Square pixels, mp4 16:9 from mpeg2 DVD or DV AVI

[Clevo]

Hello folks...long time no see. Hope you have all been keeping well.

To cut a long story short I'm helping out a local library with transferring their betacam based collection into digital video files.

The set up is:

Sony J3 video tape player ( a beautiful expensive machine that plays multi beta formats SX, Digi & Standerd betacam tape)

They had this set up through a switcher which in turn is connected to a TV monitor, aVHS machine and a couple of DVD recorders. Till I came along and suggested to remove one of the DVD recorders and hook that up to an external analogue to digi video converter hooked up to a PC ( now running trial version of Corel).

I set this up for them using components they already have. Their set up was so that patrons can view their audio visual collection and I'm setting them on the path of digitising their entire collection.

While the set-up is not ideal (see below) we're digitising the collection at a much faster pace with virtually zero costs....with the view of them licensing Corel as being their only costs so far (volunteer labour with some training from me)

Any way... have come across some problems with Corel x4 and possibly partially due to the set up as well.

Basically, when I'm capturing PAL DVD standard video files the set-up and digital converter are spitting out squared pixels...so I cannot capture in the 16:9 anamorphic. This is easily fixed of course by dropping the capture to the overlay video track and selecting fit to screen. Ideally I would like to spend some money re-jigging the set-up so I capture in proper 16:9 anamorphic (and through Firewire) and avoid the extra step. I advised that this is not a biggie problem but we are also then producing MP4's with the view of making them into low res viewing only lets call them proxy files (with BITC to boot (Burnt in time code))

Why oh why is it so hard to custom select a known small frame size (16:9). Picking mp4 HD is NOT an option because I'm working from SD stock. Why can't I pick something like 640x360? It would make life so much easier.

Would installing codecs help? I was hoping Corel 4x would let me do this without needing third party software. I need to make this easy for the library...

[lata]

Hi Clevo

Nice to hear from you.

I am a little confused with the aspect ratio, if you are capturing/transferring old VHS/Beta tapes don’t they use 4:3 rather than 16:9?

So the final conversion should use 4:3 aspect and Mpeg4 640 x 480 should do?
640 x 360 is 16:9

But I agree with you regarding the limited selection or the option to custom define your frame sizes.
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I have an AVI Codec called Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codec VI (there are 3 –V1, V2, V3)
It was installed from AVS4YOU software, at least I think it was, but it allows you to create Mpeg4.Avi and customise the frame size, very useful.

But if you are working in 16:9 then what’s wrong with using Mp4 HD 16:9
and I assume you wish to create a video using standard settings

[Clevo]

Much of the footage is 4:3 but there are some shot in 16:9 anamorphic. The collection spans from the 80's through to the present. Some ofthe footage were orginally shot on VHS or umatic and in a previous project they transferred as much as they can to SD betacam or digi. They scroung for footage from discarded unprofiled tapes from various places....a very interesting collection.

While I haven't tried using the MP4 HD setting I would have thought upscaling from SD PAL specs (720x575) would give me problems with regards to pixelation and quiality. I'll give it a go but I think I'll know the results.

I was hoping there is some setting I may have forgotten to use that opens up the section where I can custom input the frame size. I can do this when using the FLV setting but the results are poor even for viewing purposes.

At this stage i'm capturing in either DVD standard mpeg2 ( I do have to watch how much space to use) then wanting to create an MP4 H.264(Baseline) back up copy...the best I can go is 4:3 completely black bordered image which will do and I'm hoping VS x5 will address this issue and I can go back and use the original capture to re-do.

[lata]

Hi

Some of my you-tube video has been converted to Mpeg4 16:9 from DV-Avi and Mpeg2
The quality was very good with little or no reduction in quality. I tried a few options to find Mpeg4 the best.

The option Share Create video file –Upload to web may be worth trying, just close the upload window after rendering. If suitable use Make Movie Templates Manager to create your own template.

The final video should not contain any black borders

[Clevo]

Will give that a go too....

I tried the option yesterday of the MP4 HD...the result wasn't too bad actually but the file size will trouble me down the track. Also tried the 720x480 which is not true 16:9 at 25fps but when I went to choose the h.264 compression the frame size would change as would the frame rate. but the 720x480 was reasonable too with the straight MP4.

Thanks for the suggestions so far...