Allowance for DVB resolutions

[DRP535]

I have recently discovered that all my DVD players have no dramas playing all sorts of odd and out-of-spec MPEG-2 resolutions. I have known for a long time that I can put SVCD (480x576) spec MPEG-2 files on DVD and play them without issue. I have recently also discovered they have no problem with DVB (528x576) resolution and SATV (544x576) as well.

My question then relates to use of these resolutions in DVD-RB in a manner like in the menu option "use half-D1 for extras". Is there any thoughts to including the option of using these extra resolutions as well as the CVD/D2 352x576 one to increase the available tailoring options? If not, then is it possible to force use of these resolutions by manual customisation of the INI file or by manual manipulation of the AVS scripts?

I have found that a TargetSectors value of 2256200 much better uses the full capacity of a DVD-5 without overstepping the mark and making it unburnable. What is the default value used by DVD-RB for a DVD-9 sized rebuild?

[jdobbs]

I'm trying to stick with resolutions that are supported by the DVD spec. The problem is that there are some folks using DVD-RB who don't know what is in and out of spec, and if I add other choices I'll get flooded with trouble reports when then don't play back.

There may be a chance I could add a "hidden" option to allow it.

The default output size was set purposefully to allow for the inaccuracies of some encoders (under some circumstances) and also to leave the outside edge of the disc unused (as it is more susceptible to errors, even on "high-quality" discs). But, of course, the reason it can be changed is so each of us can make our own determination of "best setting".

[Sharc]

There may be a chance I could add a "hidden" option to allow it.

That would be a nice hidden option. I have been playing around with SVCD (480x576) instead of half D1 for the Extras and didn't have a problem (picture, subtitles, captions all ok) with the 2 players I tested (both SVCD compliant).

[DRP535]

I'm trying to stick with resolutions that are supported by the DVD spec. The problem is that there are some folks using DVD-RB who don't know what is in and out of spec, and if I add other choices I'll get flooded with trouble reports when then don't play back.
That's perfectly understandable and I wouldn't expect otherwise for a commercial product like DVD-RB. You shouldn't stray outside the DVD specs for the exact reason you state. Use of extra resolutions would afterall only be very much a "tweaking" step in any case and not a substantial quality improvement.

There may be a chance I could add a "hidden" option to allow it.
That would be excellent if you could implement it. IMO it would only need to be a manual edit of the INI file type option. The kind of users who would be looking to use it would be the same ones who are more than capable of editing the INI manually and you don't need to confuse the average users with extra menued options and check boxes in the GUI.

The default output size was set purposefully to allow for the inaccuracie of some encoders (under some circumstances) and also to leave the outside edge of the disc unused (as it is more susceptible to errors, even on "high-quality" discs). But, of course, the reason it can be changed is so each of us can make our own determination of "best setting".
Cool. Can you please tell me the standard figure the program uses for a DVD-9 rebuild?

[DRP535]

That would be a nice hidden option. I have been playing around with SVCD (480x576) instead of half D1 for the Extras and didn't have a problem (picture, subtitles, captions all ok) with the 2 players I tested (both SVCD compliant).
If you have no problem with SVCD resolution then you might like to try both 528x576 & 544x576 as well. Your player will probably have no issue with them either. The biggest problem with these odd sizes if finding the authoring and burning applications that will let you make them without shoving a million and one warning prompts in front of you ;-)

[Sharc]

May be I should experiment with more formats.
My original intention has been to optimize the quality of the Extras for DVD backups. I found the resizing to SVCD in combination with Steal Space from Extras (25%) to provide very pleasant results. I went for SVCD because the DVD player supports native SVCD - however SVCD within DVD is speculative of course.

I include in the DVD-RB Filter Editor
e:BilinearResize(480,576)
and in the rebuilder.ecl I replaced "width=720" by "width =480" for the relevant segments manually.

It worked well for me with DVD-RB and cce . I don't know how other encoders and players would deal with it.

[dragongodz]

all my DVD players have no dramas playing all sorts of odd and out-of-spec MPEG-2 resolutions. I have known for a long time that I can put SVCD (480x576) spec MPEG-2 files on DVD and play them without issue. I have recently also discovered they have no problem with DVB (528x576) resolution and SATV (544x576) as well.

how are they playing these resolutions though ? by that i mean are they just plain mpegs burnt on a dvd or are they actually authored to a dvd with the resolutions retained ? if the second what authoring program allowed that ?

the reason i ask is because the majority of players will of course play standalone mpegs of any resolution. this however doesnt mean they would be happy if you somehow managed to author them as dvd unchanged.

however SVCD within DVD is speculative of course.

actually its not speculative at all. it is not supported in the standard end of story. the fact you have a dvd player that plays it in no way guarantees this will be true of any other play ,either now or in the future. so what you are doing is very much at your own risk as you acknowledge when you say

I don't know how other encoders and players would deal with it.

[DRP535]

how are they playing these resolutions though ? by that i mean are they just plain mpegs burnt on a dvd or are they actually authored to a dvd with the resolutions retained ? if the second what authoring program allowed that ?
I don't own any MP4 players at all, so no, none of my players will play straight MPEG files burnt to disc as data. They do support playing of MP3 audio files though, so I guess if you consider MP3 files to be MPEG (which they are) then that's the only exception.

I must always author to VCD or DVD to burn to disc otherwise it will not play in my DVD players. For VCD/SVCD specification using horizontal resolutions of 352, 480, 528, 544, 704 or 720 I just use Nero Burning ROM to do the authoring with the standard check box unticked of course ( I wish I knew how to force Nero to keep it always unchecked... most annoying!)

For authoring to DVD using the same resolutions I use DVD-lab PRO v2.30. I don't know of any other DVD authoring software that will allow such out-of-spec resolutions. The end result is perfect with no stretching, no stuttering or any other ill effects.

[dragongodz]

I don't own any MP4 players at all, so no, none of my players will play straight MPEG files burnt to disc as data.

i actually meant mpeg2 since that is what you are talking about. practically every dvd player i have ever owned will play a straight mpeg2 file burnt on a cd or dvd.

[DRP535]

Good to know, thanks. I'll give that a try next time, though to be honest it won't be of much use to me since I always oversize the files to get the maximum bitrate & quality. They therefore can't be burnt as data without running into errors at the end, but on shorter stuff I'll try it out.