Force 16:9 aspect ratio for video file

[dvasco]

My assumption is that all material arriving from an analog source is 4:3, and either the broadcaster or set top box has added the black bars top+bottom to make sure the 4:3 picture they supplied has the correct aspect ratio.

No, there is an option in HD settop boxes to ouput 16:9 or 4:3 regardless which connection type is used.

[mvallevand]

Your capture card is 4:3 though. If you want the highest use 16x9 and keep the quality, I'd suspect you'd need to use a program like DVDPatcher http://www.videohelp.com/tools/DVDPatcher to change the aspect ratio flag.

Martin

[sub]

Yep, Martin is correct. All analog capture cards deliver 4:3. If your set top box is outputting an anamorphic picture (ie, 16:9 source frame filling a 4:3 stream), then you could use DVDPatcher to update the headers inside the file to mark it as 16:9.

[dvasco]

I understood all along that the analog capture cards deliver 4:3. Unless there is a way to use DVDPatcher in postprocessing it won't help me. I knew of the program before starting the thread. All I am trying to do is get the same functionality on the PCH as I get with GBPVR, which is force letterbox.

The following are pics of 16:9 source 4:3 output and stretched back into 16:9 with fill or auto, stretched out even more with letterbox, and squished 4:3 with pillarbox.

[sub]

All I am trying to do is get the same functionality on the PCH as I get with GBPVR, which is force letterbox.

Unfortunately I dont have any control over the aspect ratio on the PCH. Martin might have some tricks for you though.

[dvasco]

ok, thanks again for replying.

[mvallevand]

I must be dense, because even with the show & tell on the 16x9 monitor, I still have no idea what the problem is and what you want to achieve. What you show in the pillar box view on a 16x9 monitor would be the default on a 4:3 monitor,without the pillars.

Perhaps if you upload a 20MB sample mpg file to megaupload we can be on the same wavelength.

Martin

[dvasco]

It might take me few days to get the clip up. I've been busy. You are correct, how it looks in the pillar box view is how it looks on the 4:3 set. What I would like to have is a letterbox option on the PCH so it no longer looks squished.

[mvallevand]

If you force GBPVR on your desktop into SD with this config.xml setting

InternalRenderResolution>704x480</InternalRenderResolution>

and set the aspect ratio to 4:3, can you do what you want using Windows?

Martin

[dvasco]

Martin, I finally had time to upload a video. I PM'd the link to you. This was a 16:9 source to Hauppauge 4:3 Svideo. Fill or Auto on a 16:9 monitor will show it in it's original 16:9 form. I would like to get it to be letterboxed on a 4:3 TV with a PCH.
I still haven't had time to test the last thing you mentioned but I don't believe that would help.