Importing 16:9 DVD

[Tony-R]

I am struggling with importing a 16:9 DVD recorded on a Sony DVD camcorder. The clips import as 4:3 and there doesn't seem to be any way to force it otherwise. The DVD plays in 16:9 on my DVD player, the laptop using a variety of DVD player programmes and the headers check out in Ifoedit. Video Studio/Media Factory even have its properties as 16:9 but it stubbornly imports as 4:3 and gives the clip properties as 4:3. The only solution I have found is to use the Distort Clip under Attribute to stretch the images to the right aspect ratio but that is both laborious and unsatisfactory. The problem is illustrated at http://www.raven-family.com/Ulead/Ulead ... oblem.html

I have also tried TMPG DVD Author which gets it right at 16:9 but it does not have the ability to split into chapters that can be trimmed, rearranged or deleted unless you do a very laborious manual task.

Any suggestions would be appreciated having wasted

[kw]

Do you have the aspect ratio checked as 16x9 in the preferences section? Click on the lower left icon and make sure the correct aspect ratio is shown. I had a problem with my dvd player not recognizing the 16x9 dvd after authoring in MF3.5 and I didn't have a problem in ver. 2.0 and found out the problem was on how I had the DVD setup. It was on 4:3 pan and scan and setting it to 4:3 widemode solved the problem. 16x9 files and 4:3 files show correctly on the TV now.

[Tony-R]

Its checked as 16:9 and it confirms it in Project Properties. I have also set it to "Perform Non Square Pixel Rendering" in Properties and "Fit to Project Size" on Image Resampling in Preferences. The problem is not with the DVD players etc - they all play the source material correctly as 16:9. Its the import to Video Studio which converts and displays it in the program as 4:3. Imported Clip Properties shows them as 4:3 as well. There doesn't seem to be a switch anywhere you can use to force the programme to use a PAL 16:9 1.422 pixel aspect ratio..

[htchien]

Question: the version of your VideoStudio? Have you applied the update packs for UVS?

Ulead Tech Support - Ulead VideStudio:
http://www.ulead.com/tech/vs/vs.htm

Hope this helps.

H.T.

[Tony-R]

Its version 9. I cannot install the Update Pack as I am using the trial version trying to see if it works before I buy - there is no point otherwise and I'm unwilling to buy just in case the Update Pack solves it. Since the same problem is in the other ULead products I've tried - Movie Factory 4 & 5 - I doubt an Update Pack will have the answer BICBW

[Tony-R]

I now have it sorted and it seems its a quirk/fault of the Sony camcorder. While the ifo file has the parameters as 16:9, the vob file headers read 4:3. Using DVDPatcher freeware I was able to patch the vob file to 16:9 and everything worked fine.

It might be worth Ulead doing the same as TMPG's DVDAuthor Pro which has the facility to reset the aspect ratio of the imported video to get round such problems.

http://www.wincesoft.de/html/dvdpatcher.html

[Mantajay]

Thanks Tony you have saved me hours of frustration. Thou I convert the original Sony Camera DVD footage a couple of times to edit with and final import WMV files into MF4 (the WMV files play fine in any media player as 16:9). I too found that the clip is recognised as 4:3 in MF4 even thou the WMV files are rocognized as 16:9 by any other program. Even thou the project is set to 16:9 and the menus are all 16:9. So even after all my file conversions and programmes seeing the files as 16:9, MF4 still somehow recognizes that the original footage coming from Sony DVD Camcorder was marked as 4:3. This means on a normal DVD player its no problem as the 16:9 anamorphic vision is played out to my Widescreen, BUT! if I play the DVD on my PC the software now sees it as 4:3 and plays it in anamorphic (tall and skinny). I now find I have to add another step in my process and have MF4 create a disc image to HDD then change the VOB files as you suggested to 16:9 then finally make a bloody DVD (yes I am Australian). I am waiting now for the burn to HDD so hopefully this works. Why am I doing this at the end of the process... because I have already digitised and edited the footage. If this problem is fixed in MF5 it would be a greatly appreciated.

If this works I wish to say THANKS TONY!