converting SVHS to DVD

[rrrrob]

Hi:

I am trying to convert some S-VHS home video to DVD. Simply put, I connected the SVHS player to my DVD recorder and recorded the video to DVD. I want to take the raw video and re-author the DVD with menus, etc.

When I convert the resulting video from the DVD to mpeg-2 format for editing, it shows up on the computer at a size of 352 x 480 (squeezed!) when I view the file details. I am thinking it could be the program I used to extract the mpeg-2 video from the DVD, but I understand we can't discuss that program anymore here? I just don't understand why it would think this video was only 352 x 480.

I suppose I could resize the video to the proper aspect digitally on the computer, but I am thinking this will reduce the quality of the video.

Anyone know why this might be happening (horizontal size reduced by 1/2)? When I play the raw DVD from step 1 above in the DVD recorder, it shows at correct dimensions on the TV (704 x 480) as it does on the computer (via Nero Showtime).

[rrrrob]

i think ive answered my own question. If anyone's interested:

My DVD recorder was set at a quality setting lower than I realized, and apparently the way more video will fit on the disk at this lower quality is to record a compressed (horizontally) video image. I guess during playback, DVD players know to expand the image? When I upped the quality to 2 hrs/DVD, the screen size went back to 720x480. Either recording looks fine on playback--it's just that the computer recognizes the lower quality video as 352 x 480 when it is extracted from the DVD.

[spps]

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[olyteddy]

If I were you and planned on editing I'd record at an even higher bitrate i.e. 1 hour per disk. You can use R/W media to move it to the PC so you wouldn't be wasting disks.