Some Videos the original aspect Ratio is incorrect and will not convert.

[Kurt a Wells]

Some videos I've been downloading have an incorrect aspect ratio in the properties making them impossible to correctly convert. Using Handbrake, the most recent has an aspect ratio stated as 720X360. If I convert to 640X360 the video is exactly the same. After playing around I finally set the settings at 550X360 and it will play in a 16/9 format even though 550x360 is certainly not a 16/9 format, However some videos just can't be converted at all. I have looked everywhere and there is no information of this issue that I can find. Is there a way to correct this incorrect information? Thanks, Kurt

[davexnet]

Open the file in mediainfo, text view, and post the info here.

[Kurt a Wells]

I have no idea how to run this software but I think this is what you are referring to
.

General
Complete name : C:\Users\Kurtman\Downloads\Enter 1.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size : 702 MiB
Duration : 1 h 29 min
Overall bit rate : 1 098 kb/s
Writing application : Lavf57.20.100

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L3
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1 h 29 min
Bit rate : 931 kb/s
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 360 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.40:1
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 23.976 (23976/1000) FPS
Minimum frame rate : 14.985 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 59.960 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.150
Stream size : 596 MiB (85%)
Writing library : x264 core 79
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=2 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=hex / subme=6 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.0:0.0 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=6 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / mbaff=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=2 / b_pyramid=0 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / wpredb=0 / wpredp=2 / keyint=240 / keyint_min=24 / scenecut=40 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=931 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.601 NTSC
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.601
Menus : 3

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1 h 29 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 160 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 : 102 MiB (15%)
Language : English
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1
Menus : 3

Menu #1
ID : 3
Codec ID : text
Duration : 1 h 29 min
Language : English
Menu For : 1,2
00:00:00.000 : Chapter 1
00:06:02.395 : Chapter 2
00:11:38.064 : Chapter 3
00:16:06.866 : Chapter 4
00:20:49.081 : Chapter 5
00:27:06.458 : Chapter 6
00:33:01.980 : Chapter 7
00:36:19.010 : Chapter 8
00:40:24.122 : Chapter 9
00:45:35.900 : Chapter 10
00:48:33.744 : Chapter 11
00:53:59.103 : Chapter 12
01:00:24.488 : Chapter 13
01:06:30.520 : Chapter 14
01:13:21.764 : Chapter 15
01:23:20.896 : Chapter 16
Bit rate mode : VBR

Menu #2
00:00:00.000 : Chapter 1
00:06:02.395 : Chapter 2
00:11:38.064 : Chapter 3
00:16:06.865 : Chapter 4
00:20:49.081 : Chapter 5
00:27:06.458 : Chapter 6
00:33:01.980 : Chapter 7
00:36:19.010 : Chapter 8
00:40:24.121 : Chapter 9
00:45:35.899 : Chapter 10
00:48:33.744 : Chapter 11
00:53:59.102 : Chapter 12
01:00:24.487 : Chapter 13
01:06:30.519 : Chapter 14
01:13:21.764 : Chapter 15
01:23:20.895 : Chapter 16

Thanks for your help. Kurt

[Budman1]

As Davexnet pointed out, MediaInfo will probably show why you are having problems. Most of the time, it is because nasty people mess up the height and width so they can do things like add a logo or text in the new area. The whole thing is because the DAR (Display Aspect Ratio) is something other than the stored aspect ratio.

Check the images below and you will see where I converted a 640x360 (16/9) image to 720x360 (2/1) but told ffmpeg to still display in 16/9.. Media Info shows this also.






OOps took me too long to get this entered. but your Info does show the problem.

Width : 720 pixels
Height : 360 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.40:1

Aspect is 2:1 but Displayed in 2.40:1. It is always going to look wide as long as the DAR is 2.4:1

[Kurt a Wells]

I get many of these type of videos that just can't be correctly resized to a 16/9 format. Is there anything I can do to correct them or is there any software that can fix them before converting them.

[JVRaines]

How do you know this video is supposed to be 16:9? The file is flagged 2.4:1, which is a common aspect for theatrical films.

[jagabo]

I get many of these type of videos that just can't be correctly resized to a 16/9 format. Is there anything I can do to correct them or is there any software that can fix them before converting them.

