dvd authoring/encoding help (mostly with tmpgenc but other questions too)

hey guys i have a few issues i'm wondering you can help me with..

i've made a 30min photo slideshow with windows movie maker.. the resolution is 1024x576 pal (i used a custom profile to encode it in that reso)

i've been using a number of dvd authoring programs: roxio mydvd (version 10 i think, it came with roxio creator 2009 ultimate), tmpgenc authoring works 4, tmpgenc xpress 4 and dvd flick

with all programs.. the resulting quality is nowhere as sharp as the original 250mb wmv.. they're all in 720x576 (AR 16:9) reso.. it's like the pictures have been resized down and then interpolated up.. and u can tell from the edges that they're jagged, kinda like turning off anti-aliasing in games.. now is it just cos of the way mpeg2 is with it's conversion process? i have screenshot them both using MPC's save image function but it doesnt show the difference in quality.. u can definitely see it only on playback

also, out of the all the programs, i would like to use tmpgenc as it looks the best (relatively speaking) but then i have issues with them:

* when i use tmpgenc authoring works 4, if i don't choose the "automatic smart rendering prioritized" setting for the video encoding ie if i choose "re-encode all videos as below" (i choose this cos i can then change the bitrates) i get an error saying something about the GOP length is too long.. i can ignore it but then when i playback the resulting vob files in MPC, when i skip to certain parts of the video, the scene doesn't change.. so i don't know if that will also happen on a dvd player.. tmpgenc xpress 4 does not have this problem
* the problem with both xpress 4 and authoring works 4 is that in one scene which i have a full widescreen picture.. they both encode 2 small blackbars on the left and right side instead of going all the way to the edge.. i have tried selecting the source as pixel 1:1 (square) and display 16:9 but it doesn't make a difference.. xpress 4 format is set to 16:9, authoring works 4 is set to Letterbox. mydvd and dvd flick do not do this! here is a screenie of tmpgenc (the screenie ends up being saved in 720x576 unfortunately and i cbf to resize but u get what i mean anyways)... here is the original from the wmv

ps tmpgenc 2.5 free doesn't have any of the problems listed above

hope you guys can help

 

perhaps it's worth trying Avisynth to do the resize:
LanczosResize(720,576)
or Lanczos4Resize(720,576) - which may give a very slightly sharper
image (if that's your concern).

Then open the avi script in Tmpgenc xpress.
I don't think it will fix the bars at the side - (not sure why it's doing it. Are they visible on the TV?) My guess is the bars are 8
pixels each, which gives you 704*576

If you don't get a further response, I've got Tmpgenc xpress 3.
I'll give it a try tomorrow.

 

In Tmpgenc 3 you can do it.
Choose Pal 16/9 as the source aspect ratio and it eliminates
the small black bars.