4:3 Aspect Ratio Issues

[Stephen H]

I am having trouble with the aspect ratio of standard 4:3 video. Recently, whenever I burn a disc or create a disc image from standard video, be it in iMovie or QuickTime, the image does not fill the "window", either on the computer or on the television. There are black bars a the top and bottom of the screen. Toast is set to 4:3 aspect ratio. Nothing seems to be missing from the picture and it is not stretched out to 16:9. Rather, it seems to be slightly compressed vertically. If I create a disc using the same video in iDVD it comes out fine, filling the screen as it should.

 

Toast did not start doing this until recently but I can find no setting that I can change to fix it. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

 

[tsantee]

Thanks for the reply. I always use automatic encoding at the highest quality. So I should use custom? Do I need to change anything besides aspect ratio to get the same quality as automatic but with the proper aspect ratio?

 

These are iMovie projects, standard video that fills the whole iMovie window. I assume that is 720 x 480. I can't find where Toast tells me what it thinks the source resolution is. Dumb me guess.

 

Thanks for your help.

Is there any chance that when starting your iMovie project that you selected widescreen rather than standard aspect ratio? I don't know why Toast isn't automatically getting this right. Are you adding your iMovie project via the Toast Media Browser as recommended?

 

As for the settings in the custom encoder window you probably can increase the average bit rate. If the video is less than 70 minutes choose 8 mbps, if up to 95 minutes choose 6 mbps, if up to 140 minutes choose 4 mbps presuming the audio is set for 192 kbps. For highest quality put a check next to Half-pel. I suggest saving as a disc image.

 

Toast shows the video specs in small text just below the title when you add it to the video window. It also pops up when you place the cursor over the title in the Media Browser.

[Stephen H]

Is there any chance that when starting your iMovie project that you selected widescreen rather than standard aspect ratio? I don't know why Toast isn't automatically getting this right. Are you adding your iMovie project via the Toast Media Browser as recommended?

 

As for the settings in the custom encoder window you probably can increase the average bit rate. If the video is less than 70 minutes choose 8 mbps, if up to 95 minutes choose 6 mbps, if up to 140 minutes choose 4 mbps presuming the audio is set for 192 kbps. For highest quality put a check next to Half-pel. I suggest saving as a disc image.

 

Toast shows the video specs in small text just below the title when you add it to the video window. It also pops up when you place the cursor over the title in the Media Browser.

 

 

Thanks again. IMovie project is definitely 4x3. Like I mentioned, the image Toast creates is not stretched out like a 16x9 letterbox, it is slightly vertically compressed, there are relatively small black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, or window in DVD player. I've tried to compare frames in iMovie and DVD player and can find no parts of the picture.

 

When I place my cursor over the title in the media browser all that pops up is that it is an iMovie project. That is also all that shows in the Toast window. I use the media browser to add the project.

 

Thanks for the info on the custom settings. That is what I surmised, but wasn't sure. I did a test this morning using the default custom settings except I put aspect ratio at 4x3. Same result.

 

This is very frustrating. Toast used to work just fine, this never happened. Now, for some reason, it has started happening.

 

I bought Toast from the Roxio site, so I don't have a disc. Maybe I need to reinstall. I wonder how I can do that?

 

 

[Stephen H]

Thanks again. IMovie project is definitely 4x3. Like I mentioned, the image Toast creates is not stretched out like a 16x9 letterbox, it is slightly vertically compressed, there are relatively small black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, or window in DVD player. I've tried to compare frames in iMovie and DVD player and can find no parts of the picture.

 

When I place my cursor over the title in the media browser all that pops up is that it is an iMovie project. That is also all that shows in the Toast window. I use the media browser to add the project.

 

Thanks for the info on the custom settings. That is what I surmised, but wasn't sure. I did a test this morning using the default custom settings except I put aspect ratio at 4x3. Same result.

 

This is very frustrating. Toast used to work just fine, this never happened. Now, for some reason, it has started happening.

 

I bought Toast from the Roxio site, so I don't have a disc. Maybe I need to reinstall. I wonder how I can do that?

 

 

Interestingly, I do have a disc for Toast 6, so I installed it amd gave it a try. The aspect ratio came out perfectly. So something is apparently wrong with my Toast 8 package.

[tsantee]

Before reinstalling I'd trash the Toast plist and prefs files in the User>Library>Preferences folder and then relaunch Toast 8 to see if that fixes this issue. Reinstalling Toast is the same process except you also drag the Toast folder in your Applications to the trash and drag in a new Toast folder from the mounted Toast disc image.

[Stephen H]

Before reinstalling I'd trash the Toast plist and prefs files in the User>Library>Preferences folder and then relaunch Toast 8 to see if that fixes this issue. Reinstalling Toast is the same process except you also drag the Toast folder in your Applications to the trash and drag in a new Toast folder from the mounted Toast disc image.

 

Thanks, I'll give that a try. Another dumb question. Mounted Toast disc image? Are you talking about from a new download? That is actually my question, how would I get a new download? Sorry to be such a bother. First I'll try the pislt and pref files.

 

 

 

[Stephen H]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. Another dumb question. Mounted Toast disc image? Are you talking about from a new download? That is actually my question, how would I get a new download? Sorry to be such a bother. First I'll try the pislt and pref files.

 

Apparently installing Toast 6 fixed the problem with Toast 8. Maybe it corrected the pilst and pref files. Whatever the reason, Toast 8 now seems to be working. Strange and odd. Hopefully it will last.

 

Thanks for trying to help me. I do appreciate it.

 

 

[tsantee]

Apparently installing Toast 6 fixed the problem with Toast 8. Maybe it corrected the pilst and pref files. Whatever the reason, Toast 8 now seems to be working. Strange and odd. Hopefully it will last.

 

Thanks for trying to help me. I do appreciate it.

It must have been one of those files. Glad you have it working again.

[Stephen H]

It must have been one of those files. Glad you have it working again.

 

Well, I spoke too soon. The problem is back. I'm clueless.

 

 

[tsantee]

In the Toast Custom encoder window there is an aspect ratio setting that by default is Automatic. There also is a 4:3 and 16:9 setting. You should use the 4:3 setting. What does Toast describe the resolution of the source videos as being (such as 720x480)?

[Stephen H]

In the Toast Custom encoder window there is an aspect ratio setting that by default is Automatic. There also is a 4:3 and 16:9 setting. You should use the 4:3 setting. What does Toast describe the resolution of the source videos as being (such as 720x480)?

 

Thanks for the reply. I always use automatic encoding at the highest quality. So I should use custom? Do I need to change anything besides aspect ratio to get the same quality as automatic but with the proper aspect ratio?

 

These are iMovie projects, standard video that fills the whole iMovie window. I assume that is 720 x 480. I can't find where Toast tells me what it thinks the source resolution is. Dumb me guess.

 

Thanks for your help.