Newbie Help! Converting DVD Camera to Mpeg in 16:9 aspect ratio

[Aeropars]

Hi Guys,

Really frustrated and in need of help.

Been at this all day and tried loads of trial DVD ripping software and havent gotten anywhere.

OK the scenario:

We have a Hitachi DVD Cam DZ-BX35e that we are trying to use for some video editing with Windows Movie Maker (we're novices at this!). We record the video on the camera in 16:9 mode and then want to rip the DVD video off the 30 minute disks for use on the PC to do some fancy editing (there is no direct connection to the PC with this model of camera).

When we play the dvd in the PC using power DVD the video plays fine in 16:9 aspect ratio. When we load up a ripper (Xillisoft, AVS Video Converter and a few others) it rips the video and then when played, it shows in 4:3 aspect ratio. By this i mean all the captured footage is there but its squashed horizontally so people look tall and thin. I even checked some of the video properties in the software and it says aspect ration was 4:3.

What the hell am I doing wrong? I'm nearly bald with this problem and in need of some folicle treatment :D

The idea situation is that we want to use Windows Movie Maker or Roxio MyDVD software to make a simple DVD video to then burn on to a full sized DVD for family distribution.

Can any kind person help us out with this?

Thanks in advance.

[manono]

Hello and welcome to the forum,

I don't think you've done anything wrong. The original 16:9 video was encoded as 4:3 and plays back as 4:3, giving it a bad aspect ratio. But it all comes good in the DVD, as the IFOs are set for 16:9. When playing the DVD (i. e., the IFOs) you get it 16:9, correctly. When playing just the vobs you get 4:3.

I'm not clear if you're reencoding or not. If you are, just reencode for 16:9. If not, and you're ready to author to DVD, you can patch the vobs to make them 16:9. I think (not having used it for this) that DVDPatcher can do it pretty easily.

http://www.wincesoft.de/html/dvdpatcher.html

Or do what was done in your original DVD, keep the video at 4:3, and just set the IFOs for 16:9. If the authoring programs you're using can't do it, it's very easily done afterwards in PGCEdit. Open the DVD, right-click the video in question, hit Domain Stream Attributes, and change it from 4:3 to 16:9 and Automatic Letterbox. OK back to the main screen, Save and test.

[Aeropars]

Many thanks for the answer.

I am re-encoding (by that I assume you mean converting the vob movie file to mpeg1) and would like to re-encode into 16:9 although I am not fully sure how. Can you recommend a good peice of software to do this? I was using Xilisoft/Imtoo DVD ripper but found this had unexpected result when ripping this homemade DVD.

Thanks again and I look forward to your response.

P.S. As a sidenote, I tried patching the DVD using DVD patcher and it screws of the video. Sound is ok but picture is corrupted. I am encoding in Mpeg 1 but thats only because the software doesnt convert to mpeg 2 without fault. Ideally I need to know some software which will easily convert DVD to Mpeg 2 in full quality thats easy to use.

[manono]

Oh, you're reencoding. I guess I'd recommend DVD-Rebuilder. It'll give you very good quality, although there's a little bit of a learning curve. It supports CCE and Procoder for commercial MPEG-2 encoders. It also supports (and includes) an excellent free MPEG-2 encoder, the HC Encoder.

DVD-RB has its own forum here, if you run into problems. There are stickies there to get you started, and Doom9 has a DVD-RB guide here. It's going to give you back your 4:3 vobs, but it should also give you back a 16:9 DVD.

http://www.doom9.org/mpg/dvdrb.htm

For some reason Doom9 doesn't mention the HC Encoder as being supported, but it is:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74308

[Aeropars]

Woh, thats pretty advanced stuff. I'm going to give it a go but the chap who will also be using this method is very 'simple' when it comes to computers so were looking for a one click type application for him that is pretty simple to use.

Is there anything like that available?

