I used Convert X to dvd, to convert a single episode of prison break (avi) to dvd and burn it onto a DVD RW I converted the files using convertx and burned them using Nero express. The quality was quoted as excellent When I played the file using my portable DVD player, conected to my 32" sony WEGA (standard TV), the quality was awesome, but the sides were chopped off a little especially on the right side. It was watchable, but a little irritating (even when I turned Wide mode on, on my TV) I'm new to this program, and after a little searching in the settings, I found that TV screen was set to autoatic. Should I set this to 4:3 Fullscreen, and if I do A- Will the video look fine on my tv?? B- Will the aspect ratio of the file be messed up, as I don't want it to look to stretched Thanks
The same thing used to happen to me when I first started using ConvertXtoDVD. I have the latest version now but they haven't made the settings any more user friendly. If you check the support forums on their website you'll find the same complaints. There are too many settings that affect how the pcture is displayed on your TV. And if you think just setting all to "automatic" will solve every thing, well, think again. After you load your source file check each and every option in the new lefthand settings window. There is a new setting for "cropping" your picture which raises all kinds of confusion. Crop top and bottom, or left and right, or both, or custom, or no crop. How about one big closeup filling your screen. So much for "automatic". Then I downloaded the latest instruction manual (guide) directly from their website which didn't answer any of my questions. Rather than making a pile of coasters I used DVDRW and trial and error until I figured it out. After that all was good. Finally, I just started using TMPGEnc DVD Author 3. More full-featured, better quality encoding (although slower), and much, much, easier. Sorry for being longwinded but ConvertXto DVD, while an excellent program, was a pebble in my shoe.
Thanks for your reply, I'll look into the program you've mentioned. I'm happy with this though, and was just wondering about the fullscreen/widescreen aspect and how the file would look if the original was wide screen and was encoded to fullscreen
widescreen vs fullscreen.. That's a good question. It depends on how the program is set up. Some will use the widescreen as the defining aspect and keep the width standard and add black bars.. others will expand the whole frame and chop the sides off (like pan&scan) and still more will stretch the height while keeping the width the same... making Dame Edna look like Kate Moss only sexier. The first option is the one you want to use if you want correct aspect ratio for 16:9 on a 4:3 display.
Ahh ok I see And how would I go about doing that in ConvertX to DVD?? The reason for asking is that most avi files are widescreen and my TV is fullscreen, so I don't want the files all f*&ked up Thanks
This is getting back to the confusion in the settings. "Fullscreen" is referring to source file aspect ratio and nothing to do with your actual TV screen.
Okay, I also watch my movies on a 32 inch 4:3 aspect ratio "old style" TV that's two years old. I opened up my ConvertXto DVD program to check my saved settings that I know are correct for me (and in this case, you). Open settings window > DVD Specifications Tab > DVD Resolution > Choose Automatic (Based on input resolution.... Aspect Ratio > Choose Widescreen. Now open Video Processing Tab > Video Resize Method > Choose Letterbox (Recommended). The "Video Resize" setting is what I was referring to when I previously mentioned "cropping". Click OK to save your settings and you are good to go. Your video will now be encoded and displayed on your TV the way it was originally (at least from your source). I still like the other program that I mentioned much better and find it curious that it's almost never metioned on Afterdawn except by me. I must be "strange". Hehe.
Thanks for the settings, I'll try them out, and if not I'll kepp messing with them till I get it right Using RW DVDS so......
