WinDVD Creator (aspect Ratio)

[Reign-Mack]

I have a problem with win dvd creator. When ever a Import a wide screen video, win dvd creator totally screws up the acpect ratio. making it look like this


It seems to reduce the screen size 1/3 and add two huge borders which take up more than 2/3 of the screen.

Is ther some sort of div x codec setting or win dvd creator setting I can change to sort this problem out.

*sorry if this has already been asked before.

[setarip]

"When ever a Import a wide screen video"

What is the format (MPEG-2, MPEG-1, DivX-compressed .AVI, etc.) of the imported file?

[Reign-Mack]

its a divx file ac3
width 640 pixels
hight 272 pixels

thanks

[setarip]

The reason you are experiencing this is that whoever created the DivX-compressed .AVI, cut off the original black borders in order to reduce the overall filesize.

If you wish to go through the trouble of fixing the .AVI:

(In VirtualDub, set "Video" to "Full Processing Mode" and "Audio" to "Direct Stream Copy")

1) Load you video into VirtualDub
2) From the "Video" dropdown menu, click on "Filters", then click on the "Add" radio button and doubleclick on the "Resize" filter
3) Set "New width" and "New height" to the SAME resolution as your original .AVI (In this example, I'm assuming it's 720x480)
4) Put a checkmark in the box labelled "Expand frame and letterbox image - and enter a multiple of 16 in "Frame height" (Perhaps 208, or 192 to approximate 16:9 - which, in this example, will increase the height from 480 to 688 or 672)
5) Click on "OK" to return to the "Filters" window

6) Once again, doubleclick on the "Resize" filter
7) Set "New height" to 480 (This will reduce the ENTIRE image, including the black bars to 480 pixels of vertical resolution). Click on "OK" until you get back to the main VirtualDub window
8) Save with a new filename

[setarip]

The reason you are experiencing this is that whoever created the DivX-compressed .AVI, cut off the original black borders in order to reduce the overall filesize.

If you wish to go through the trouble of fixing the .AVI:

(In VirtualDub, set "Video" to "Full Processing Mode" and "Audio" to "Direct Stream Copy")

1) Load you video into VirtualDub
2) From the "Video" dropdown menu, click on "Filters", then click on the "Add" radio button and doubleclick on the "Resize" filter
3) Set "New width" and "New height" to the SAME resolution as your original .AVI (In this example, I'm assuming it's 720x480)
4) Put a checkmark in the box labelled "Expand frame and letterbox image - and enter a multiple of 16 in "Frame height" (Perhaps 208, or 192 to approximate 16:9 - which, in this example, will increase the height from 480 to 688 or 672)
5) Click on "OK" to return to the "Filters" window

6) Once again, doubleclick on the "Resize" filter
7) Set "New height" to 480 (This will reduce the ENTIRE image, including the black bars to 480 pixels of vertical resolution). Click on "OK" until you get back to the main VirtualDub window
8) Save with a new filename

[Reign-Mack]

thank you.
do you know how long it usually takes.

[setarip]

Depends on your system...

[eastmav]

I am having the exact same problem with WinDVD, except that this only manifests when I set the program to burn a 2 hour DVD. The ratios go back to normal when I set it for 1 hour.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

[setarip]

To eastmav

Are you SURE that your ORIGINAL one hour videos are in the same aspect ratio/resolution as are your ORIGINAL two hour videos?

[eastmav]

I am POSITIVE. I've checked and triple checked... If I have a video loaded into the program, I run it through the "Make Movie" function, setting it for a 1 hour DVD (even if the movie is way too long for that), I start it on it's way and watch it in the preview window, everything's fine. When I go and change the setting to 2 hour DVD, with the same media loaded, no other changes made, the preview window shows it shrunk, squished to about half the height, same width.

I've also noticed now that the program crashes any time I try to load up old programs that I'd previously completed. And also it won't play sound on any video after the first one loaded... I've tried several times, the first one to be loaded will play fine, the second has no sound.

I feel I'm on a sinking ship here.

[setarip]

To eastmav

1) Uninstall, reboot and then REinstall the program.

2) If the problem persists, contact the publisher. Afyer all, when you purchase software from a reputable publisher (such as the publisher of the WinDVD product lines), you are entitled to product/tech support...

