Combining with different resolutions

[Kracov]

I need to combine videos. One is 720x533, the other is 711x400. When I tried Aimersoft, it made one clip have a whole black frame around it and was a lot smaller. Tried AVC and one clip had damaged video, i assume because of the avi format the original was in. What are the best programs for combining?

[Cornucopia]

It would help if you would tell us what you expect to end up with.

A single file? Or more?

A single resolution & aspect? Or more?

A single codec? Or more?

A multi-program-capable container (like mpeg-ts)? Or not?

How is it going to be used? On what devices?

Also, why do you have such odd resolutions?


Scott

[aedipuss]

the odd number of pixels in both videos is strange as it's not allowed in most video formats. what created them?

[Kracov]

Combining 2 or more clips into the same file. MP4. Two videos are different formats and resolutions. Since MP4 is the target, i'd imagine all devices support it. The odd resolutions are because Whose Line is it Anyway was in 4:3.

[Cornucopia]

Ok, then I'm going to have give you some sober news.

If combining into only 1 MP4 file, using roughly universal AVC/HEVC playback capability on base consumer devices, you CANNOT assume any ability of the playback device to adapt to internal changes in the file's signaling, midstream.

So, to have a compatible, supported file, you MUST create a file that has the same resolution thoughout the course of the file playback.
You must change either one or the other's resolution to match the other (or convert both to an new common resolution).
When doing this, you MUST re-encode at least 1/2 of the combined clip, if not all of it.

There's a common term for this: EDITING. Specifically, assemble editing in an NLE.

Now let's also talk about those resolutions: they didn't start out that way. Very likely, they were 720 x 480 (they are US titles, so that would be the default for SD). AND... they were already 4:3! No need to ever change them, or re-encode them (and lose quality in the change).

But how were they 4:3, you say? Because like so many other SD formats, they used non-square pixels.
So 720 / 480 * 8/9 = 1.3333333 (aka 4:3). The 8/9 is the nonsquare pixel aspect ratio (you could also use 11/12 for 704-based standards).

So if you went back to the originals, you would save 2 perhaps 3 generations of loss (2 if re-encoding to a square pixel format, 3 if keeping it non-square).


Scott

[Kracov]

Lol you lost me in the last half. Well, I thought it was possible to add black bars to a video? I don't mind the 4:3 clips having black bars so they become 16:9. I just don't know how and with which program.

[aedipuss]

try to encode to a good 4:3 square pixel size. 640x480 is usually a good place to start for old tv/dvd size video. use an nle. if you don't have one there are a bunch of freeware ones you can try - https://www.videohelp.com/software/sections/video-editors-advanced - place the videos on the timeline where you want them and it's usually something like file/render out, choose the options you want to use and let it do it's magic.