how to achieve correct DVD aspect ratio?

[Doocerize]

Hi,

I am trying to convert an AVI to a DVD for the first time, and I don't really know what I'm doing! My AVI file is 640 x 352 and is 1.818:1. I want to produce a PAL DVD for use in UK players. I have tried using two methods. First, I have used the CyberLink PowerProducer program which came with my burner. It doesn't give many configuration options. This program does the encoding and authoring in one step to give the VOB files and friends which it can then use to burn the DVD. Secondly, I used TMPGEnc to get a m2v file which I intended to pass to TMPG DVD Author to create the DVD. (I just used the Wizard, telling it that I wanted PAL and accepting all its defaults.)

When I view the DVD created using PowerProducer in my software player, the player window changes to almost square (4:3 ?) ratio and the picture fills the whole of the window which means that it is stretched vertically, making everything look too tall, as compared with how the original AVI looks in my media player. Similarly, when I view the m2v file created using TMPGEnc, it too has the same problem.

Please could somebody explain what I need to do to ensure that the final DVD output doesn't appear stretched? I was hoping that these programs would sort all that out for me!

Best wishes,
Doocerize

[Mr_Odwin]

If you use TMPGEnc there should be an option somewhere to encode to 16:9 rather than 4:3, which should sort it out. If you use the wizard then select the PAL (16:9) option right at the start.

[Doocerize]

Thanks a lot! That worked perfectly. I now have a DVD in which the displayed video has the same aspect ratio as the original AVI file.

It seems that PowerProducer 2 can only produce PAL mpeg at a displayed aspect ratio of 4:3. So If your AVI has any other aspect ratio, it will be distorted when transcoded. This seems fairly useless to me, although I accept that they're now up to version 4 of PowerProducer, so things have probably improved.

I presume your advice worked because the original AVI was already in 16:9 ratio? If so, what would I do if it had a different ratio? Would I just change the aspect ratio setting in TMPG DVD Author to the same ratio? (That can't be done using the Wizard, but it looks like it can be done using the "Expert" settings.) If so, is there any reason why the software doesn't automatically detect the aspect ratio of the original AVI and match this setting? After all, why would you ever want a different aspect ratio from the original?

Best wishes
Doocerize