Converting DVR-MS letterboxing

[kwiz168]

Hello All,

I use Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 as a PVR. I have a lot of television shows stored for my daughter and they are starting to take up a large percentage of my HD. I want to convert the larger DVR-MS files into smaller files.

I have tried using DVRMSToolbox and dCut to do the conversion, but the play back is always in letterbox format unless I play it back using Media Center on the original computer. I also downloaded a trial copy of winavi Converter, and it produces the same result. I would like playback to fill the screen.

I posted questions about this on the "The Green Button" and was told it is not DVRMSToolbox or dCut that is causing the problem, it is my decoder.

I used Microsoft's Decoder Checkup Utility and I see several decoders in the list. No matter which decoder I set as "preferred" (I have cycled through the list setting each one as preferred and running the conversion), playback of converted files is always letterboxed.

I am looking for a solution that will get my files converted to a smaller format (WMV, AVI, Divx), and have the playback fill the screen.


Any advice is appreciated.
Kwiz168

[dazuk1972]

Cyberlink Power Producer is what I use. MPEG2 keeps the letterbox format. Don't use MPEG1 because that will turn it into the full frame. Also, don't use AVI because AVI uses-up so much dosc space through that software. A three-minute video would be over 1GB under AVI. Stick to MPEG2. The exact name of Power Producer that I have is called PowerCinema NE for Everio but it's made by Cyberlink that comes with Power Producer. You get a wide screen preview screen with it and you can also edit very easily and also mute sound and add sound effects if you want to with other good options.