HDDVD's: can video size be altered with XPL file? can it be cropped?

[DJN8B]

Once a HDDVD is decrypted and backed up, the associated XPL file contains a number of different interesting editable parameters.

I'm trying to figure out a way to stretch the video output to fill the 16:9 frame of PDVD.

Take King Kong as an example: The video size is 1920x1080p ("aperture size" in the xpl file). However as the film is a 2.35:1 title the film itself is only present in a 1920x817p area.

I would like to crop out the black bars by stretching the image vertically (and thereby distorted) so that it fills a 1920x1440p frame. If I change the "aperture size" to 1920x1440 the image does stretch to the correct aspect ratio however I cannot get it to fill the full screen of the display.

Any ideas?

Is there a document that describes all the commands that can be executed through the XPL file?

[MattyDwyer]

The XPL file is a PlayList file and has a set of pretty simple declarations of the order of video segments and the capabilities they have.

It lets the player configure itself for the best presentation of video and audio, but it does not permit the kinds of operations that you are interested in which are transformations (clipping and scaling of the native encoding).

The Advanced Application facilities (PlayListApplicationSegment and similar resources which are usually embedded in .ACA files) gets closer to what you want in the layout options. In those areas, the code can specify a clipping rectangle from the video and where it should appear on the screen. In addition the video can be scaled by the ratio of two 4 bit numbers (1-16) but in both dimensions. This rules out the deplorable distortion that you had proposed.

You could fit the screen by cropping and scaling to fill the active pixels of the display (cropping the sides as in Pan-and-scan) but to a 16x9 format.

The authoritative description of the facilities available is only in volume 6 of the HD DVD specification, as far as I know.

[DJN8B]

This rules out the deplorable distortion that you had proposed.

Firstly, thanks MattyDwyer for a very knowledgeable response!

To address your comment quoted above, perhaps I should back peddle a bit so you can see where I'm coming from. Why would you want to distort a video source to an incorrect aspect ratio? Good question.

What I'm trying to accomplish is to obtain the highest resolution and light output from the 16:9 panel of a digital projector when displaying 2.35:1 material. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to fill the panel DIGITALLY (distorting the 2.35:1 shape to a 16:9) and then OPTICALLY vertically compress or horizontally stretch the image back to the correct 2.35:1 aspect ratio. In a cinema they would call this a "scope lens".

In my case this means: what is the best way to progress from a 1920x1080 source -> 1280x720 panel -> an optical stretch which keeps the 720p height stretches the width to the equivalent of ~1694p

Perhaps I should have just asked:

1) How can I crop 1920x1080 to 1920x817?
and then
2) How can I scale 1920x817 to 1280x720?
with HDDVDs.

I'll look to the Advanced Application Facilities and see where I get. Thanks again!

[blutach]

Considered an avisynth script using crop and LanczosResize?

Regards

[DJN8B]

Considered an avisynth script using crop and LanczosResize?

Regards

I have not used avisynth before however I would certainly write up some simple scripts if it would accomplish my goal.

Can it handle VC-1 and the other formats in HDDVD's .evo files?

Would LanczosResize be processor intensive? King Kong HD-DVD in backed up form already sucks half the power from my 2Ghz dual core.

Cheers Les!

[hoozdapimp]

Using AviSynth means you would have to re-encode your video. Not sure if you can use vc-1 files as inputs (perhaps you can use DirectShowSource("filename.extension").

Once you re-encode it (which more than likely would take a long time), it shouldn't require any more or any less processing power to play back the movie....though that depends on what kind of output you're encoding it to. I would recommend using MeGUI and encoding it to x264.

[DJN8B]

Hope this gives everyone a visual on what I'm trying to do.

When I just play the movie, I get the original aspect ratio filling the screen to the sides with black bars top and bottom on my 16:9 widescreen display. Looks Like this:

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/6260/kong2nokeepaspectrationw2.jpg

If I alter "aperture size" in the XPL file to a 4:3 ratio (such as 1920x1440 or 1440x1080) then the image looks like this:

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/6676/kong1keepaspectratiohk5.jpg

The image is stretched horizontally or compressed vertically (however you want to look at it) so that the actual picture fits in a 16:9 area. Note how no information has been lost from the sides of the picture.

Unfortunately because their are still black bars above and below the image with PDVD reads as part of the active area, it will not fill the whole screen.

I think if I can get PDVD to see the active video area as 1920x817p then it would be possible to have the active video area fill a 16:9 window. How to achieve this, I'm not sure...

[DJN8B]

Using AviSynth means you would have to re-encode your video.

I'd like to try to avoid this if at all possible, re-encoding each video I'd like to watch (and possibly watch only once in the case of hd-dvd rentals) would be a major PITA.

Thank you for input!

[chadamir]

pretty sure you can load it up in avisynth using graphedit. Good luck.

[RulerOf]

I see where you're going with the "scope lens" idea, but is there some kind of problem with your projector that you need to do this?

There's something in my brain that tells me that performing that type of scaling would theoretically reduce the quality of your image. Now that I think about it, does anyone know if that's the case? (I'm an IQ whore)

[IanD]

I'm trying to figure out a way to stretch the video output to fill the 16:9 frame of PDVD.
Isn't there an option in PDVD to maintain aspect ratio?

My guess is that disabling this function would permit scaling to full window.

Maybe you will need to adjust aperture as well.

[Galileo2000]

Isn't there an option in PDVD to maintain aspect ratio?

My guess is that disabling this function would permit scaling to full window.

Maybe you will need to adjust aperture as well.

What he says.