16:9 file only Plays as 4:3

[topgazza]

Its a recording off the TV, in the UK, and I have run every piece of authoring software I can think of to make sure the aspect ration states that its 16:9 including recoding using TMpg DVD Author.

But the prog still only displays what looks like 4:3 on every TV I can find, widescreen as well as a small portable. I think it thinks its 16:9 as when I select 4:3 on the TV it changes slightly. So something appears to be sqeezing the image into a 4:3 window. HELP!

[blutach]

Mark the IFOs as 16:9 and tick auto letterbox and auto pan and scan. PgcEdit is the simplist way to do this via the domain stream attributes function.

PS. Pity about the poms and the Ashes - NOT

Regards

[r0lZ]

Are you sure it's real 16:9 and not 4:3 already letterboxed (with horizontal black borders)?

As far as I know, analogic TV broadcasting is always in 4:3, but the signal might contain an info to tell the 16:9 TVs to zoom in the picture. That's not real 16:9 anamorphic, as found on the DVDs and some digital broadcasting.

If it's the case, you must leave the aspect ratio in 4:3, but you can tick the "Already letterboxed" checkbox. Some standalone players will use that info to tell the TV to zoom in, exactly like with the original TV signal.

[topgazza]

I've never liked you blutach, I thought you should know that.......Jeez, what a capitualtion. Mind you it was only going to be an easy draw or a win for Aussies...one of the foibles of cricket and the the kangaroo s****ers did play hard, as usual...but 551 for 6 and still lose, come hom,e boys its all over and yes, I am in mourning.


I've tried changing the aspect several times. Thing is it records from Sky+ in mpeg format and puts all the programs into one .VRO file, which also plays in "4:3" which you then have to split using something like Nero into 3 seperate mpeg files. Even if covert them to IFO files the aspect stays. I wonder if something in that process is the problem. I also note that the vertical edges of the picture are fuzzy like they would be at the edge of the screen and not a clean sharp black line like in genuine 4:3

Does recording onto a RW disk in VR mode affect anything ?

No horizontal black line rOIZ is a picture from top to bottom but big black lines from side to side. The people in the picture are not distorted in any way....

[blutach]

Does any pom like an Aussie cricket fan today topgazza?

Hope you get your problem solved anyway

Regards

[topgazza]

I'll let you off blutach. One of my best friends has just arrived in Perth, to live....so you can't all be bad.

I keep getting the same advice about changing the aspect ratio so I am beginning to suspect another problem here rather than a software problem..... as such. Something how its been recorded form my Sky+ box to DVD an dthen PC. Something very odd. I'm going to experiment.

Actually, thinking about it I did record one of the stored programs "live" as it played from my Sky+ HD through my DVD recorder onto my TV. It was in widescreen on the TV then but in pretend 4:3 on my DVD disk. I can't see any setting on my Tosh DVD recorder regarding aspect other than when its playing...mmmm...foood for thought

[blutach]

What do the domain attributes say at present? They evidently aren't quite right. If shown on a WS TV but in 4:3, you'd most likely see bars left and right.

11 other English blokes are going to Perth in a week or so - but they'd rather not go to the WACA, I can tell you that Speaking of food for thought, that Duncan Fletcher can finally eat some humble pie.

Regards

[topgazza]

I'll try and take a picture if I can post it here. But I get those very wide bars left and right as you say. If, when playing, I tell the TV to display 4:3 the image shimmers slighly and narrows by a few mm and the figures on the screen get taller. How do i check teh domain attributes ?


I think those eleven blokes will just keep on rowing past Perth until they reach South America...I would if I was them. Man, they must be down big time.

Fletcher is an odd one though....I think Freddie as skipper is wrong but you underestimate an Aussie at your peril.......

[blutach]

They'd hit Sth Africa before Sth America I agree, Freddie is no patch on Vaughan as a tactician - his head doesn't match his heart or bowling ability. I thought Collingwood tried his heart out for his country and deserved man of the match - but to the winner go the spoils and it was Ricky's award today.

Check the attributes with PgcEdit - load the DVD in, right click on the title and select Domain Stream Attributes. It seems they are 4:3 from what you say. The TV is 16:9 right, so your player should be set up for a 16:9 TV. Telling it to play 4:3 would produce an undesired AR, as you have seen. If the AR is displayed correctly, but only you have black bars left and right, then it's probably OK.

Regards

[topgazza]

I was being ironic of course...knowing that lot they'll miss South Africa all together in what will be known as the Ponting/Giles move.


Ponting is simply a class act, took his time but now he's at the top. Well deserved.

I'll check the attributes when I get home, thanks for the tip

[topgazza]

This is just plain crazy.


I downloaded pgcEdit and opened one of my IFO files. Sure enough its set to 16:9 in the attributes. Changed it to 4:3 and previewed the image. The figueds in the shot are taller, compressed in, but the overall frame size is the same. this is telling me that the image has been stretched upwards and the width kept the same. revert back to 16:9 and i get proper shaped people but stil in a 4:3 type window......

[r0lZ]

Seems your recorder (or the program you used to convert the VRO to VOBs) has truncated the original source.
Can you save a BMP picture using the PgcEdit preview, upload it at ImageShack and post the link here?

[topgazza]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/topgazza/LBtest.jpg

Don't worry about the faces, they actually look skinny...

You may have hit an interesting point though. Not sure how much of this is a red herring but I have just repeated the recording process on a different program

( I foolishly deleted the ones I have had probs with off my PVR (Sky+)I had although they are still on my PC

I had saved on my Sky PVR. This time I formatted the RW in V mode for recording rather than VR mode. Bingo it all works as it should and everything is in glorious WS.

Odd thing is the DVD recorder passes through the TV signal from the Sky box and sometimes, only sometimes, it crops about half an inch on each side of the picture. Changing channels fixs it.. .

[r0lZ]

Indeed, your picture looks crazy!
It's perfectly stupid to record a 4:3 image with black borders in a 16:9 frame, especially if the original was true 16:9 anamorphic.

Anyway, I'm glad you found a solution to the problem!

[topgazza]

yes they actually look like that...its not distortion..

Thanks guys for all your help. I guess I'll never know why that particular series failed to copy OK. Probably something I did like splitting the programs from the huge big VRO file that was created. Anyways it seems to work...Each time I come here I learn a bit more about the black art of video editing....