Problems importing 16:9 DVD

Post by **jparnold** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 3:49 am

Firstly I searched the forum for an answer but only found vidoman's tutorial VS:Importing DVD files which makes no mention of how to rectify my problem.

I recorded to DVD a show on TV which was broadcast with an aspect ratio of 16:9. When I play the DVD created using the same DVD recorder it FILLS the screen on my 16:9 flat panel just as the original broadcast did so for all intents and purposes it is recorded with an aspect ratio of 16:9.

When I IMPORT that DVD into a VS10+ project I find that the video propertiies of the DVD is 4:3 and the image displayed in the preview window is squashed horizontally.

How can the imported DVD properties be 4:3 when it plays as correctly at 16:9 using the DVD recorder and the original TV broadcast was in aspect ratio 16:9?

What should I do to make it display correctly as 16:9 in VS10?

Should I use TubaDad's tutorial VS 9: Converting video from 4:3 to 16:9 wherein he suggests using the overlay track and manually drag the edges out?

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 3:45 pm

In VS a 16:9 video that is placed in a 4:3 project should appear Letterboxed, having the black bars at the top and bottom. Conversely 4:3 in a 16:9 project would be pillared.

I don't have a widescreen TV, so I don't record in 16:9, and thus have no 16:9 footage. I think my camcorder only does a faux 16:9, so it wouldn't be a fair test to use anything from it.

Video aspect ratios can be somewhat confusing, as there are more then just the 4:3(1.33:1) and 16:9(about 1.85:1). Your DVD player/recorder may use the anamorphic 16:9, which squeezes (letterboxes) the video when viewed on a conventional TV, and it is expanded on wide-screen.

You might try a short clip using Tubadad's tutorial. If you have a spare +/-RW disc or 2, try doing short clips, 1 using the tutorial and 1 not, and just assuming that VS is not displaying it properly.

GeorgeW · Post by **GeorgeW** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 4:34 pm

vidoman wrote:I don't have a widescreen TV, so I don't record in 16:9, and thus have no 16:9 footage. I think my camcorder only does a faux 16:9, so it wouldn't be a fair test to use anything from it.

Ron, I'm not sure what the 16:9 mode is on the Sony TRV120, I cannot find anything definitive on that specific model (I happen to have the same one). If you change it to 16:9 mode, it actually captures a wider image than in 4:3 mode (it does lose a little from the top/bottom). If it were "fake" 16:9, I would expect the same recording WIDTH as 4:3, and the top/bottom would have those artificial black bars.

Regards,
George

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:02 pm

Ok, I've never attempted to record using the 16:9, as I thought since it is a cheaper DV camera it would be fudging on that. Now I'm going to have to try it and see. I'd think that it is using a "matte" approach, where the top and bottom are masked off to give a 16:9 appearance. Afterall, the lens, even though is a reasonably good one, is not a Carl Zeis or Schneider-Kreuznach.

Also I just found a WMV 16:9 free video on the net. I d/l it. Placing it in VS in it's WMV format, VS displayed it letterbox. Converted it with Super to AVI, and it displayed the same.
According to VS10, the aspect ratio is 1.78:1, so that is within a wide-screen 16:9 ratio.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:58 pm

I think the problem may be in fact 'not a problem.'
When you open up VideoStudio either in 4.3 or 16.9 mode the preview screen remains the same size.

Therefore on the preview screen your 16.9 will 'appear' to be letter boxed.
When you create your video and play it back on the TV it should appear without the letter boxing. If you play back on your computer then it depends upon which software player you use.

PowerDVD tends to play back squashed so your video becomes tall and thin,
Play back with Win DVD and it will display correctly so you can see if its 4.3 or 16.9

Ron,
My camcorder is at the cheaper end of the market but has 16.9.
It is better to record in 16.9 to avoid your wife and family suddenly gaining weight when you play back on a widescreen T.V.

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 6:07 pm

I'm still using a 26", 10 year CRT television. However I recently purchased a big 14" Flat screen... (sits beside my PC monitor) for viewing my wanna-be masterpieces)

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:04 pm

Hi John

What is the Frame Size, I assume 720 x 576??

I do not think you have any other option but to stretch the frame to a 16:9 aspect.