[SeeMoreDigital]

From what I understand, Windows Movie Maker is not capable of generating MPEG-2 video with AC3 audio streams after editing, only Windows Media Video (WMV) and Windows Media Audio (WMA) streams...

EDIT: Once you have access to your edited MPEG-2 video and AC3 audio streams, you could try muxing them with MuxMan or DVDPlannerBasic (in "Wizard" mode).


Cheers

[Aeropars]

Its ok, I've got all that sorted and i'm concidering Roxio MyDVD as well for the making of the dvd.

My initial problem is getting this dvd I have ripped and as a standard mpeg2 file in widescreen.

It appears this is somewhat of a problem though, or at least a problem unless you know your advanced ripping sutff.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Its ok, I've got all that sorted and i'm concidering Roxio MyDVD as well for the making of the dvd.

My initial problem is getting this dvd I have ripped and as a standard mpeg2 file in widescreen.

It appears this is somewhat of a problem though, or at least a problem unless you know your advanced ripping sutff.Provided your edited MPEG-2 video images don't posses any "hard coded" black mattes (ie: all the pixels are image pixels), then all you need do is add "16:9" DAR signalling to your stream....

And "16:9" DAR signalling can be added to any MPEG-2 stream (placed within the .VOB or .MPG container) using DVDPatcher - As previously mentioned by Manono....


Cheers

[Aeropars]

OK, i think i'm beginning to understand now.

My only issue is now the ripping software. I think that previous suggestion will really confuse my girlfriends dad so is there anything else I can use which is good quality but designed for novices?

[SeeMoreDigital]

OK, i think i'm beginning to understand now.

My only issue is now the ripping software. I think that previous suggestion will really confuse my girlfriends dad so is there anything else I can use which is good quality but designed for novices?Does the camcorder itself not offer editing?

If so, how about: -
Editing your video on the camcorder first.
Dragging the edited file off the disc to your PC.
Running the affore mentioned file thru' DGIndex and de-mux the video and audio streams to their "elementary" parts.
Running the elementary streams thru' MuxMan to create DVD compliant files, suitable for burning onto a DVD~R/RW


Cheers

[Aeropars]

It only offers basic editing like fade in and out ect.

We want to cut and change chapters, add transitions and credits and stuff like that.

I just noticed that Rocio MyDVD does the ripping as well so ive given that a do and it rips it into 4:3. I then use DVDPtcher to change aspect ratio and it makes the edges of everything in the film when the camera moves, like scanlines. Is this normal?

[SeeMoreDigital]

I then use DVDPtcher to change aspect ratio and it makes the edges of everything in the film when the camera moves, like scanlines. Is this normal?Do you only see" these lines when playing and viewing the video on your PC... If so, it sounds like you are seeing an "interlaced" video effect..... Most PC based software players offer a "bob" filter to counteract this effect.

What happens when you play the same video on a DVD player/TV combination?


Cheers

[Aeropars]

Well, i have thr two movie files (one in 4:3 after ripping, the other in 16:9 after changin it) and it only appears on the 16:9 version.

I dont have the ability to burn to a dvd to try as yet because my DVD player wont play DVD-r's

I dont get this Roxio software, you can create a 16:9 dvd project but you cant use the inbuilt ripper to rip in 16:9!

[Aeropars]

Now i'm really confused. I changed another one and its stretched it more than whats needed to get to 16:9. I also noticed it corrupts the initial start of the video file so nothign is visable (lasts about 2 seconds)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hi Aeropars,

I have to ask, are you familiar with how DVD images look like "before" and after" 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio signalling has been applied?

[Aeropars]

I'm not to be honest although I did read that all VOB files are in 4:3 but there is something in the DVD ifo file that tells the player its in 16:9 (i think i remembereed correctly)

or am i barking up the wrong tree?

[SeeMoreDigital]

I'm not to be honest although I did read that all VOB files are in 4:3 but there is something in the DVD ifo file that tells the player its in 16:9 (i think i remembereed correctly)

or am i barking up the wrong tree?Acually no, all VOB files are not 4:3.

