How to fix bad VOB aspect ratio?

[EricBalir]

I have a ripped dvd VOB and its aspect ratio is messed up, it is taller than it is wide, it's like reverse 16:9. I don't know how it got like that.

I don't know anything about these things. What is the simplest way that I can fix this? If even possible?

[johns0]

Upload a short clip of the file so we can see the problem.

[jagabo]

Probably Half D1, 352x480 or 352x576 (valid for DVD). Either the VOB or the IFO that referred to it should have the correct DAR. If not, remux with the correct DAR flat -- should be 4:3. Or encode with DAR/SAR flags. Or resize to the correct DAR and encode square pixel.

[EricBalir]

[Attachment 49371 - Click to enlarge]

This is what it looks like.

I dont know what any of this means:
Probably Half D1, 352x480 or 352x576 (valid for DVD). Either the VOB or the IFO that referred to it should have the correct DAR. If not, remux with the correct DAR flat -- should be 4:3. Or encode with DAR/SAR flags. Or resize to the correct DAR and encode square pixel.

Is there an app I can download and fix it?

[netmask56]

Looks like a news accident video taken by the public with a phone held in the wrong orientation. Which program did you use to rip the DVD?

[EricBalir]

Looks like a news accident video taken by the public with a phone held in the wrong orientation. Which program did you use to rip the DVD?

I do not remember, it was a while ago.

This an old home movie which was transferred to DVD from super 8 film. it used to be good but somehow got messed up.

[manono]

What is the simplest way that I can fix this?

There's nothing wrong with it. It plays okay as a DVD or as a VOB, doesn't it? What do you wish to do with it? Reencode to something else?

You still haven't made available a piece of it for us to have a look. If you don't know how to cut out a small 10-second piece, then open it in DGIndex, use the [ and ] buttons to isolate a small section and then go File->Save Project and Demux Video. Upload the resulting M2V file.

[EricBalir]

What is the simplest way that I can fix this?

There's nothing wrong with it. It plays okay as a DVD or as a VOB, doesn't it? What do you wish to do with it? Reencode to something else?

You still haven't made available a piece of it for us to have a look. If you don't know how to cut out a small 10-second piece, then open it in DGIndex, use the [ and ] buttons to isolate a small section and then go File->Save Project and Demux Video. Upload the resulting M2V file.

Yes it does play and has sound, it's just that the aspect ratio is messed up. In the DGIndex app it says the aspect ration is 4:3, but when I play , it's not.

Attached clip.

[johns0]

That's the way the video was recorded and there's nothing you can do to fix it.

[jagabo]

In the DGIndex app it says the aspect ration is 4:3, but when I play , it's not.

Yes it is. The black pillarbox bars are part of the 4:3 picture. Though, maybe it should be 16:9, not 4:3. Maybe even 2.21:1 (legal for MPEG 2 but not for DVD).

Frame stretched to 2.21:1


[Attachment 49374 - Click to enlarge]

The wheels on the truck most round at this AR.

[netmask56]

Do you have another section where you can see a round object straight on like a tire etc but fairly close? I agree with Jagabo's assessment of frame stretched to 2.21:1 looks close enough.

[Selur]

I would probably crop 184 on the left and right and then resize the 352x480 to 640x480 or alternatively adjust the PAR.

[jagabo]

I would probably crop 184 on the left and right and then resize the 352x480 to 640x480 or alternatively adjust the PAR.

That makes some sense too: somebody started with a Half D1 video (352x480) then (incorrectly) added black borders to make it 720x480 before encoding.

As netmask56 suggested, something with a known aspect ratio would help determine the correct way to deal with the video.

[EricBalir]

I would probably crop 184 on the left and right and then resize the 352x480 to 640x480 or alternatively adjust the PAR.

That makes some sense too: somebody started with a Half D1 video (352x480) then (incorrectly) added black borders to make it 720x480 before encoding.

As netmask56 suggested, something with a known aspect ratio would help determine the correct way to deal with the video.

Thanks for you help.

In answer to some above, this WAS NOT recorded like this. It was recorded in Super8 film and then transferred to DVD, which also had a normal aspect ratio, ie, not taller than wider.

So the question remains, how does one go about fixing this? I am not an expert like you guys seem to be.

I'd be willing to send this to someone to fix for a small fee.

[Selur]

main question is what the correct aspect ratio of the source is to determine that needs a scene with a circle or something where one can easily see distortions, which is why netmask56 asked you:

Do you have another section where you can see a round object straight on like a tire etc but fairly close?

Without knowing the real aspect ratio something like:

ffmpeg -y -noautorotate -threads 8 -i "PATH TO THE INPUT FILE" -acodec copy -c:v mpeg2video -vf crop=352:480:184:0,scale=704:480,zscale=rangein=tv:range=tv -pix_fmt yuv420p -sws_flags spline "PATH TO OUTPUT FILE"

might fix the issue.

note:
a. the 704x470 is a 'wild' guess here)
b. if you are not aiming to end up with mpeg2video you could use for example instead of '-c:v mpeg2video' something like '-c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 22'.

Cu Selur

[EricBalir]

[Attachment 49382 - Click to enlarge]

I don't know what the original aspect ration was, all I know is that when I threw in the DVD, it filled out the whole screen wherever I watched it, and I saw it exactly as the original film. Normal.

That's all I want to see it on the full screen and not distorted like before

I have attached a new clip with a good view of the tires. But you can also see how the station wagon is compressed.

Also see the attached image of the properties that DGIndex gives.

[jagabo]

There may be have been a Sequence Display Extension on the original DVD indicating the 4:3 DAR is from the inner 352x480 of the 720x480 frame.

[EricBalir]

So will the above command line fix it? I just need it fixed.

Not at computer now, but steps to fix would be helpful.

And thank you for your patience and help.

[jagabo]

I had to modify Selur's script a bit to work properly on my computer:

"g:\program files\ffmpeg\bin\ffmpeg.exe" -y -noautorotate -threads 8 -i "%~dpnx1" -target ntsc-dvd -acodec copy -c:v mpeg2video -vf crop=352:480:184:0,scale=704:480 -pix_fmt yuv420p -aspect 4:3 -sws_flags spline "%~dpn1.filtered.mpg"
pause

Put that in a batch file. Change ffmpeg path to where ffmpeg.exe is on your computer. Then you can drag/drop a video file onto the batch file to convert to a new MPG video.

[jagabo]

Some more advanced filtering with AviSynth

Mpeg2Source("vid_clip3.demuxed.d2v", CPU2="ooooxx", Info=3) 
Crop(184,0,-184,-0)
QTGMC(InputType=2, EZDenoise=1.0, DenoiseMC=true)
MergeChroma(aWarpSharp(depth=5), aWarpSharp(depth=20))
Sharpen(0.0, 0.5)
nnedi3_rpow2(2, cshift="Spline36Resize", fwidth=640, fheight=480)
Sharpen(0.5)

yields the attached clip.

[EricBalir]

That's awesome, exactly what I need!!

It worked!! Now it's back to original!!

Thanks so much for all your help!! Thank you Thank you Thank you!