[eastmav]

Yeah, except this is bundled software... came with my system when I bought it... and they don't provide support to lowly OEM software users... wankers. I suppose the alternative would be to activate the full version for however much money it costs, but given it's performance so far, why would I invest in it?

I'm going to reinstall it again.

I just want to run my codec theory by you one more time... I was told by the guy at the computer shop that codecs don't interfere with eachother, they work with the video they were meant to work with. But if that's true, what's the deal with the Nimo Codec pack turning all my videos green when I watch them? I took it off, and things went back to normal. I get the feeling the same kind of thing is going on with WinDVD... Although it wouldn't explain why Nero hasn't been able to burn a disc my DVD player will read, or why tmpgenc DA has the same problem.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks again.

[delusional]

I'm having the same problem. when i tried using virtualdub, the output is correct, but the file is WAY too big, as in 100+ GB! i had to stop it at 8%, which was about 8 GB by itself. Is there a way to reduce the file size of the output?

[ChimX]

I have a problem with win dvd creator. When ever a Import a wide screen video, win dvd creator totally screws up the acpect ratio. making it look like this


It seems to reduce the screen size 1/3 and add two huge borders which take up more than 2/3 of the screen.

Is ther some sort of div x codec setting or win dvd creator setting I can change to sort this problem out.

*sorry if this has already been asked before.

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Last edited by Reign-Mack : 27 Nov 2004 at 07:43 AM.
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I am POSITIVE. I've checked and triple checked... If I have a video loaded into the program, I run it through the "Make Movie" function, setting it for a 1 hour DVD (even if the movie is way too long for that), I start it on it's way and watch it in the preview window, everything's fine. When I go and change the setting to 2 hour DVD, with the same media loaded, no other changes made, the preview window shows it shrunk, squished to about half the height, same width.

I've also noticed now that the program crashes any time I try to load up old programs that I'd previously completed. And also it won't play sound on any video after the first one loaded... I've tried several times, the first one to be loaded will play fine, the second has no sound.

I feel I'm on a sinking ship here.
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[/I]Fortunately I've got the same same software (WindvdCreator2) and had the same problem. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why WinDVD would burn some 2 hour avi files just fine and crunch others into a 1 inch line. I started to take note of the resolutions of different files I was trying to burn and found that 640x480, 720x480, & 512x320 would burn fine in either 1 hour or 2 hour mode while all other files got the 'squish'. I came to the conclusion that the software has either a bug in 2 hour mode with anything other than 'full resolution' files, or perhaps the programmers made a lame attempt at space saving for anything over an hour.

Anyway, Setarip actually posted the solution in this same thread which is as follows: Resize your AVI to full resolution (640x480=4:3) or (720x480:16:9). Let's say you have an AVI that's 720x272. We don't want to stretch or distort the original resolution, so:

1) Load you video into VirtualDub

2) From the "Video" dropdown menu, click on "Filters", then click on the "Add" button and doubleclick on the "Resize" filter

3) Here you can enter your original resolution and go to step 4, or resize the original, in which case, see step 3/12.

3 & 1/2) Say you have an AVI you DL'd thats 416x176. Divide the width by the height (416/176=2,36). This will give you an idea of the true aspect ratio of the image. 2,36 is closest to 2,35 which is widescreen, either 640x272(4:3) or 720x272(16:9) Here's a list of the most common Aspect ratios you'll find for 4:3 and 16:9
16:9-
720x480 = 1.33
720x360 = 1.78
720x348 = 1.85
720x292 = 2.20
720x272 = 2.35
4:3-
640/480 = 1.33
640/344 = 1.85
640/292 = 2.20
640x272=2.35
So, in the top lines of the resize filter add your new resolution, 720x292, 640x344, etc,. Click on the drop down menu and select bicubic if your're upsizing and bilinear if you're downsizing.

4) Put a check in the box labelled 'expand frame and letterbox image'. Leave the width alone which should be 640 or 720, and in the next box enter 480. Hit ok. Click on video again & select your compression (I prefer Xvid). Now click archive, & save the avi.

This will maintain your true aspect ratio while increasing the 'whole' file resolution to something WinDVD will accept in both 1 & 2 hour modes.