DVD-Software.info

[Ralf Mayer]

I do want to encode a movie that came from DVD, size: 720x576 pixels in 16:9
ratio, as most usual DVDs are.

But 720x576 is NOT 16:9.
Either 1024x576 or 720x405 is 16:9 aspect.

Now, if I want to encode (*1) this one,
1) I can either scale up x 720->1024 and waste space to compress information
that is not even in the source media
or
2) I do trim down y 576->405 and lose about 170 lines of information.
Both options do not really satisfy me.

In short, what I am looking for is a setting in the encoder that says: Ok
decoder, here comes a video with the following strange (*2) pixel numbers,
but after DECODING stretch it so that it comes out x:y (*3) - and after
*that* give it to the player.
Exactly what every DVD player does when he plays that disc back (I *think*
that is called anamorphic, right?).

Such an option does not exist in DivX setup, does it?
I read that some players can be set to another aspect, independent on what
the source is. That would work, but of course it would be nicer if the file
*knew* how it had to be decoded, instead of having the player adjust it
manually.


(*1) backup, highest quality, filesize unimportant... and just playing
around with the new v6 encoder for trial...

(*2) to make matters worse, the movie contains only valid 432 lines, the
rest is black bars top and bottom. So I would like to encode 720x432 pixels,
the *real* info the movie has. Nothing added, nothing removed; nothing
wasted, nothing thrown away.

(*3) 720x432 is not 16:9 anymore, it cannot be watched be being set to 16:9.
The x:y is now a very odd number.
Why? The whole movie wasn't 16:9 in the first place - the black bars top and
bottom made it look so. The pure info in it was not, and that is all *I*want
encoded. Anway: Stretch it to be 64:27 and everything is fine!

Btw: This would make this movie 1024x432 in screen display then, and
remember the 1024 from the beginning?... guess what size it had when the DVD
was played in a software player. Exactly.

[Larc]

720x408 — or 640x360, 576x328 or 512x288 — would work for encoding a
true 16:9 movie to DivX. Remember, the width must be a multiple of 4
and the height a multiple of 2 for DivX encoding.

But I don't specifically recall ever using 16:9. Once black areas
above and below (and sometimes on the sides) are cropped away, other
ratios are much more common. There are some set numbers that work
depending on the ratio of the movie (that's usually expressed as
1.78:1 in the case of 16:9). One source for a good list of usable
DivX ratios is here:

http://www.nanomessiah.com/dvd-backup/dvd-to-divx.html

Look about halfway down the page for a grid showing all standard
ratios from 1.33:1 (4:3) to 2.40:1. Once you've found the ratio for
the specific source you want to encode (I have great luck googling
"[movie name]" + "aspect ratio" when I don't have a stated ratio on
the case or the DVD itself), look under that heading and select
numbers such as 640x344 for a 1.85:1 ratio movie.

I keep a printed copy of that grid handy.

Larc



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[ast]

"Ralf Mayer" wrote:
|I do want to encode a movie that came from DVD, size: 720x576 pixels in 16:9
| ratio, as most usual DVDs are.
|
| But 720x576 is NOT 16:9.
| Either 1024x576 or 720x405 is 16:9 aspect.
|
| Now, if I want to encode (*1) this one,
| 1) I can either scale up x 720->1024 and waste space to compress information
| that is not even in the source media

but you cant playback such a video on a standard divx player.

| or
| 2) I do trim down y 576->405 and lose about 170 lines of information.
| Both options do not really satisfy me.

This is what i do if the movie is really in 16/9 format. Most of the time,
the format is 2.35:1, so things are even worse.

|
| In short, what I am looking for is a setting in the encoder that says: Ok
| decoder, here comes a video with the following strange (*2) pixel numbers,
| but after DECODING stretch it so that it comes out x:y (*3) - and after
| *that* give it to the player.
| Exactly what every DVD player does when he plays that disc back (I *think*
| that is called anamorphic, right?).
|
| Such an option does not exist in DivX setup, does it?

I agree that It seems that such a thing doesnt exist in divx. It is very
surprising because it is a very basic feature.
Are divx designers so stupid ? hum ... i dont think so. So why ?


| I read that some players can be set to another aspect, independent on what
| the source is. That would work, but of course it would be nicer if the file
| *knew* how it had to be decoded, instead of having the player adjust it
| manually.

I read that there are some container (matroska or ogm, i dont remember) which
allow to specify the DAR (display aspect ratio) and so players compatible with
these containers are able to display correctly the video when the PAR (pixel
aspect ratio) is not 1.
It seems that avi container doesn't have this feature.

ast

[crosstown]