4:3 Widescreen DVD to 16:9 Format

[iucoen]

Hi, I have a couple of old DVDs (Mission Impossible) that are supposedly widescreen but are in fact encoded as 4:3 with black borders on top and bottom. When played on my widescreen TV it shows up as extra wide with huge borders. Since I just recently purchased a DVD Burner, I was wondering if it is at all possible to re-encode/re-author and reburn these movies as 16:9 by cropping out some of the borders on top and bottom? I know I'll lose quality, but I just want to get the aspect ratio right. Thanks!!!

Thanks!!

[HockeyStick]

Indeed it's possible. However, you will lose quality in the process.
This question was ask several times:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=90815&highlight=anamorphic

Hope that helps

[iucoen]

So there is no way to transcode that, but I have to convert to AVI, crop and re-encode?

[mpucoder]

Your television should have a mode for watching 4:3 letterboxed in widescreen.
You could also check the video attributes to see if they are correct. Use IfoEdit, open up the main movie's ifo, click on "VTSI_MAT". Then scroll down the lower pane to location 200, double-click on it. A dialog box will appear with all the video attributes. Make sure it says 4:3 for Aspect Ratio, and then, in the box marked "Static", check "Letterboxed (top&botton cropped)".

[iucoen]

My TV does have that option, however, not when in Progressive Scan mode... I'll try what you suggested, thanks!!!