Aspect ratio question

[Flub]

I'm in the UK and I'm currently capturing via a Sky+ sat box and then exporting to DVDRW onto a Lite-on DVDR5005 dvd recorder. Then editing the video on my PC.

I have a problem though. No matter what I do the video is always 4:3. Even with all the hardware set to 16:9 the video never has that aspect ratio.

Has anyone else encountered this problem?

[Lester Burnham]

I'm in the UK and I'm currently capturing via a Sky+ sat box and then exporting to DVDRW onto a Lite-on DVDR5005 dvd recorder. Then editing the video on my PC.

I have a problem though. No matter what I do the video is always 4:3. Even with all the hardware set to 16:9 the video never has that aspect ratio.

Has anyone else encountered this problem?

When you say never has that aspect ratio?

Do you mean the file as an mpeg?

VideoReDo can alter the aspect ratio in the headers as can dvdpatcher.

If, however, you mean that the full 4:3 frame is used to store an anamorphic 16:9 signal then that's also true - the header(s) in the file, or part of the line signal in the broadcast, is meant to tell receiving devices that it's actually a widescreen signal, and the extra anamorphic information is there to increase the vertical definition, and that the picture should be vertically squashed (or horizontally stretched, depending on how you look at it ;-)) when viewed.

[pii]

Can someone say how many pixels there is in a tv-program (PAL) which has the aspect ratio

a) 4:3

a1) horizontally (from left to right)
a2) vertically (from top to bottom)

b) 16:9

b1) horizontally (from left to right)
b2) vertically (from top to bottom)

And what happens, when the b-program is seen TV which is 4:3? How many pixels you see (c1 = from left to right, c2 = from top to bottom)?

Try answer without using the word "anamorphic" (that means your's answer is too difficult for me...). Can you answer by using only numbers (a1 = ?, a2 = ?, b1 = ?, b2 = ?, c1 = ? and c2 = ?)?

[DanR]

The usual PAL recording resolution for standard definition TV is 720x576, regardless of the aspect ratio. The digital output device (TV set, DVD player, etc.) scales the picture according to the aspect ratio.

However, the 720x576 is not a hard and fast dimension. It can be just about anything so long as each dimension is divisible by 16. Its the responsibility of the digital to analog decoder to scale the picture.

[Lester Burnham]

The usual PAL recording resolution for standard definition TV is 720x576, regardless of the aspect ratio. The digital output device (TV set, DVD player, etc.) scales the picture according to the aspect ratio.

However, the 720x576 is not a hard and fast dimension. It can be just about anything so long as each dimension is divisible by 16. Its the responsibility of the digital to analog decoder to scale the picture.

And further to what Dan has said, the DVD spec, is quite restrictive on the permitted resolutions.

_But_ (there's always a but, ain't there...), depending on the source aspect ratio, it's perfectly possible for that 720x576 to either be made up of some black framing borders (slight with 1.85:1, more with 2.35:1) _or_ additional lines encoded, skewing the absolute aspect ratio, due to it being an anamorphic picture.

Sorry, but it's difficult to ignore or not use the word, because so much stuff is either broadcast, or distributed as anamorphic, so the source encoded resolution, may not necessarily betray the true aspect ratio, because if the picture signal tells the display-ing hardware it's anamorphic, then the hardware re-arranges the aspect ratio to benefit from it.

[Anonymous]

TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6 says that all my recordings are 704x576, not 720. Who has stolen 16x576 pixels from me?

It was a surprising information (to me) that the resolution is always same. That means the 16:9 picture has lower quality than 4:3 because it shows more with same number of pixels?

[Lester Burnham]

TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6 says that all my recordings are 704x576, not 720. Who has stolen 16x576 pixels from me?

It was a surprising information (to me) that the resolution is always same. That means the 16:9 picture has lower quality than 4:3 because it shows more with same number of pixels?

704 is NTSC width.

720 is PAL.

As to the quality, it will depend on the aspec ratio, as to what provides more information from the original visuals.

And anamorphic transfers messes with this a bit, anyways.

[bitter_old_man]

Both NTSC and PAL can have a width of 704 (or 720).

Barry

[Lester Burnham]

Both NTSC and PAL can have a width of 704 (or 720).

Barry

Can, but not necessarily are.

I've got hundreds of DVDs. I haven't encountered a PAL DVD (that I've inspected) that's 704.

And the DVDs I have encountered that are 704 are NTSC.

Now I'm not saying you can't have examples of either - but as a generalism, what I wrote holds true.

DVDs could theoretically be something other than D1, too.

[Tudor]

I process a lot of DVB/T (Freeview) programs with VideoReDo and have found different channels on different MUXs use various ratios, nearly all display as 16:9 but I have found the following:

BBC1/2 720 x 576
ITV3 544 x 576
4 544 x 576
E4 544 x 576
E4+1 720 x 576

All playback fine through my MediaMVP, but when I cut the 544 x 576 to DVD with TMPGEnc I have to use DVDPatch on them before opening and then patch back to the original while TMPGEnc has them open. All these then play ok in my Panasonic DVD recorder.

[Anonymous]

PAL DVB-T recordings, Hauppauge Nova-T, Finland (YLE1, YLE2, MTV3, Nelonen, SubTV, ...) - all 704 x 576 says TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6!