how do I convert letterboxed non-anamorphic to 16:9?

[spicediver10191]

I've seen some example lines from AVISynth scripts for doing this, but I'm unsure which is best.

I have two sources I'm trying to combine in my Premere Pro editor: one is anamorphic widescreen, the other is non-anamorphic widesreen. Both 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

Advice would be greatly appreciated :)

[IanB]

Get PAR to help you calculate the width and heights. The write a simple resize script to implement your choice.

[FlimsyFeet]

There isn't such a thing as a "best" way.

What I would do is this:

Crop(0, [top], 0, -[bottom])
Lanczos4Resize(720, [height])
AddBorders(0, [top], 0, [bottom])

Top and bottom in the first line are the heights of the existing black borders.
Height in the second line is the height required to match the video in your anamorphic source.
Top and bottom in the last line are the borders required to make the video up to DVD resolution, 480 or 576.

[Mtz]

I think the question about "best" was regarding this:

1. to add borders and resize the letterboxed?
or
2. to resize the anamorphic?

enjoy,
Mtz

[spicediver10191]

Hi guys,

By "best" I really meant how exactly do I do it, as I'm pretty hopeless when it comes to AVISynth scripting.

My anamorphic 2.35:1 footage is fine.

It is my non-anamorphic 2.35:1 footage that I want to "blow up", so to speak, so I can edit it seamlessly with the rest in Premiere Pro.

Source is a DVD movie. I'm doing a fan-edit. The non-anamorphic footage is a collection of deleted scenes.

Hope that makes it clearer. :)

SP.

[wonkey_monkey]

All other things being equal, anamorphic video is vertically stretched to 133% compared to non-anamorphic, so that's what you need to do to your non-anamorphic video.

For PAL, crop to 432 lines then resize back up to 576. For NTSC, crop to 360 lines and resize back up to 480. Can't remember the AVISynth syntax off the top of my head.

David

[IanB]

Fundamentally, calculate the Pixel Aspect Ratio, PAR, for the majority of your footage. Then adjust the width and height of your additional footage to just fit in one dimension with the same PAR as the majority and letterbox/pillerbox the result to be the same framesize as the majority.

E.g. 16:9 Pal DVD is 720x576, the Pixel Aspect Ratio is approx 1.42:1, letterboxed 2.35:1 material will be 720x436 with aprox 70 pixel top and bottom borders.

To include 4:3 material you can either match the height of the 2.35:1 material so that it is 408x436 with 156 pixels left and right borders and 70 top and bottom borders. This is good when using a projector and you have zoomed the image up to fill the screen height.

Alternativly you can maximise the height and go with 540x576 with 90 pixel left and right borders. This maximises the resolution on a screen, with 4:3 material using the full height, 2.35:1 material using the full width and 16:9 material using the whole screen.

You should round the dimensions to a multiple of 8 or 16. So if using mod 8 you would use 432 height and 72 pixels borders not 436/70. Also for the left/right borders many choices here i.e. 152 left, 160 right. 408 width or 160 left and right, 400 width or 152 left and right 416 width.

If you tell us the various sizes and aspect ratios of your material, we will be able give specific advise.

[FlimsyFeet]

All other things being equal, anamorphic video is vertically stretched by 125%, so that's what you need to do to your non-anamorphic video.Thought it was 133%? Unless I'm missing something?

But the simplest way, and to avoid any maths, is to just stretch the non-anamorphic deleted scenes to the same height as the rest of the DVD.

I assume you knwo how to use DGIndex to read the DVD into AviSynth, and how to get AVS scripts into Premiere?

[wonkey_monkey]

Thought it was 133%? Unless I'm missing something?

Oh good grief... sorry about that, you're right. 133%.

David :stupid:

PS:

But the simplest way, and to avoid any maths, is to just stretch the non-anamorphic deleted scenes to the same height as the rest of the DVD.

The non-anamorphic scenes are already the same "height" - they just have bigger black bars top and bottom. You also can't be sure they weren't cropped differently.

David

[FlimsyFeet]

Yes, I meant the height of the active part of the image after cropping the black bars.

It's true that the cropping may be different, but I'm assuming that the aspect ratio wil be similar enough to the main movie to make it not noticeable when viewing. If it does look funny, then he'll have to do some maths and make a compomise.

[spicediver10191]

Thanks everyone for the comments.

I've worked up a line that does the job for me:

Lanczos4Resize(728,652)

I don't see the point of any cropping. Am I correct there?

The above resize matches my non-anamorpic 2.35:1 NTSC source exactly with my 2.35:1 anamorphic NTSC source, iw. no black bars at the sides and thinner black bars at top and bottom.

Of course the footage from my previously non-anamorphic source are now a bit blurrier seeing as its blown up. Any tips on simple Avisynth filters that might sharpen it up a bit?

thanks.