media viewer. I have my computer plugged into my TV with an HDMI connection. With the MPC-HC media player, there's a setting in the Pan/Scan dropdown box that lets you "Scale to 16:9 TV". This setting doesn't cut any of the width from the picture, it only increases the height. While I don't mind doing this if I'm watching myself, MPC-HC is only a viewing program and won't let you save the video in the 16:9 format. I would like to find an easy to use video program (free if possible) that will allow me to save the video in the 16:9 format, the same way it appears when I change it manually in MPC-HC, then burn it to DVD or upload it to my Google Photos folder so I can share them with my friends or family. Does anyone know of such a program? Is the setting in MPC Pan/Scan "Scale to 16:9" losing anything as far as the picture? It seems to me it is just stretching it up and down so the picture doesn't appear squished without cutting off the sides.

[manono]

...but still confused on why movies would be encoded in a 1920x808 format.

Assuming it was done correctly, it's just 1920x1080 with the black bars removed from above and below.

Regardless of the black bars, the picture appears squished down and the proportions are out of whack.

And that's with you watching it on the television and, as you said, your television set for "Scale to 16:9 TV"? If so, that's not what you want. You just want the black bars added back to keep the aspect ratio.

I would like to find an easy to use video program (free if possible) that will allow me to save the video in the 16:9 format...

uncropMKV will add back the black bars for you to make it 1.778:1 again. Not sure why you'd want to do that, though, since you can play it already in the correct aspect ratio if you set up your player and television correctly, and you didn't mention wanting to make a Blu-Ray out of it.

Is the setting in MPC Pan/Scan "Scale to 16:9" losing anything as far as the picture? It seems to me it is just stretching it up and down so the picture doesn't appear squished without cutting off the sides.

There's no way in the world I'd ever use that setting as it seems to stretch the picture vertically and cut off the top and bottom in my MPC-HC. But my guess is you've screwed up either the player aspect ratio, or the television aspect ratio, or both. Can you post a MediaInfo text file of the film and a short sample or at least a picture so we can have more information? The name of the movie might help also, so we can see if 1920x808 might keep the aspect ratio. There are plenty of movies - perhaps the majority - created at about that aspect ratio. So, my guess is that the movie is fine and it's you at fault. But you never know what you'll get when downloading from the internet.

[netmask56]

Most Hollywood block busters are 21:9 aspect ratio so on a 16:9 display black bars top and bottom.

[raffriff42]

In MPC-HC, with video playing, right-click in video window.
(EDIT) Click "Video Frame >"
To see the whole 21:9 frame with black bars, select "Touch window from inside"
To fill the screen, cropping off the sides, select "Touch window from outside"
(In both cases, enable "Keep aspect ratio")

[Moveebuff]

In MPC-HC, with video playing, right-click in video window.
(EDIT) Click "Video Frame >"
To see the whole 21:9 frame with black bars, select "Touch window from inside"
To fill the screen, cropping off the sides, select "Touch window from outside"
(In both cases, enable "Keep aspect ratio")

This fix in MPC you recommended fixed the problem of the squished picture. The picture now displays the way it should. I always use the "touch window from inside" feature in MPC so that the width is correct. I can also correct the height issue by going into the Pan/Scan menu and selecting "scale to 16:9 TV". The result is the same The picture displays correctly. If I right click on the video file and select properties it shows the video as 1920x808. If I attempt to watch the video in Windows Media Player, it looks squished and WMP doesn't have the same abilities to tweak the aspect ratio to effectively display it correctly in what should have been 1920dx1080. Additionally, If I try and upload the file to youtube or google photos, it appears squished when you watch it. It seems the only way to upload it and have it display correctly is to reformat the video using a video editing program. I tried MOVAVI Video Converter and reformatted the file to 1920x1080 and it displays correctly. My question is, why would anyone format 1920x808 if the video image is going to display incorrectly without tweaking the aspect ratio settings.

Lastly, can anyone recommend a good program, preferably free that will perform this function? I would also like the ability to burn to DVD.

Thanks!

[Moveebuff]

There's no way in the world I'd ever use that setting as it seems to stretch the picture vertically and cut off the top and bottom in my MPC-HC. But my guess is you've screwed up either the player aspect ratio, or the television aspect ratio, or both. Can you post a MediaInfo text file of the film and a short sample or at least a picture so we can have more information? The name of the movie might help also, so we can see if 1920x808 might keep the aspect ratio. There are plenty of movies - perhaps the majority - created at about that aspect ratio. So, my guess is that the movie is fine and it's you at fault. But you never know what you'll get when downloading from the internet.

Here are two video clips. The first one is the original format uploaded into google photos. The second is a reformatted clip I made using 1920x1080.

