Aspect ratio problems in Maestro

[Peach]

Hi guys,

I am having some weird aspect ratio problems with certain DVD's I burn to DVD-R. The ones I can copy 1:1 and the ones that I re-encode with CCE all look fine, but I get problems when using the original streams from the DVD. I did a search but I couldn't find anything about that sort of problems, only cce encode problems.

I use Maestro to author the DVD, which all works fine. But what aspect ratio do I need to pick when using the original untouched videostream from the DVD?? When I pick 4.3 the image will get stretched to much vertical, so that's a no-go.

When I pick 16.9 LB/PS it looks good on my PC using powerDVD, same as the original but when I put the burned disc into my standalone, the borders of the original are gone and I get a fullscreen picture which looks like it is zoomed in and you don't see the whole picture. It seems the sides aren't completey on screen.

When I pick 16.9 LB I just get a really small movie with about 2/3 of the screen being a black border, stretched horizontal.

I don't remember what I get when trying 16.9 PS, but is that the option I should use?

I read in another topic you should use 16.9 letterboxed for anamorphic DVD's... , are that the ones that are 2.35?

Anyway, I am a bit confused. 4.3 ones work great but I never know which one to select for 16.9 DVD's. 1.85 , 2.35, whats the difference?

So basicly my question is: What aspect ratio should I use in Maestro when using the original videostream ripped from the original source?

It's getting really annoying to keep compiling again and again in Maestro, think you got it right and then find out it still doesn't look good on your TV

The most recent movie I tried and gave me this problem was 1.85:1

Thnx alot :)

[Zeppeliner]

If the movie is 16:9 or 2.35:1 then use 16:9 Letterbox (not LB/P&s)

[derekz]

hi
i'm using Maestro

what's the difference from

16:9 pan&scan
16:9 letter box
16:9 letterbox/pan&scan

thx for help

[Matthew]

Originally posted by Zeppeliner
If the movie is 16:9 or 2.35:1 then use 16:9 Letterbox (not LB/P&s)

Not necessarily Zepp, sometimes pan and scan information is included, e.g. I recent reauthored The Closet after extracting the m2v. The video is 16:9 (2.35:1) but has pan and scan information incorporated. When set to 16:9 LB/P&S, it looks different - and works fine - in each of my player's modes - widescreen, letterbox and pan & scan.

Sorry to the original poster, I know this post is a tangent ;)

A wild guess, perhaps you could try running the video stream through pulldown, e.g. strip it of flags, set the aspect ratio to 16:9...just a stab in the dark...

[Matthew]

derekz, here is an except from the Maestro help file, in case you misplaced it =)

----

4:3

Choose this option for 4:3 content. In this case, when viewed on a 4:3 TV, the video content will fill the entire 4:3 picture frame. When viewed on a 16:9 TV, the video image will be centered with black frames to the left and the right of the image.

16:9 Letterbox

Many DVD-Video titles offer what’s known as a "16:9 Widescreen" format. Here, when viewed on a 4:3 TV, the video content will be framed or "letterboxed" with black bands above and below it. When viewed on a 16:9 TV, the video content will fill the entire 16:9 picture frame.
If you select the 16:9 Letterbox option, then end-users who are using 4:3 TVs will only be able to view the current DVD Movie in letterbox mode — regardless of whether the video content is Pan-Scan-encoded (as described next) or whether end-users have set their DVD players to view 16:9 material in 16:9 Pan-Scan mode.

16:9 Pan-Scan

A rarely used option for working with 16:9 material is to encode it with "pan-scan" vector information. (This must be done during the video encoding process.) 16:9 Pan-Scan is a compromise approach to viewing 16:9 material on a 4:3 TV — where some information normally on the sides of the video frame are cut off so that the video content can fill the entire 4:3 picture frame without any letterboxes.
With 16:9 Pan-Scan, the video content will behave as normal when viewed on a 16:9 TV and will fill the entire 16:9 picture frame. When viewed on a 4:3 TV, however, the content will pan and scan so that the "action" area is what fills the entire 4:3 picture frame — assuming, of course, that the content has been encoded with the pan-scan vector information. This is a feature rarely, if ever, seen on an encoder.

(Typically, the action area is the center of the 16:9 image. However, there are times when the action area — such as a character speaking — is off to one side of the video frame. In this case, by panning and scanning during the encoding process, the action area won’t be cut off from view.)
If you select the 16:9 Pan-Scan option, then end-users who are using 4:3 TVs will only be able to view the current DVD Movie in full-screen mode — even if end-users have set their DVD players to view 16:9 material in 16:9 Letterbox mode.

Note: If you choose the 16:9 Pan-Scan option and the content is not pan-scan vector encoded, then only the upper-left area of the video image will be seen during playback. In other words, only choose the 16:9 Pan-Scan option if the content is pan-scan vector encoded.

16:9 LB/PS (16:9 Letterbox/Pan-Scan)

If you select this other rarely used option — and the 16:9 content has pan-scan information — then end-users who are using 4:3 TVs will be able to choose for themselves whether 16:9 material is presented in letterbox or full-screen (pan-scan) modes. This selection is made by each end-user as a preferred viewing mode with his or her DVD player.
Note: If the end-user selects Pan-Scan as the viewing preference for his or her DVD player and the content is not Pan-Scan vector encoded, then only the upper-left area of the video image will be seen during playback. In other words, only choose the 16:9 LB/PS option if the content is pan-scan vector-encoded.

Copyright © 2000 Spruce Technologies, Inc

----

BTW AFAIK the pan and scan mode isn't true pan and scan in the sense that the hardcoded black bars remain. So there are still black bars present on a 4:3 television in P&S mode, but they are the same size as those that appear on a 16:9 television. In the case of 1:85 movies these are practically non-existent but they are not insignificant for 2.35:1 movies.

[011]

Well said Matthew :)

I guess nothing more to say 'bout it :) Maybe just a hint to Peach would be to check the original IFO information and to set the aspect ratio accordingly. When you open the movie's VOB.IFO you can find out the aspect ratio info.

[Peach]

Allright, I'll do that the next time :)
thnx guys :)