Place the video in the main track
Change the project properties to indicate 16:9
Select the Attributes tab
Select the Distort button
Right click the screen ¡V select Fit to Screen
You may also need to use-- Keep Aspect Ratio.

I notice you have a GS 400 camera , have you tried this camera using widescreen 16:9
I find it works very well.

Trevor

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 10:57 pm

Just a quick update:
I took my cam recorded a 2 min segment using the 16:9 setting. VS does show it to be 16:9 and treats it as such. It is letterboxed in the preview display. However I used a cable to view it on my 14" Flat screen, and it displays full screen.

Post by **jparnold** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:47 am

I think that I have solved my problem but firstly in answer to some questions etc -

I have been using my video camera set to (aspect ratio) 16:9 since purchasing a wide screen flat screen and the results are great and when recording at 16:9 it does record a slightly wider scene (doesn't just crop the top and bottom) so in fact you get a similar result as using a mild wide angle adaptor lense (horizontal only of course).

Yes the VS preview window (shape and size) is the same regardless of using 16:9 or 4:3 but when a true 16:9 clip is displayed in the preview window it is displayed with small black strips top and bottom (see image below).

I entrusted the technician who installed my cable TV to setting up my TV and DVD recorder and assumed that he had set them all up correctly'
I have now found that the aspect ratio setting for recording was set to 4:3 and not 16:9. The TV apparently stretches a 4:3 image so it was not apparent what the recorder was recording.

Thanks for all your input anyway. I will have to stretch the video to true 16:9 using the overlay track.

By the way here are screen shots of the preview window.
Top left one shows a clip taken from my camera shot at 16:9.
Top right one shows the recorded DVD in a 16:9 project (note black strips left and right and horizontally squashed image)
Bottom centre shows the same recorded DVD in a 4:3 project.

Just for fun does anyone know in which city the top left clip was taken
(clue - city is in the UK)? No prizes will be awarded sorry?

GeorgeW · Post by **GeorgeW** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:55 am

Sounds like you have to fix the Aspect Ratio embedded in the mpeg file. Go to Videohelp.com, and search on a tool called Restream

Regards,
George

Post by **jparnold** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 3:25 am

Thanks George but I think manually stretching might be easier as I have just tried using RegStream and it tells me that the file is a mutiplexed file which needs to be demultiplxed first. I guess this means stripping the sound out and then I would need to multiplex it again after running RegStream.

GeorgeW · Post by **GeorgeW** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 3:33 am

Hi John,

I forgot it does use elementary streams. If you can demux, it will help you maintain its quality (versus stretching which will eliminate the ability to use SmartRender).

Regards,
George

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 3:52 am

Looks like Edingburgh to me.
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/e ... dsend.html

Post by **jparnold** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 3:58 am

George,
I don't think I would be using smart render anyway (tell me if I am wrong) as I want to insert excerpts (short clips) from the DVD recorded TV show into my (home) travel video which is all captured as AVI from my digital video camera.
I toured Scotland last year for 14 days and attended the Military Tattoo (show) where I shot some video but I thought that my travel video would look better using some clips from the TV broadcast rather than what I took using my camera as it was all hand held (no room for a tripod) shot from a distance using zoom at times from the same place in the audience. So I will have 98% of the project containing AVI clips and 2% from the TV show.
What do you think?

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 4:10 am

John,
I would tend to keep smart render turned on by default and only turn it off if there is a good reason for doing so, such as out of synch issues.

What smart render does is to allow unaltered video matching your project settings to simply pass through to the new video file as is thereby avoiding degredation and also saves a lot of time.

Where the video does not match the project settings or if it has been altered such as the addition of filters, transitions or titles - that part of the video gets re-rendered. The bulk of the video will smart render.

You can see the effects of smart rendering best if you have a copy of MediaStudio. This software colour codes the rendering process on a line above the editor timeline. It ranges from pure white (smart render) through light pink - red - bright red. The more 'red' the indicator is, the more work has to be done by the program at that point.

You can see the preview screen slowing down and speeding up as it passes these color coded segments. The same applies to VideoStudio.

Some parts smart render, others need a bit of processing (perhaps a transition), others parts need heavy processing (perhaps multiple overlay tracks with titles).