ConvertxtoDVD Help (Best video resize/Aspect Ratio)

[JasonQuinn1992]

Hi everyone,

I have a home movie that I transferred to my PC to be converted to DVD. I'm using ConvertxtoDVD 5 to burn the DVD, I want to keep the aspect ratio that it was shot in (4:3 Full Screen) intact, but I want the finished DVD picture to fill up my DVD screen upon playback. I don't want to use the Strech video resize method either

Do I need to change the aspect ratio (currently at 4:3) and video resizing method (currently set to Automatic)? if so what would be a recommended setting to use?

[redwudz]

Assuming you really want to convert from 4:3 to 16:9 or similar, you would have to crop off quite a
bit of the top and bottom of the video to convert it to perfectly fit your screen.

Or place black bars at the sides to pad it out.
Or you could stretch it out horizontally and totally distort the picture.

Your choice.

[JasonQuinn1992]

Converting it is probably my best option. With the settings mentioned above (4:3, automatic or letterbox) however, the pictures fits the screen with very little cropping.

What is a good piece of software to convert to 4:3 to 16:9? After converting it what would be the best video resize option to use?

[JasonQuinn1992]

[Attachment 43105 - Click to enlarge]

This is what the screen looks like with those settings

[manono]

I want to keep the aspect ratio that it was shot in (4:3 Full Screen) intact, but I want the finished DVD picture to fill up my DVD screen upon playback.

An impossibility, don't you think? You want to keep the 1.33:1 aspect ratio but at the same time you want it to fill a 1.78:1 television screen.

Just encode it as 1.33:1 (4:3 keeping the full and complete video) and use the zoom on your remote control if you insist on filling your screen. Maybe some day you'll want to see the entire picture and if you've already removed 25% it it by cropping from the top and bottom, it'll be gone forever.

[JasonQuinn1992]

I want to keep the aspect ratio that it was shot in (4:3 Full Screen) intact, but I want the finished DVD picture to fill up my DVD screen upon playback.

An impossibility, don't you think? You want to keep the 1.33:1 aspect ratio but at the same time you want it to fill a 1.78:1 television screen.

Just encode it as 1.33:1 (4:3 keeping the full and complete video) and use the zoom on your remote control if you insist on filling your screen. Maybe some day you'll want to see the entire picture and if you've already removed 25% it it by cropping from the top and bottom, it'll be gone forever.

Yeah, it seems impossible. Seems like keeping it and zooming is my best option. I guess what I'm wondering is if I have the settings as 4:3 and Automatic or letterbox, why does my TV blow up the picture to fit the screen?

[manono]

I guess what I'm wondering is if I have the settings as 4:3 and Automatic or letterbox, why does my TV blow up the picture to fit the screen?

First, leave all 4:3 settings at Automatic. But you seem to be saying it turns all 4:3 DVDs into widescreen DVDs no matter if set for Automatic or for Letterbox. If so, that's an issue with your television. Some crappy models stretch everything to fill the screen. More likely it's some some sort of format or aspect setting you've set up incorrectly. Play around with your aspect ratio settings. Maybe you turned the zoom setting on at some point. What they're called varies by brand name so I can't be more specific than that.

[JasonQuinn1992]

I guess what I'm wondering is if I have the settings as 4:3 and Automatic or letterbox, why does my TV blow up the picture to fit the screen?

First, leave all 4:3 settings at Automatic. But you seem to be saying it turns all 4:3 DVDs into widescreen DVDs no matter if set for Automatic or for Letterbox. If so, that's an issue with your television. Some crappy models stretch everything to fill the screen. More likely it's some sort of format or aspect setting you've set up incorrectly. Play around with your aspect ratio settings. Maybe you turned the zoom setting on at some point. What they're called varies by brand name so I can't be more specific than that.

I have Phillips and Sony's TV's I will have to look at the settings. I also have two digital videos that I ripped from DVD. One is 4:3 in size, the other is 1.8. The TV stretches them out as well, making them look horribly choppy, Is it best to keep digital videos at 4:3 or 16:9 when burning to DVD? and what video resize method would you recommend?

[manono]

One is 4:3 in size, the other is 1.8.

I have no idea what you're saying there. One is a DAR, the other a ratio (1.8:1). For DVD there are only 2 DARs, 4:3 and 16:9. For ratios there are many.

Is it best to keep digital videos at 4:3 or 16:9 when burning to DVD?

More or less the same thing as before - the question doesn't make much sense. Videos of ratios of 1.55:1 or less are best encoded as 4:3. Videos of ratios greater than that should have 16:9 DVDs created for them. But that's probably not what you're asking.

...and what video resize method would you recommend?

And neither do I understand that question. Anyway, I don't use your program and do my resizing using AviSynth resizers and encode for DVD using HcEnc. Maybe someone more familiar with ConvertX can provide a more informed answer.

[JasonQuinn1992]

More or less the same thing as before - the question doesn't make much sense. Videos of ratios of 1.55:1 or less are best encoded as 4:3. Videos of ratios greater than that should have 16:9 DVDs created for them. But that's probably not what you're asking.

Sorry, I turned a basic question into a mess. That is the answer I'm looking for. Thank you!