Before either 4:3 or 16:9 DAR signalling is applied to the MPEG-2 video stream of a store bought DVD or MPEG-2 DVD camcorder stream, an NTSC video image has a resolution of 720x480 pixels (ie: 1.5:1 or 3:2 or 4:2.666) and a PAL video image has a resolution of 720x576 pixels (ie: 1.25:1 or 5:4 or 4:3.2)....

[Aeropars]

Woh... thats really confused me hehe.

So if thats the case, why when a ripper detects its ratio is 16:9, why does it then rip to 4:3?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Sorry to confuse!

When you say "ripper". What ripping application did you use?

And what application tells you it's 4:3?

[Aeropars]

dont worry, its me bveing a newbie, not your explanation (i work in IT and am an MCSE but this business is totally new ::)

OK, I'm using Roxio Media Creator studio which has DVD building software (like the menu's and stuff) as well as moulding lots of clips with fancy transitions ect and will also burn to a DVD. It has an inbuild "extractor/importer" which gives some info on the file you are ripping beforehand and it says 'this is in 16:9 format' but then rips to 3:4 (aaaahggg)

does that make sense?

[Aeropars]

Seemoredigital,

Before we go any further, i want to thank you for your input. Its apreciated and i know how frustrating it can be teaching a nooooobie :D)

Thanks again.

[manono]

SMD, he's got a 16:9 DVD (in the IFOs) but the vobs are encoded for 4:3. The DVD plays fine, but the vobs don't. This is common with cameras such as he has. He wants to reencode the vobs for 16:9, but evidently the crap software he's using doesn't allow this. I've tried to point him to the easiest all-in-one I know, but maybe DVD-RB is still a bit beyond his capabilities at this point. I've also tried to point him to ways to correct his final output, but I guess we haven't reached that stage yet. Back to you... :)

[Aeropars]

Thanks manono, thats put a lot better than how I was trying to explain.

This is my first real look into the DVD ripping and re-encoding aspect of IT and am a little daunted by it all at the moment.

The DVD-RB did go over my head but i'm sure I coudl learn it, the problem is he person who will be using this is my girlfriends dad who wont get it at all being pretty new to computers.

The software I used to correct the output i thought was pretty simple to use but i think i might be overlooking something. I rip the files as normal and they show in 4:3 and then i open this program, select the file, change the radio button in to the 16:9 aspect ratio and then patch the file.

Sometimes this will not change the ratio and then when I patch it again in the same method (but also change 'patch entire file' rather than just the initial header) this double stretches the movie.

As i said before, I am getting what i have been told is an interlaced effect when I have sucessfully patched the file into the 16:9 ratio.

Perhaps someone could tell me the correct steps using the DVD patcher to get the desired effect? I'll try burning to DVD at work then so I can try it on a TV and see how the interlacing looks?

[manono]

Hi-

then when I patch it again in the same method (but also change 'patch entire file' rather than just the initial header) this double stretches the movie.

Yes, I would have thought that "Patch Entire File" was understood, but when you say it "double-stretches the movie", it makes me think I have it wrong.

Do you have a sample you can upload somewhere? If you don't know how to do that, first cut a small sample with movement/motion. One way to do that is to open a vob in DGIndex, use the [ and ] buttons to select a small sample (10 seconds or so is ample), and then Save Project and Demux Video. Upload the resulting M2V to http://rapidshare.de/ and when done, post the link here.

If you don't have it, or don't know of another way to cut a vob, then you can find DGIndex inside the DGMPGDec package:

http://neuron2.net/dgmpgdec/dgmpgdec.html

While in DGIndex, go File->Preview and run the Preview. The new Information window will give you lots of info about your vobs.

[Aeropars]

I'll have a go at that this evening when I get home from work. I have my own webserver so i'll stick it on there for you to download.