4:3 VOB to 16:9 YouTube with custom pillarboxes?

[dave_van_damme]

I'm in the process of starting a YouTube channel for old news/commercials from Hong Kong. I'm capturing the footage from VHS with my DVD recorder. In the past I've used Avidemux to deinterlace and encode but I would like to add a custom pillarbox image to my videos as opposed to having the standard black pillar YouTube provides. Is it possible to do this in Avidemux? If not, are there any (free!) user friendly alternative programs I could use?

Many thanks!

[_Al_]

filters , add borders
also avisynth can do it with addborders filter as well
in both cases it re-encodes video

[manono]

Yes, the AviSynth AddBorders filter allows you to create the pillarbars in about any color you like. If you had something else in mind, such as a geometric pattern or blurred video on the sides, then you can either add it to the sides with the StackHorizontal command, or perhaps create a widescreen video with your custom pillarbox image and then Overlay the 4:3 one in the middle.

I don't use AviDemux and have no idea whether or not it's doable in there. It's fairly easy to do once you know your way around AviSynth, but there is a learning curve to it.

[dave_van_damme]

[QUOTE=_Al_;2476204]filters , add borders
QUOTE]

I assume this is for Avidemux? I tried it but it seems to add a black border rather than allowing an image on the sides.

Yes, the AviSynth AddBorders filter allows you to create the pillarbars in about any color you like. If you had something else in mind, such as a geometric pattern or blurred video on the sides, then you can either add it to the sides with the StackHorizontal command, or perhaps create a widescreen video with your custom pillarbox image and then Overlay the 4:3 one in the middle.

I was worried someone would mention AviSynth That's a little bit too advanced for me. I checked the links but I'm out of my depth. Do you know if there are any guides to my specific need? I can't find any...

Any commercial software options I could use?

Many thanks!

[manono]

Have you even stated what your specific needs are? What kind of video are you starting with (and don't say the DVDs you made)? What do you want to have for the pillarbars? You have a left side image and a right side image? Static images, like pictures?

Are you planning on converting your DVD videos to MP4 for upload to YouTube, or what? 854x480, or what? You couldn't be less clear if you tried.

I know nothing about commercial software. Why pay good money for something when better solutions are free? I suppose Vegas can do what you want, but someone that uses it will have to reply.

[dave_van_damme]

Have you even stated what your specific needs are? What kind of video are you starting with (and don't say the DVDs you made)? What do you want to have for the pillarbars? You have a left side image and a right side image? Static images, like pictures?

Are you planning on converting your DVD videos to MP4 for upload to YouTube, or what? 854x480, or what? You couldn't be less clear if you tried.

I know nothing about commercial software. Why pay good money for something when better solutions are free? I suppose Vegas can do what you want, but someone that uses it will have to reply.

I'm converting several individual .vob files to MP4 and uploading to YouTube. They're currently 4:3 and I want to re-encode them as 16:9 with static images in the left and right pillarbars. In the past I've converted the MPEG2 to x264 - would you recommend MP4 over x264?

As for resolution, I've previously uploaded 854x480 480p. Is there any point to increasing the resolution when it's a non-anamorphic SD video?

Sorry I'm not as knowledgeable on these things as you guys probably are.

[manono]

Okay, install AviSynth and get the DGMPGDec package which has 3 excellent docs to explain the process. Use the included DGIndex to make a D2V file of the entire DVD or the portions you want. I'll assume it's progressive 25fps. If it's interlaced (if you see interlacing), then it'll have to be deinterlaced for upload to YouTube. Make the simple script as shown in the DGMPGDec docs and try and open the script in Virtual Dub in File->Open Video File.

Do you see it? If not, show your complete script and report the error message. Later you'll resize the video to 640x480, add the two sides and encode for eventual upload to YouTube.

would you recommend MP4 over x264?

x264 is the video codec, MP4 the container. You'll be making x264 video with AAC audio for an MP4 container, one of the preferred containers for upload to YouTube.

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171?hl=en