DVD Architect help: 16.9,4x3 setup?

[Simon Denny]

Can someone help me with this?
I’m finishing a job that was shot 12mths ago on a PD170 @ SD 4x3.
I have rendered the thing out via Sony Vegas to a SD 4x3 mpeg as the edit was done in Vegas version 8.
I’m now building a DVD in DVD Architect 4.5 and also have a 16.9 opening menu with buttons etc… once the client selects play, this plays the native 4x3 movie but stretched on a 16.9 TV.
Opening menu is 16.9 for 16.9 TV and will be letter boxed for 4x3 TV.
How can I get the menu to play correct for 16.9 and how can I get the 4x3 to play correctly for 16.9?

Is it possible to mix these two formats or should I just make the DVD menu 4x3 and let the menu stretch when played out on a 16.9 TV.

Does that make sense?

Any ideas?

Cheers

[Bryan Daugherty]

There are basically 3 types of playback possible for each source on the opposing Television and i am not sure if I am following what you are trying to do. So I am going to read this back to you the way I am interpreting it and if you could fill in the blanks that would be great.

Source footage = 4:3 ar
Rendered Mpg = 4:3 ar
Menu design is = 16:9 ar
DVD Arch Project setting is = ??16:9??
Television is = 16:9 ar

You want the menu to play on 16:9 TV in 16:9 (ie no bars, no squeeze) and the 4:3 vid to play on 16:9 TV as...
-Stretch (distorted by stretching to fill the 16:9 TV) or
-Letterbox Columns (long back bars up and down to left and right of 4:3 footage)

You can definitely mix the 2 formats but what do you want it to look like on playback and I can walk you through the settings...

[Simon Denny]

Hi Bryan,
Source footage 4:3
Menu design is 16:9

DVD Arch Project settings is where i'm getting stuck but think I have found the answer as it seems projects settings are only for the DVD menus etc... I could be wrong.
The intended idea was for the menus to be in 16:9 and keep the 4:3 footage (movie) as is and for the intended DVD player and TV to play back at the correct aspect ratio but I dont think this will happen as this DVD will be played back on all sorts of DVD players and TV.

So my best option is either 16:9 menus or 4:3 menus

Regards

[Bryan Daugherty]

Project settings can affect the way your video will be output too, but in my experience your video will conform to your rendering settings from Vegas. Do you know if you checked the box when you rendered that said "Stretch video to fill output frame size?" If unchecked 4:3 footage will stay at 4:3 and 16:9 will stay at 16:9 unless the DVD player is set to override the disc settings.

This brings us to DVD architect. This is an artistic preference. I would recommend 4:3 menus to match the footage you are outputting. This will result in fullscreen menus and video on 4:3 sets and column letterboxing of the menus and video on 16:9 sets. To view this you can use the preview option in DVD architect. You can go to Options->preferences->preview and select aspect ratios under the DVD/player options to preview how it would look on a 4:3 set or 16:9 set. These changes will not affect output of the files but will let you see how it would look on the various sets.

If you choose to use 16:9 menus and 4:3 video then on a 4:3 set the menu will have letterbox bars on the top and bottom and the video will play fullscreen. If you play on a 16:9 set, the menu will be fullscreen and the video will have letterbox columns left and right.

Again the DVD player can be set to override disc settings and many people with 16:9 sets have their player set to 4:3 stretch but this is not something you can adjust for in authoring.

I hope this is helpful, please let us know if you have further questions.

[Bryan Daugherty]

Originally Posted by Simon Ash

… once the client selects play, this plays the native 4x3 movie but stretched on a 16.9 TV. Opening menu is 16.9 for 16.9 TV and will be letter boxed for 4x3 TV. How can I get the menu to play correct for 16.9 and how can I get the 4x3 to play correctly for 16.9?

Going back to your OP, I would imagine that your render did have the stretch box checked and you will need to re-render your video file. If not then you should check the settings on the DVD player to see if it is outputting a 4:3 stream. If you output a 16:9 DVD and the menu played correctly but the video stretched then you need to re-render. IF on the 16:9 set your 16:9 DVD showed letterboxing on the menu and stretched the movie then it is most likely the player settings on the DVD player.

If it is the render then leave the DVD architect settings at 16x9 replace the video file and it should play back as a full screen menu (on a 16x9 set) and a column letterboxed 4x3 video (on a 16X9 set.)

[Simon Denny]

Oh that checked box, stretch video to output frame size. You know I have allways left that ticked if I worked with 16:9.

So Should I uncheck this box?

[Bryan Daugherty]

If you render 4:3 footage with that box checked and play it back on 16:9 the footage will stretch horizontally (everyone gets wider.) If you render 16:9 footage with it checked and playback on 4:3 everyone gets stretched vertically (taller.) Either way the end result is usually less than flattering.

[Simon Denny]

Thanks,
So that box should be left un checked at all times is this correct?
I use FCP and have not used Vegas for a long time and have now forgoten the small things.
I'll do another render and see how it goes.

Thanks for your help.

Regards
Simon

[Bryan Daugherty]

I have yet to find a reason to check it. I am attaching some graphics that illustrate what I was saying earlier.

Edit: I guess if you shot with an anamorphic lens you might check that option but I am at a loss as to why else it would be helpful.

[Simon Denny]

I wonder what this setting is for then (stretch video to output frame size) as I can't find any info on it.
Why would anyone want to stretch the video out to fill, allthough saying this I have had it checked for years.
Thinking about it now I seem to recall that DSE or someone in the know said check this box so I did.

Who knows.

Cheers

[Bryan Daugherty]

I have never found a use for that option but I am sure someone has. Glad to help!