[ccslantern]

Combining Widescreen Format and Normal format

I am creating a video/photo movie project with both normal format videos and widescreen format videos. (I was given an Everio camcorder half-way through the year.) I found info on changing the .mov files to .mpg files by changing the extension so that Easy Media Creator would recognize them. My project so far had been created with the normal format and I was just going to live with the squished widescreen clips until I stumbled upon SDCopy. I used SDCopy to convert the files properly and they look wonderful in MyDVD preview; however, after burning the DVD and previewing the disk, my widescreen videos start out looking OK (proportional with black bars on the top and bottom of screen) but 1 or 2 seconds into the clip, they switch to squished normal format and stay that way till the last 1 or 2 seconds of clip, then switch back to widescreen. Any clue on how to remedy this? This happens on both the laptop dvd player and on a regular dvd player.

All of my VideoWave files were created in normal format and I can't see any easy way to convert them to widescreen within VideoWave. If I bring them into MyDVD by adding new movie and changing it's format to widescreen, then when I preview, my photos and normal format video clips stay normal format with black bars along the sides, my overlays stay normal format with background colors filling the screen, and the widescreen clips fill the screen (all is proportional-but very ugly). Since the majority of my items are normal format, I really don't want to convert all of my stuff to widescreen (which would probably mean REALLY starting over....ugh!

I'm burning the movie to a disk image and then using Video/Copy and Convert to burn the actual DVD. What is causing this format switch on the DVD, but not in MyDVD preview?

[Jim_Hardin]

Nothing in the software can change that, the problem is in the source files from your camcorder…

JVC knew this years ago when they decided to ignore the Standards – Here

[ccslantern]

Jim

It was your post that led me to sdcopy. I've used sdcopy on my .mov files and all looks as it should within MyDVD, but when playing the burned DVD, I get the above described problem. (switching from "widescreen" to "normal" back to "widescreen". I admit that I ran sdcopy on the files that I had already changed the extension from .mov to .mpg. Should I have run sdcopy on fresh versions? or is my experience typical with no "fix" and I should just forget sdcopy altogether, living with a squished version of my video clip? At least that way there is no annoying bouncing back a forth between the two types of format.

[Jim_Hardin]

I am sorry, I really didn't read your first post closely enough, my bad!

If I am reading it right, your MOD modified clips are going from widescreen to 4:3 while it is playing???

You have a good theory, that the SDcopy program needs to operate on MOV files. Can you test that? (I do not know)

I am only now starting to dabble in widescreen and not doing all that well… But I am thinking that a Plan B would be to use VideoWave and to place a color panel in the Video Track then add your unconverted widescreen clip as an Overlay. You can adjust it to fit to suit your preference.

Then just do a Save As (dmsm) and add that dmsm to MyDVD.

Get an RW disc or 2 to play with this. I will also point your problem out to Gary and see if he has some better ideas for you.

[ggrussell]

It was your post that led me to sdcopy. I've used sdcopy on my .mov files and all looks as it should within MyDVD,

Did you mean .MOD? I have made several DVDs wtih Everio files and haven't seen this problem. When you used SDCopy, you had the option checked to fix the widscreen flag? That is all I do and it has always worked for me. If you check that link again, there is an updated version of SDCopy (Oct2008).

Since you want to keep most of your stuff 4:3, you should start with Videowave and create a 4:3 production. Add your still images, 4:3 video and 16:9 video. Then edit, add transitions, etc. Save the production file. Then add that production file to a MyDVD project to burn to disc or ISO.

The 16:9 source files should have black bars on the top and bottom. The black bars will be encoded in the video to make it 4:3 so there should be no 'squeezing' when you get to those.

[ccslantern]

If I am reading it right, your MOD modified clips are going from widescreen to 4:3 while it is playing???

Yes, only on the burned dvd - it bounces from WS to 4:3 and back to WS for each individual clip, preview within Videowave and MyDVD play as should (with black bars at top and bottom all durning the clip)

You have a good theory, that the SDcopy program needs to operate on MOV files. Can you test that? (I do not know)

I plan to do that on my next go around.

Get an RW disc or 2 to play with this.

Ok, here's a "duh" moment for me....what a good idea to use an RW disc for test drives. That way you don't waste several disks getting your project just right....sheesh!

[malatekid]

Get an RW disc or 2 to play with this.

Ok, here's a "duh" moment for me....what a good idea to use an RW disc for test drives. That way you don't waste several disks getting your project just right....sheesh!

Or

Burn your test video to a DVD-video folder set first in your hard drive. Then check it out using Cineplayer. If that appears ok, then burn the DVD-video folder set to your RW so you can test it on your stand-alone DVD player.

[ccslantern]

Did you mean .MOD?

Yup. That's what happens when typing from memory.

When you used SDCopy, you had the option checked to fix the widscreen flag? That is all I do and it has always worked for me. If you check that link again, there is an updated version of SDCopy (Oct2008).

I have the updated version and yes I did check fix the widescreen flag. However, I ran SDcopy on files where I had already manually changed the extension from .mod to .mpg.

Since you want to keep most of your stuff 4:3, you should start with Videowave and create a 4:3 production. Add your still images, 4:3 video and 16:9 video. Then edit, add transitions, etc. Save the production file. Then add that production file to a MyDVD project to burn to disc or ISO.

The 16:9 source files should have black bars on the top and bottom. The black bars will be encoded in the video to make it 4:3 so there should be no 'squeezing' when you get to those.

This is the process that I have been doing. I just heard back from the Techies and they had some suggestions for me. Like updating Direct X and my video drivers and disabling my startup items, which I admit that I forgot to do this last time. I'll post back with the results. Fingers crossed everyone!