4X3 and 16X9 videos in the same project

[GregK]

I'm trying to do a project of a video I just did at a Halloween party the other day, and I preconverted the video twice: Once in the original 4x3 fullscreen, and then again cropped down to 16x9 widescreen. However, when I run off my project, with the project settings set to 16x9 so both the menus and the 16x9 version of the video retains their dimensions, the 4x3 version of the video ends up being pillarboxed with black borders on the left and right to fill it out to a 16x9 dimension. If I change the project settings to 4x3, the widescreen version of the video ends up being letterboxed to fit the 4x3 dimensions.

Something isn't right with this in DMF6, because I've done other video projects (such as tv shows I've recorded and done this way) where I put both a 4x3 video and 16x9 video into the same project, I was able to keep the original dimensions/resolution of each video with no letterboxing or pillarboxing done on either one...I know, because I just watched one such DVD I created last night, and it turned out just the way I want this party video I'm trying to do the same way (rather like when you purchase a movie and they have both widescreen and fullscreen versions on the same disc).

The reason I want to do it this way is so the 4x3 version of the video will simply be "squeezed" down based on my tv and DVD player's settings, fitting the entire 4x3 image into the 16x9 dimensions of my tv screen....and also for some people I'm making a copy of this video for, since they don't have a widescreen tv they'll be able to choose the original 4x3 version of the party video and watch it.

How can I accomplish this? It has definitely worked out before somehow, as I described with the DVD of tv episodes I watched last night....they turned out exactly how I wanted (one episode was 16x9 and the others were 4x3)...but I can't get this video of mine from this party to turn out the same way.

[GregK]

Excuse me for bumping this, but it's happened again (sort of):

I imported into DMF a movie, trailer, and featurette....the featurette being 4x3 and the other video 16x9, with the project settings to 16x9....and my final ISO/disc plays the movie and trailer in 16x9, and the featurette in 4x3.....just as both should be, without any additional pillarboxing on the 4x3 featurette.

Okay....so why does this change between projects, and how can I get my Halloween party video the way I want it, as I described above?

ADDENDUM: I also just ran off another 4x3 project in which I had a 16x9 video....and the final result plays the 4x3 videos as they should be and the 16x9 video in its correct proportions. What gives?

[GregK]

Bump...

It just happened again: Did a new project with several 4x3 videos and a 16x9 video, with project settings set for 16x9, and the final result plays the 4x3 videos in their correct aspect ratio, and the 16x9 video in its correct aspect ratio.

Note: I also can add that this new project had no motion menus or motion thumbnails, but my earlier project I described in the first post in this thread has motion menus and motion thumbnails.

I would LOVE to figure out how this is working correctly the way I want it to...

ANY ideas?

[DVDDoug]

I don't know why you're getting inconsistant results, but you are not supposed to mix 4x3 and 16x9 on the same DVD.*

For what you're trying to do, I think the proper solution is to use a video editor to convert everything to the same aspect ratio (cropping squeezing, or stretching, as desired). When everything "looks right", and everything is in the same format, make your DVD.

* The DVD spec says everything a single VTS (Video title Set) must have the same aspect ratio. With professional authoring software, it's possible to make a multi-VTS DVD, but as far as I know, Movie Factory cannot. (And, I don't think it's what you want to do anyway.) More information here.

[GregK]

Well, that link was interesting, but by "single VTS" do you mean one VTS (VIDEO_TS) for the entire disc?

Then explain how....if you're not supposed to mix aspect ratios...commercially available DVD's have a single VTS but mix aspect ratios on the same disc (movie in 16x9, trailer or bonus featurettes in 4x3). That's the same thing I'm trying to keep consistent with what I explained above.

[Ron P.]

Well to start with they don't use programs costing $100 or less. The equipment they use will easily set you back in the 6-figures. They can do a lot of things that we will not be able to do..

[sjj1805]

.......
Then explain how....if you're not supposed to mix aspect ratios...commercially available DVD's have a single VTS but mix aspect ratios on the same disc (movie in 16x9, trailer or bonus featurettes in 4x3). That's the same thing I'm trying to keep consistent with what I explained above.

