Reformat the screen size when converting...

[pmcd]

Is there any way on a Mac to change the screen display size of a movie to fullscreen if the source is 16:9 or similar? In other words I'd like to format things to fit a "legacy" TV (not wide-screen). It seems that conversions using TMPGEnc that I have done do this (when going from Divx to VCD for example). Unfortunately my PC is as old as my TV set and the conversions take forever. I was hoping my Cube would speed things up... Don't get me wrong. I like TMPGenc but I'm not sure I want to buy a new PC just for it.

philip

[AntnyMD]

Settop DVD players themselves allow you to play anamorphic content (16:9 fullscreen) as 4:3 fullscreen pictures by changing the display setting from "4:3 letterbox" to "4:3 fullscreen" or "4:3 pan and scan".

[pmcd]

Settop DVD players themselves allow you to play anamorphic content (16:9 fullscreen) as 4:3 fullscreen pictures by changing the display setting from "4:3 letterbox" to "4:3 fullscreen" or "4:3 pan and scan".

Is this true for all DVD players? My Panasonic won't let me do that unfortunately.

philip

[AntnyMD]

Every DVD player I've owned (on my sixth, not counting DVD-ROM and burner drives) has a SET UP button on the remote where you access this feature. Every player should have this functionality because somewhere along the line it has to be told what kind of monitor you're viewing the pictures on, and there are two consumer kinds, 4:3 aspect and 16:9 aspect.

[pmcd]

Every DVD player I've owned (on my sixth, not counting DVD-ROM and burner drives) has a SET UP button on the remote where you access this feature. Every player should have this functionality because somewhere along the line it has to be told what kind of monitor you're viewing the pictures on, and there are two consumer kinds, 4:3 aspect and 16:9 aspect.

That is true but that won't reformat DVD disks that force the 16:9 aspect ratio. That is, most of my DVD movies will not allow me to view them in full screen mode. You get this horizontal rectangle with 2 dark strips at the top and bottom. The same movie when delivered via a TV station will be reformatted to fill the screen and that's what I'd like to do.

philip

[AntnyMD]

Have you even tried to go into your players set up?

[geek rock]

there's a simple way to do it if your DVD is anamorphic.. just set your DVD player to 16:9 mode and the picture will be stretched to fill the whole screen.

it brings me to the question though.. why would you want to do that? if you stretch the picture it's going to look very distorted anyway, and if you decide to "crop" the picture so you get the centre of the picture you're missing out all the stuff that's happening at the side of the screen!

here's your original image.



here's the same image displayed "anamorphically" on a 4:3 TV.



and here's the image if you chopped off the borders and the side to keep the correct ratio.



as you can see.. pointless.

keep films in their original ratio.

-Mark

[pmcd]

Have you even tried to go into your players set up?

Yes, but most of the DVD's I have rented refuse to be displayed fullscreen (or even Pan & Scan). They are mainly widescreen.

philip

[pmcd]

there's a simple way to do it if your DVD is anamorphic.. just set your DVD player to 16:9 mode and the picture will be stretched to fill the whole screen.

it brings me to the question though.. why would you want to do that? if you stretch the picture it's going to look very distorted anyway, and if you decide to "crop" the picture so you get the centre of the picture you're missing out all the stuff that's happening at the side of the screen!

-Mark

Thank you! actually prefer the 2nd picture. The 3rd is obviously not ideal. I realize the 2nd distorts things but I can't stand the 2 bands that hover above and below in 16:9 on my TV. I wish I had the funds for a widescreen TV but I have kids heading off to university so...

philip

[tgpo]

Yes, but most of the DVD's I have rented refuse to be displayed fullscreen (or even Pan & Scan). They are mainly widescreen.

Thank God. I hate Fullscreen...such a waste if you ask me.

[pmcd]

Thank God. I hate Fullscreen...such a waste if you ask me.

Well there's no question that it must be disturbing to the artists to have their works displayed in a way that wasn't intended. I certainly am not trying to push for a return to distorted films. I agree with you that movies should be displayed the way they were intended. However until I personally can afford a larger TV I am simply looking for ways to make due with what I have. Contributions towards a wide-screen TV and/or a larger TV would be appreciated

philip