YOU HAVE TO CLICK THE VIDEO FOR IT TO START
ORIGINAL 1920X808 VERSION
https://goo.gl/photos/PMr59wiWBASsHQ2r7

REFORMATED 1920X1080 VERSION
https://goo.gl/photos/rUnJ3wcx8sYqpnqP8

Below is the MediaInfo text file of the film
eneral
Complete name : C:\Users\Rich\Videos\Ex Machina (2015) [1080p]\Ex.Machina.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom (isom/avc1)
File size : 1.63 GiB
Duration : 1 h 48 min
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 2 161 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2015-05-15 06:41:46
Tagged date : UTC 2015-05-15 06:41:46

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1 h 48 min
Bit rate : 2 071 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 37.4 Mb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 808 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.40:1
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Original frame rate : 23.976 (23976/1000) FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.056
Stream size : 1.56 GiB (95%)
Writing library : x264 core 123 r2189 35cf912
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=4 / deblock=1:-1:-1 / analyse=0x3:0x133 / me=umh / subme=9 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.15 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=24 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=2 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=0 / chroma_qp_offset=-3 / threads=48 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=60 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=2071 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / vbv_maxrate=31250 / vbv_bufsize=31250 / nal_hrd=none / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2015-05-15 06:41:46
Tagged date : UTC 2015-05-15 06:41:55
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1 h 48 min
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 93.6 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 107 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 spf)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 72.4 MiB (4%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2015-05-15 06:41:54
Tagged date : UTC 2015-05-15 06:41:55

[jagabo]

If you're really a MoveeBuff you should know that virtually no movies are shot at 16:9.

The original video has the correct aspect ratio, ~2.37:1, and should be displayed correctly when played. Your reformatted version is an abomination. If the earth looks round when you play the second video on your TV there's something wrong with the setup on your TV.

[Moveebuff]

If you're really a MoveeBuff you should know that virtually no movies are shot at 16:9.

The original video has the correct aspect ratio, ~2.37:1, and should be displayed correctly when played. Your reformatted version is an abomination. If the earth looks round when you play the second video on your TV there's something wrong with the setup on your TV.

The original version of the Universal logo earth looks like an oval on my screen. The reformatted one looks round. I'm aware that movies aren't shot in 16:9, however the movie files should have the proper aspect ratio when you play them in a media player or stream them without having to tweak the aspect ratio. I'm not saying you are wrong, just that for some reason, I'm not seeing things the same way you are. I don't know what the problem could be. The reformatted version still has black bars on the top and bottom and I wouldn't expect a reformatted version to fill the entire screen without losing the sides of the picture.

What do you all think? Which version looks better?

[jagabo]

The original version of the Universal logo earth looks like an oval on my screen. The reformatted one looks round.

Then either your TV or your media player is set up incorrectly. The original video should show with the correct aspect ratio with letterbox bars top and bottom.

[Moveebuff]

The original version of the Universal logo earth looks like an oval on my screen. The reformatted one looks round.

Then either your TV or your media player isn't set up right. The original video should show with the correct aspect ratio with letterbox bars top and bottom.

I'm playing the files on my computer and connecting it to my TV with an HDMI cable. Maybe the computer is doing something with the aspect ratios.

The original version shows letterbox top and bottom but if you were able to put the letterbox spaces on top of one another, it would take up half the screen with black space.

[netmask56]

Well on my PC monitor which is a 1920 x 1080 screen the first oriiginal of your examples looks perfectly fine. A round Earth and clearly a 2.37: 1 film. The second image you posted "reformatted" looks dreadful, the Earth is strongly elliptical in the vertical plane.

Go with the originally - it seems like you have a problem with both your PC and TV ?

[jagabo]

The original version of the Universal logo earth looks like an oval on my screen. The reformatted one looks round.

Then either your TV or your media player isn't set up right. The original video should show with the correct aspect ratio with letterbox bars top and bottom.

I'm playing the files on my computer and connecting it to my TV with an HDMI cable. Maybe the computer is doing something with the aspect ratios.

Again, either your player (computer) or TV is set up incorrectly. The first video is correctly encoded and correctly flagged as far as the aspect ratio is concerned (at least very close, the movie is actually 2.35:1, according to IMDB). It will display correctly on a properly set up system. Here's how it displays on my 2560x1440 monitor:


[Attachment 39164 - Click to enlarge]

And it looks like that on five or six other computers and TVs in the house.

[Moveebuff]

Go with the originally - it seems like you have a problem with both your PC and TV ?

I'm not sure what the resolution on my computer is, however when I plug the HDMI line from the computer into the TV, the aspect ratio of the computer changes and looks like it's displaying a 4:3 picture on the computer with black bars on the left and right on the computer monitor. When I unplug the HDMI, the computer monitor returns to fullscreen mode. I have a feeling that the computer is altering the aspect ratio when I plug it into the TV. If i'm watching cable TV, the TV is always fullscreen unless they are broadcasting a movie that is letterboxed. In that case, the picture is fine. I'm only experiencing issues when the computer is plugged into the TV. I have no clue how I would adjust the aspect ratio settings on the computer for this type of configuration.

[netmask56]

original as a screen capture using snipping tool

[Moveebuff]

original as a screen capture using snipping tool

I just tried an experiment. I unplugged the HDMI from the TV and watched the two clips on just my computer. The original version was much better on the computer. The earth was perfectly round. The second edited clip the earth looked totally elongated. The TV is set to 16:9 mode. The TV is stretching out the computer image to display the full computer desktop on the TV screen. I don't know know what to do now to get the TV to display the same way it did on the computer.

[jagabo]

Don't run the secondary display (TV) in mirror mode. Set it up as a separate display. Set the resolution to the TV's native resolution.

[Moveebuff]

I realized that my TV was set to display 16:9 aspect ratio so I changed it to stretch to picture mode. The good news is, using MPC, I selected "touch video from inside", and "Keep aspect ratio". Now the picture looks perfect in the original 1920x808 resolution. Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions Problem solved. Case closed