Of course you can mix 4.3 and 16.9 videos - you just have to put up with things being squashed or stretched - how else do you fit a square peg in a round hole.

[GregK]

Steve, you didn't read my original post, which says:

However, when I run off my project, with the project settings set to 16x9 so both the menus and the 16x9 version of the video retains their dimensions, the 4x3 version of the video ends up being pillarboxed with black borders on the left and right to fill it out to a 16x9 dimension

With projects settings at 16x9, the problem I have with this one project is the 4x3 video ends up being pillarboxed.

[Ron P.]

Greg,

That's correct, since the project setting was 16:9. The project settings dictate what the aspect ratio will be. So the 4:3 will be pillar-boxed, just like putting it on an overlay track in a video editor, and not sizing it to fit the screen.

If you put a 16:9 in a 4:3 it will however result in the video being squished some. You can mix the content of the DVD, however there will be only 1 aspect ratio used. If you done some cropping to the 4:3, it could be made to look like it was shot at 16:9.

[chrish]

Hi
I also do what you are trying to do
The above post is correct with the authorising tools and DVD-R we have available to us when a DVD is put into a player it only look once at the aspect ratio
the way I do mixed ratio is to use a video editing programme ( Edius ) if I want 4.3 in 16.9 I set Edius to 16.9 then put 4.3 on the timeline ( can also put 16.9 on same time line ) the output result is what you are after a full 4.3 picture in a 16.9 frame ie when played on a 16.9 TV black bars both side of 4.3 when played on a 4.3 TV the 4.3 is full screen and the 16.9 has black bars top and bottom No distortion
Regards
Chris

[sjj1805]

chrish
Please do NOT keep making your posts/replies entirely in BOLD type.
I have edited your previous post.

[chrish]

OK !!
I did not know it was against the rules to use bold type

[GregK]

If you put a 16:9 in a 4:3 it will however result in the video being squished some.

Nope....what I said in my original post was:

If I change the project settings to 4x3, the widescreen version of the video ends up being letterboxed to fit the 4x3 dimensions

[GregK]

Hi
I also do what you are trying to do
The above post is correct with the authorising tools and DVD-R we have available to us when a DVD is put into a player it only look once at the aspect ratio
the output result is what you are after a full 4.3 picture in a 16.9 frame ie when played on a 16.9 TV black bars both side of 4.3 when played on a 4.3 TV the 4.3 is full screen and the 16.9 has black bars top and bottom No distortion

Yes and no as far as what I am trying to do, Chris. My tv's display settings for DVD playback are at "Full", so any 16x9 anamorphic DVD I play is not only fully displaying the entire video frame as it should be without distortion, but any 4x3 full frame video simply gets "squeezed" down into the tv screen's dimensions without being pillarboxed. My players (I have several) are all set for a 16x9 widescreen tv so that all my discs will play the same way.

The only difference in a video's playback dimensions are if I am playing a DVD data disc on which I have saved AVI video files since my one player will play AVI videos. In that instance, the AVI files are played back at whatever the original aspect ratio is...so in the case of a full screen 4x3 video, the tv display pillarboxes the sides of the video with black borders.

This is not how I want it in my DVD project in DMF6....as I keep repeatedly explaining here. I want to mix aspect ratios so a 4x3 video and a 16x9 video each retain their original ratios on the final DVD, which...as I keep explaining here...has successfully happened a couple of times on other projects but not on this one project which I described in my original post here.

I tested the successful ones out after creating the ISO file in DMF6 by playing the ISO back with VLC Player, and as it goes from the 16x9 video to the 4x3 video (or vice versa), each video is clearly being played in its original and correct aspect ratio (I can see this because I only have VLC filling half my computer screen, not set to full screen).

Again....Why does this NOT happen with the one project??

[chrish]

Hi
I am a bit lost for any more suggestions What you are trying to do I don't think is possible
If you say the ISO file works OK Try burning this to a Disc using the burn function in tools
I have had mixed ratios working on a DVD but only by making the video file up in a standalone video editing programme
Regards
Chris