Any video can be made to display at any aspect ratio either by resizing the frame and encoding as square pixel, or by setting pixel aspect ratio or display aspect ratio flags.

[Budman1]

Repeating what Jagabo stated correctly:

Any video can be made to display at any aspect ratio either by resizing the frame and encoding as square pixel, or by setting pixel aspect ratio or display aspect ratio flags.

Many time people take a perfectly good video and alter it, deliberately or by accident and it no longer resembles the original. You can stretch, squash, add pillarbox or letterbox (or not) and then, after it it displayed wrong, the DAR can be changed to display correctly or even more incorrectly.

AN EXAMPLE:

I downloaded a video that said it was 1280 x 720 (1.778, 16/9 aspect) but this included the letterbox which they added after squashed it and then added a Logo.


What I had to do was find the correct viewing area aspect. I set my player to streetch the video ad use a pixel ruler to find the near correct size. (most standard size that looked OK) using the camera lens as a circle reference.


Now use your editor to:
1. Crop if necessary
2. Resize to the correct aspect and size you wish. ( I reduced to 720x406)
3. Set DAR (Display Aspect) show it matches the resize.



What you get is correct below and I also removed Logo at 1141:68:85:86



BTW... the script in ffmpeg to do this is:

ffmpeg -i "C:\Users\Bud\Desktop\clip.mp4" -ss 00:00:00.000 -to 99:00:00.000 -vf delogo=x=1141:y=68:w=85:h=86:band=4,crop=1280:544:0:88,scale=720:406,setdar=1.773 -vcodec libx264 -crf 22 -r 25.000  -acodec aac -ac 2 -ar 44.1k -b:a 128k  "C:\Users\Bud\Desktop\clip_Timed_1.mp4"

[stax76]

Some videos I've been downloading have an incorrect aspect ratio in the properties making them impossible to correctly convert. Using Handbrake, the most recent has an aspect ratio stated as 720X360. If I convert to 640X360 the video is exactly the same. After playing around I finally set the settings at 550X360 and it will play in a 16/9 format even though 550x360 is certainly not a 16/9 format, However some videos just can't be converted at all. I have looked everywhere and there is no information of this issue that I can find. Is there a way to correct this incorrect information? Thanks, Kurt

Why do you want to convert it? 720X360 is already poor and re-encoding won't make it better. With mkvtoolnix you can remux it with different aspect ratio.

[Kurt a Wells]

I have explained this throughout these posts. I have resized hundreds of videos from an ultra-wide format or letter-box format to a 16/9 format using Handbrake, Any Video Converter, and several other video converters. However, I have been getting several videos like this one that will not convert as normal. This video states it is in a 720X360 format but if I try to convert it to a 640X360 format which is 16/9 format it will not change the format at all and it plays in the exact same letterbox format. These videos are somehow being locked into a format that cannot be resized, or have the aspect ratio converted, as normal. I am just trying to figure out what is being done to these videos to cause this problem and if there is a way to repair them so they can be resized into any format that I choose.

[stax76]

That's fine if it works for you, I would just re-mux it with correct AR and use a player like MPC with zoom and AR options.

[Kurt a Wells]

It looks like I'm totally lost at this point. I feel like I haven't been able to communicate the problem with this video and others like it effectivly enough. Also, I am not up to speed as how to remux videos or fix a video where the display aspect ratio is different than the actual aspect ratio the video runs in. This video is just an example of many videos that I have been running across that are simply not marked or coded correctly and cannot be resized or have the aspect ratio changed at all and I still don't hace any idea how to fix them. I really do appreciate your time although it looks loke we should just close this ticket. Thanks again. Kurt

[Budman1]

@Kurt A Wells.. Many videos do not have a DISPLAY ASPECT RATIO DAR that is different than the HEIGHT/WIDTH Aspect Ration. When you convert them, they most often take the DAR of the new Height/Width Aspect. These convert with no problem. When you convert one, as in your example, that has a specific DAR SPECIFIED in it Metadata, it often keeps this specification. When you play the new, converted video, the player will read this DAR and try to stretch it to that aspect no matter what the size you converted it to.

