output frame size

[rpitas]

I would like my DVD output to fill more of my (be larger) TV screen. I am copying VHS tapes to DVD using Sony DvDirect. The DVD files are then imported into Video Studio Pro 4, edited, and then output to DVD. The input and output is 4:3 and frame size is 720 x 480. I can't set this to a larger frame size using any of the tools I've found. Is it the frame size I want to increase? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

Welcome to the forum

4:3 is the aspect ratio of VHS tapes. The frame size for standard NTSC DVD is 720 x 480.

This is the correct size for your video.

If your TV is widescreen then the video will play with black borders left and right.

To fill the screen you would have to convert the video from 4:3 to 16:9.
You would loose some detail top and bottom from the origin video frame.

[BrianCee]

You do not need a larger frame size - 720 x 480 is the standard size for a non-HD NTSC video - even for a very large TV - it is what you need and should completely fill any 4:3 TV. In fact if you could make it larger it may well not be recognised by your DVD player/TV and refuse to play correctly.

[rpitas]

Still can't get this to work correctly. The original DVD fills the TV screen but after import and editing the output DVD does not. My TV is not wide screen. In the main VideoStudio Settings I unchecked 16:9 and in the Share -Menu I set it on 4:3. I have now changed the Settings and checked 16:9 and in the Share menu selected 16:9. Output DVD video still doesn't fill the screen. Thanks for your replies. At least I know 720x480 is correct. Any idea on what I'm doing wrong?

[alanball]

I find that if you adjust the tv screen you can zoom in so that the picture fills the screen, (on all the the TV's Ive had). This would be like masking you video in Video Studio for 16:9 and you loose some picture top and bottom, but I find that is usually OK.

[DVDDoug]

I wonder if it's a setting on your DVD player that's causing fullscreen movies to display differently than they do with the VCR???

I'm thinking this can happen if you've got the DVD setup to "letterbox" widescreen DVDs (DVD player generating black bars top & bottom and shrinking the picture).

[rpitas]

After copying the VHS tape to DVD, the DVD plays full screen - so I don't think the problem is a setting on the DVD player. Also I've tried editing using other software, burned a DVD and the DVD plays full screen. However, when I edit in VideoStudio and burn to DVD it doesn't play full screen. I really like the feature set in VideoStudio so I'll keep trying to get this working.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

Can you provide some video properties, I think there is some issues with 16:9 widescreen.

With the original video in the timeline right click and select properties. What are they?
Repeat for the completed/rendered video.

Please take note of the aspect ratio 4:3 or 16:9

Note that a frame size of 720 x 480 will be used for 4:3 and 16:9.

I have a quick guide to widescreen, it shows what the frame should look like using VS.

It was written using VS10 but still relevant for latest versions.

[Black Lab]

I don't really work with 4:3 anymore, so correct me if I am wrong. But simply changing the project properties to 16:9 will not make your clips appear as 16:9. You still have to distort the image to fill it full screen.

If your clip is in the main time line Distort Clip must be selected, then you right click in the Preview Window and choose to display in full screen, and set it to Keep Aspect Ratio. If you are using the overlay tracks there is no Distort Clip box to check. Simply right click in the Preview Window as above.

[rpitas]

Problem solved. When I am going to import from a DVD, the VOB files are not listed but instead a file labelled Title, which contains the entire content is shown, along with the 13 files labeled Chapters 1 to 13. Since I only wanted to clip the beginning and the end of the video I only imported the file labelled Title. This file when edited and saved to DVD will not fill the TV screen even though the properties show it to be 720 x 480. If I import all the individual Chapters and not the Title file and then edit and produce the DVD all is well. What is the Title file for?

[Ron P.]

In DVD parlance, a Title is a video clip, Chapters are markers within each Title. So another way to look at it is, think of a Title as a book, and Chapters as well, Chapters in that book.

When using the insert or import Digital Media, or whatever command to insert clips from a DVD (or DVD Folders), you will not see a VOB file or the others. The video clips are contained inside the VOB file container. Now if you Explore the DVD from Windows Explorer you will see first a VIDEO_TS folder, which will have VOB, BUP, IFO files.