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forgot how Compressor makes a “16×9” ntsc dvd
Dumb question, I haven’t done this in a while. What Compressor setting should I use or modify to compress anamorphic video content so that the resulting sd dvd plays it at 16×9 letterbox?
I’m working with a anamorphic Qt master out of an Avid. I used the Compressor preset for DVD 90min best quality which does say 16×9 but the resulting dvd is a squeezed 4×3.
It is Compressor that creates the flag*, yes? It’s not Toast is it?
Pls help, deadline looms. Thanks in advance.
Best,
Paul
* sets the WS bit
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4 Replies
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the M2V file (in NTSC) will be 720×480, whether it’s anamorphic or not. It’s up to the authoring software to put this flag in to tell the DVD player to stretch to 16×9. It’s written in the disc code, not the MPEG-2 stream. Very easy to do in DVD Studio Pro – no idea in Toast.
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It’s a puzzlement but it seems the Compressor preset Best 90min dvd will tell a dvd player to stretch my 4×3 anamorphic video to 16×9. I had started work with a near identical copy of same preset which did not work. Followed by mild panic about missing deadline and resulting confusion.
Thanks,
Paul
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Solution – In the calm after the original deadline haze, I rediscovered what I had forgotten (since it’s been so long since I worked with SD). It would appear that making a copy of the Best Quality 90 dvd preset and making one change in the Encoder panel/Video Format tab does the job. The default has several parameters listed such as Aspect Ratio with a gear icon to the right that is greyed-out. Clicking that icon and making it black (vs grey) will in turn make the default 16:9 black instead of grey. That seems to be all that is needed to ensure that players will display the anamorphic source file I’m using Compressor to encode as 16×9. BTW I do the actual burn with Toast, no adjustments and presto. However it’s worth noting that using the default Best Quality 90 dvd preset with result in a squeezed 4×3 dvd playback. Do I know how this adjustment works “under the hood”… no, but it works.
A secondary question… does anyone know of a Mac dvd player app that can do the 16×9 stretch? I tried VLC, which will do the stretch but can’t see to deinterlace the playback and looks cruddy. (I ask because I can do a fast analog-out real-time copy to a Pioneer dvd burner that can’t flag for 16×9 playback)
Thanks,
Paul
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[Paul Dougherty] “I can do a fast analog-out real-time copy to a Pioneer dvd burner that can’t flag for 16×9 playback”
Another solution – do that, and then rip the contents to a VIDEO_TS folder on your Mac. Then use MyDVDEdit to alter the 16×9 flag, burn another one, and you’ve got an anamorphic DVD.
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