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vlc aspect ratio

T

Tech198

Cancelled
Original poster
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
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Hi all..

When i creating video dvd's in Toast, and viewing them in VLC, the aspect ratio is way off..

Yet when viewed same DVD in DVD player its fine in 16:9... Aspect ratio in VLC clearly shows this.

I didn't resize the window, it starts playing at this size. And its not the first time i noticed this, when the DVD clearly plays in full screen by default. In all cases, the Aspect Ratio set by Toast, when creating, and VLC (when play back) is "Auto"

I often wonder why this happens only in VLC.
 

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MisterMe

MisterMe

macrumors G4
Jul 17, 2002
10,709
69
USA
The following applied specifically to DVDs in the NTSC format, but other formats have similar considerations. These DVDs use a 720x480 pixel map irrespective of the intended aspect ratio of the display.

In the case of 4:3 aspect ratio content, the 720 horizontal pixels must be squeezed into the space of 640 horizontal pixels. As a result, the displayed pixels are rectangular and oriented in portrait mode. They are "tall."

In the case of 16:9 aspect ratio content, the 720 horizontal pixels must be stretched to fill the space of 853 horizontal pixels. As a result, the displayed pixels are rectangular and oriented in landscape mode. They are "wide."

What you are seeing is completely normal.
 
S

spacepower7

macrumors 68000
May 6, 2004
1,509
1
What was the original source of the video? Somewhere between the original file, Toast conversion, and VLC, your Pixel Aspect Ratio aka PAR got screwed up.

The DVD is in the PAL format but what format was the original video?
 
T

Tech198

Cancelled
Original poster
Mar 21, 2011
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spacepower7 said:
What was the original source of the video? Somewhere between the original file, Toast conversion, and VLC, your Pixel Aspect Ratio aka PAR got screwed up.

The DVD is in the PAL format but what format was the original video?
Click to expand...

Just an update on this. the original movie (in mp4) on HD plays fine in VLC... No shrinking, or anything... Its only when converted to DVD.

I think NTSC,,, However even if it was my TV Settings in Toast are set to "PAL" which they are, and if the video is in a different aspect ratio, then toast alerts me "This video is in a different format, "Write Pal" or "Write NTSC", in which i always leave it in its default format..
 
S

spacepower7

macrumors 68000
May 6, 2004
1,509
1
Tech198 said:
Just an update on this. the original movie (in mp4) on HD plays fine in VLC... No shrinking, or anything... Its only when converted to DVD.

I think NTSC,,, However even if it was my TV Settings in Toast are set to "PAL" which they are, and if the video is in a different aspect ratio, then toast alerts me "This video is in a different format, "Write Pal" or "Write NTSC", in which i always leave it in its default format..
Click to expand...

The problem could be that the PAR is set incorrectly in the mp4 and VLC/QuickTime ignore it?

I've had videos mkv/mp4 from friends playback like goofy in VLC but playback fine in QuickTime. And vice versa. It usually was a problem with their MKV/MP4 encoder. Toast could amplify that problem by misinterpreting the PAR.

Is the original file from DVD or BluRay?
 
T

Tech198

Cancelled
Original poster
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
spacepower7 said:
The problem could be that the PAR is set incorrectly in the mp4 and VLC/QuickTime ignore it?

I've had videos mkv/mp4 from friends playback like goofy in VLC but playback fine in QuickTime. And vice versa. It usually was a problem with their MKV/MP4 encoder. Toast could amplify that problem by misinterpreting the PAR.

Is the original file from DVD or BluRay?
Click to expand...

It was acquired by "other sources" .. I think you know what that means. SO, i dunno.... I guess at some point it would have had to be DVD. Its a 198x movie. The quality looks too good to be from VHS.
 
S

spacepower7

macrumors 68000
May 6, 2004
1,509
1
Tech198 said:
It was acquired by "other sources" .. I think you know what that means. SO, i dunno.... I guess at some point it would have had to be DVD. Its a 198x movie. The quality looks too good to be from VHS.
Click to expand...

OK
IIRC (which I may be totally wrong) if the source is DVD. DVDs use non-square pixels. NTSC uses slightly vertical rectangles while PAL uses slightly horizontal rectangles? The PAR seems like it is converted twice in your screenshot, that's why it is so vertical?
 
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