In your example, the stored Aspect was 2:1 (720x360) but the DAR was specifically different at 2.4:1 which means a player will try to stretch your video to 864X360 (2.4:1) when it is viewed (the height remains as set). So when you converted it to 640X360, it stored it that way (squished) but when you play it, the player again stretched the width out to 2.4 time the 360 or 864 again.

Whatever size a video is the DAR usually must be set or changed if it does not match the stored aspect ratio. If you truly want the video you sent information on to be resized to 16:9 aspect then set the DAR as well, however your editor does that. If it truly was meant to be viewed as a 2.4:1 video it is never going to look right resized and DAR change to 16:9.

Think of it as a camera with the lens focusing the video in the size and aspect you want. Also think of the film as rubber paper that is different sizes. Then think of the DAR as a frame you are going to mount the rubber image in. If the video you mentioned had a lens set to focus the video on 864X360 pixel rubber paper but you inadvertently put 720x360 Rubber Paper in instead, the camera will stored it on that paper but smashed skinny to fit it and also add a note saying this must be mounted in an 864X360 frame. You take the developed paper out and notice everyone looks super skinny but then you 'Play' it in the 864x360 frame after stretching to fit it looks great.

Bottom line as Jagabo mentioned, you can resize to what ever aspect you would like but it is a good idea to set the DAR to the resized aspect so everything matches. Obviously that was not set in Handbrake which is why 720x360 and 640x360 look the same. DAR of 2.4:1 will always try to stretch the height (360 in this case ) to 2.4 times that size for the width. If you change it, it will not.

Look at the new converted video with MedaiInfo and see if the DAR is still 2.4:1. It most probably is.

[stax76]

@Kurt a Wells

Some apps that can remux are mkvmerge, mp4box and ffmpeg, GUIs for this apps are mkvtoolnix and staxrip.

https://postimg.org/image/ckhne61u3/

[jagabo]

Re-mixing is simply the act of taking the audio and video data out of one container and putting it into another. While doing so you can flag a different display aspect ratio. Like taking a cake out of one box and putting it another with a different label. The box has changed but the cake is the same. For example, using MkvToolNix:



It only takes a minute and the quality of the video and audio are not changed. The only problem with this is that not all players will obey the aspect ratio flag.

[Kurt a Wells]

That was a great answer and even an old man like me was able to follow what you were saying. The only thing I don't know how to do is to reset the DAR as you mentioned. Is there a setting in handbrake for this or is there other software that can make this change? I have run across many videos like this and have just been unable to resize the aspect ratio and have had to just trash them. I really do appreciate all of you helping me to understand this more clearly than I have until now. Thanks again, Kurt Wells

[Kurt a Wells]

Sorry, looks like I missed the two previous posts that may have already answered my question. I'll give these a try. Thanks, Kurt Wells

[jagabo]

Is there a setting in handbrake for this

Just turn off the "Keep Aspect Ratio" setting, set Anamorphic to None, and resize to whatever frame size you want. If your 720x360 really contains a 16:9 video resize to 640x360.

[Budman1]

OOps... I'm late again. LOL

Just to let you know, I downloaed the latest Handbrake and it looks like you can change the DAR. I used an Anamorphic video of 720x480 (3:2) that had a DAR of 16:9 and displays as 854x480. Notice anamorphic set to automatic will end up being the original 16:9 DAR



If you change Anamorphic to none, a new checkbox pops out keeping aspect ration and the end result changes to 720x402 keeping the width but altering the height to a new 402 which is still 16:9.



Unchecking the Keep Aspect now allows setting the converted video to 720x480 with a resulting Aspect of 720x480 (3:2)



Bear in mind that your video may have been altered to some dimensions that are not correct with a DAR that is even MORE incorrect. In that case you must figure out what is the correct viewing display like I demonstrated above with the pixel rulers and stretching the video.
Videos can really be messed up with editors but the end result is, find out what it SHOULD look like, aspect wise and then change it to that size AND alter the DAR to the same .

[Kurt a Wells]

OMG, it works! I've been using handbrake for years now and have always set it to "custom" and never even tried the "none" setting. I downloaded the same video I was having problems with the last time and it worked perfect. I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate you taking the time to teach me something new. A big Thanks You. Kurt Wells