squashed HDTV Vertically

[hammond]

I have been using VisionPlus software to play back recordings from a VisionPlus HDTV DVB card , and this works well. I just gave a copy of an mpg recoding on CD to a friend of a show I had recorded in SD 16:9, 720x576, when he played it in MPv9, the aspect ratio was more like 14:9 (squashed Vertically) it was the same in his and my DVD player, I got the same results in my MPv10 and my MPv9. I then done some editing in VirtulDub that shows it as being in 720x576, but it is still squashed horizontally in everything other than VP, is there a recording setting I have missed in VisionPlus or can I correct this in VirtulDub?

Hamm

[nexx]

With the exception of Channel 9 HD, all Australian digital television is anamorphic. The VisionPlus software is stretching the movie to 1024x576 to get the desired 16:9 result, most other players should honour the aspect flag and do the same (Windows Media Player doesnt).

[hammond]

Thanks for the prompt reply, I think I will have to resize in VirtulDub, since even when I burn DVDs and play them the aspect is wrong and still squashed, if I use VirtulDub to resize what do I resize too? Since VirtulDub reports that the stream is 720x576?

[Ishan]

Just use a real media player like Media Player Classic wich include integrated mpeg1/2/AC3/DTS decoders and respect the ratio flag.

[hammond]

Originally posted by Ishan
Just use a real media player like Media Player Classic wich include integrated mpeg1/2/AC3/DTS decoders and respect the ratio flag. Thanks Nexx and Ishan, My DVD player/VCR combo does not have a computer attached to it, so I am unable to run any external software on it like Media Player; it has all the most resent updates loaded in to the BIOS, I think I will have to change the recorded ratio in VirualDub to 720x476? or 826x576?, I just want to find out what VP is setting it to so that I can exactly correct it,

[Ishan]

You want to play those back on a DVD player? If it doesn't respect the ratio flag it's going to be a problem :|
most, if not all mpeg2 encoder are limited to max 720*576 (CCE included).Most of the DVB streams out there aren't dvd compliant so the best thing would be to reencode the mpeg2 file to dvd specs (for you 720x576 16/9) and it'll set the ratio flag nicely.

You can use HC wich is a free and very good mpeg2 encoder (available in this forum in the mepg2 encoder section) but you'll have to learn how to use avisynth with DGmpgdec first (looks on Doom9 tutorial section). Then use an authoring program to get a fully compliant dvd.

Sorry if i'm not that clear :)

[hammond]

thanks for the help guys, I played around with VirtualDub and found resizing (by eye) to 916x576 gives about the right ratio, does anyone know if 916 is correct?

[hammond]

I think I have figured this out now, someone correct me if I am wrong. Anamorphic is square pixels stretched to 16:9 (4:3 as a fraction ratio) the square pixels (4:4 as a fraction) are stretched on screen/are 720x576 (4:3) there for 720/3=240, and 240*4=960, so it should be changed to 960?