I DID SEARCH AND I READ THE ENTIRE THREAD VERY CONFUSED. Please dont jump down my throat. I did read that huge thread but found no difinitive answer. I have an avi file that is in PAL. I use Mainconcept MPEG Encoder when converting both AVI to DVD and PAL to NTSC but when I do the stretching is a bit much with the normal settings. Any idea how to reduce the stretching? I also have these programs DVDDecrypter, Isobuster, TMPGEnc Authoring, DVDShrink, VOBBlanker, RipIt4Me, DVDFabDecrypter, Nero and Record Now. If someone can redirect me to the best solution I would appriciate it.
Mainconcept will automatically convert your PAL, just select NTSC on the first page. To fix your resolution issue, I use a resolution calculator: http://www.tomzavodny.cz/program/bitcalc/index_en.php (# 8) Input your source resolution, select target resolution (NTSC/PAL) DVD (480 or 576). This will give you a resize resolution which you can use in MainConcept's Crop and Scale. Rememmber to untick keep proportions and encode as 4.3. If you want to encode as 16.9, follow the above steps and increase height by 1.33 and encode as 16.9. I don't like the letterboxing and have found you can fudge the numbers by about 40 and, also MC will show the source resolution or I use G Spot. Edit: spelling
Thank you for replying.... I understand what you are saying up until the size change. I have the porportion unchecked but I can not increase size. I also have a preview showing and the screen is showing split view..is that normal? Could you break down how to change the configuration? Thanks
Ok, when you first open the file, in say MainConcept, you will see the origonal size. Enter that in the 2 windows of the resolution calculator at #8, choose NTSC or PAL and 720 x 480 (NTSC) or 720 x 576 (PAL) and use that number in MainConcept at Crop and Scale. Make sure to untick keep proportions and enter 4.3 in MainConcept. The letterboxing (black bars) will be smaller if you multiply the number you got in the resolution calculator by 1.33 and use that in MainConcept at Crop and Scale and choose 16.9. As I said, the letterboxing can be further reduced by cheating on the number entered by 30 - 40 and keeping the resolution above 720 x 390 but that would up be personal preference. I don't know if a split screen in preview is normal but I've never seen it and changing the number in Crop and Scale should be a simple process of scrolling the 480 to what you want. Edit: I don't think it is normal to see a split screen, that's not even an option I see and to change resolution, don't try and delete the 480 if you are, just use the arrow down and the option to keep proportions is only unticked in Crop and Scale, not Detailed Settings (I think it's called that) or anywhere else.
Looks like I'm wrong on the split screen. See if you have show fields in options checked. That does cause it for me, I just have never used it.
Thanks so much for checking if Mainconcept showed split screen...I was bewildered by it...thanks I will try to get the calculator and check out the method today..thanks so much I cant begin to tell you.... Ill be back to report.
I should have read closer; you can't increase the 480 size in Crop and Scale. That is the max for NTSC and you won't see a 4.3 resolution above that. If multiplying by 1.33 exceeds 480, you will have to drop back to 4.3 and use the number from the resolution calculator or, as I said, cheat.
It say's target VCD resolution and resize in Virtualdub; ignore that and enter your source resolution and the resolution you will get under resize in VirtualDub is the one you will use as 4.3 or multiply by 1.33 for 16.9 (after selecting NTSC and 720 x 480 or PAL and 720 x 576).
Open the calculator. Choosing hints on the top right will stop all the popups. At avi resolution which is 640 x 480, erase those numbers and type the resolution from your video, say 608 x 336 as an example. Select NTSC and 720 x 480 undet target VCD resolution for NTSC or PAL and 720 x 576 for PAL. Under resize in Virtualdub, your new resolution will appear, in the example 720 x 286 for 4.3 or 380 for 16.9 when multiplied by 1.33. Now, enter this number into Crop and Scale at Scale in MainConcept by using the arrow down to what you want. Untick keep proportions under that scale and ok out. At Advanced>Video Settings, select either 4.3 or 16.9 depending on whether you have multiplied the height by 1.33 and also, in several hundred encodes, I have only seen a few where the width (720) had to be adjusted.
Wow all this sounds a little technical. If you have and AVI that you want to turn into a DVD, PAL or NTSC AVI2DVD is perfect for the job.
SO Im just using the info from the calculator and then when I use virtual dub do I have to process it before using mainconcept? Im not familiar with virtual dub sorry
Ignore Virtualdub, as I said above. Once you enter your origonal resolution and select NTSC (720 x 480) or PAL (720 x 576), your new resolution to use in MainConcept as 4.3 will be under resize in Virtualdub and ready to use. Again, Virtualdub has nothing to do with this. If you want to multiply that number by 1.33, you will have a 16.9 resolution to use and smaller letterboxing but if that number exceeds 480, you will have to encode as 4,3. The 480 is the only number you should have to change and is the height affecting either a stretched or squished appearence.
you could try using convertxtodvd that will do what you want to do, and as far as the streching are you trying to make it full screen, when you should be making it wide screen? also you might try running the file through g-spot
@mistycat Nice explanation and link. Using the numbers provided also enabled me to quickly convert a 2.35:1 source to 16:9. The converter told me to use 720 X 272 which produced an identical AR. Subtracting 272 from 480 = 208 divided by 2 = 104. By choosing 16:9 in MC and cropping 104 left and right (resetting scale to defaults) the resultant encode had what appears to be correct proportions at 16:9. Thanks
MysticE: I don't quite understand the technicalities and I have only checked a couple of encodes but cropping left and right, as you state, seems to give me a 16.9 in Fullscreen, not what I expected but great, so thank you, too.
