Newbie aspect ratio question

[jimbobmij]

I have 2 video files of different aspect ratios to put on 1 DVD. One is 720 x 576 (5:4), the other is 320 x 240 (4:3).
When I convert the files to MPEG-II in SUPER, should I set the output video size to 'No Change' or will they both need to be a 4:3 ratio and the same size?
I'm hoping to play the DVD on a household player without any distortion.

[sjj1805]

720x576 is 4.3 and is DVD compliant.
Therefore you can keep the aspect ratios as they are and import into DVD Workshop 2.

By the way, DVDWS2 will tell you if the files are or are not DVD compliant.
After they have been imported you will see a check box 'Convert to Disc Template' if it is ticked and greyed out this means the file is NOT compliant and WILL be converted. If it is blank it is already complaint.

[jimbobmij]

Wow thanks for the quick reply.

I'm pretty sure 720X576 is a 5:4 ratio but DVDWS2 didn't complain about the file. It did abort when i tried to burn the project tho hence the attempt to use SUPER.

I just noticed the videos have different frame rates (25 & 29.9 fps). Will that cause any issues?

[DVDDoug]

PAL DVDs are 25 FPS. NTSC DVDs are 29.97 FPS. *

720 x 576 is correct for a PAL DVD (either 4x3 or 16x9). ...The pixels on a DVD are not square. Still images use square pixels, so the aspect ratio is equal to the pixel ratio. (Video pixels can be square or rectangular, but DVD pixels are always rectangular.)

320 x 240 is not DVD compliant for either standard and it will need to be converted.

There is a chart on this this page that lists the allowable resolutions.


* NTSC video is always 29.97FPS, but there is a way to encode an MPEG file at 24 FPS (the film framerate), and have the DVD player convert it to the NTSC standard for playback on a regular TV. It's called "3:2 Pulldown", but I'm not sure if Workshop's encoder can do this.