Wrong DVD Aspect Ratio

gumshoepaul wrote on 8/6/2012, 12:36 AM
I have searched the forums, as well as other places on the internet, and I can not find a solution to this problem.

I uploaded a 16:9 video into DVD Architect. I created menus and special features, and chapter markers without any problems. I selected "stretch to frame" for the main menu background photo, and it fits perfectly.

When I view the DVD "Preview" everything works perfect. All background pictures and videos run with the correct 16:9 aspect.

The problem is... when I transfer it to a DVD all the video and background pictures are squeezed to 4:3 format. Why won't they keep the 16:9 aspect ratio that it is set for?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I already burned 3 DVDs, trying different menu options each time, and all 3 DVDs came out with the wrong aspect ratio.

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 8/6/2012, 12:46 AM
Silly question. Are your DVD Architect Project Properties set for the correct output?
PeterDuke wrote on 8/6/2012, 1:39 AM
Normally, the aspect ratio displayed on a TV from a DVD player is set by the remote control for the TV. What happens if you change that?
Former user wrote on 8/6/2012, 7:30 AM
Make sure that your DVD is set to play out Widescreen. Do you have a 16x9 TV?

Dave T2
gumshoepaul wrote on 8/6/2012, 8:41 PM
If i adjust the settings on my TV it will look fine, but it won't play the correct aspect ratio on my computer. I also wanted to make copies of the DVDs, to give to the people that were involved in the movie. But I don't want to give them a copy of a DVD if it won't work correctly on their TVs.

When I play a store bought DVD on my TV I don't need to adjust my TV settings. Is this something that will always need to be done when creating a DVD with Architect?
Former user wrote on 8/6/2012, 9:13 PM
No, it should work correctly.

First off, when you created the MPEG2 for the DVD, did you encode as a 16x9 video?
Are the properties in DVDA set for 16x9?

Dave T2
videoITguy wrote on 8/6/2012, 10:00 PM
To gumshoepaul :
Sorry to inform you, but you CANNOT control anything about how other people see your video on DVD or the computer. They can watch your glorious ultra-color video in black and white. YOU do not have control - so please give it up if you think you do.

What you do: you build and author your DVD correctly which is to say if you want it to be seen on widescreen format - then 16:9 is the aspect ratio of your project. The settings that determine playback on players and TV screens are in the users hands.

Professionals use what we call a test-bed which is a combination of player/screen environments to simulate what would happen with different users systems - we acknowledge that we do not control the final outcome in a client's player/screen combo.
gumshoepaul wrote on 8/6/2012, 10:13 PM
I am well aware that I cannot control how other people watch my DVD on their TVs or computers. That is why I want the DVD to be transferred correctly, in the first place.

My original question was why does the "Preview" DVD aspect ratio look correct, but once transferred to DVD it is a different aspect ratio?

I feel that I have the preferences and options set correctly. If they are incorrect it wouldn't like right in the "Preview."
gumshoepaul wrote on 8/6/2012, 10:15 PM
Re: DaveT2

Yes. The original video imported into DVD Architect is 16:9
PeterDuke wrote on 8/7/2012, 1:36 AM
"once transferred to DVD it is a different aspect ratio"

How are you viewing your DVD? Computer? DVD player and TV?
Former user wrote on 8/7/2012, 7:44 AM
Use Mediainfo on the MPEG file and verify that the 16x9 flag has been set. Otherwise, I don't know what the problem would be.

Dave T2
gumshoepaul wrote on 8/7/2012, 9:23 AM
Re: DaveT2

I'm sorry, Dave. I'm not sure how I would check that. How do I use mediainfo to check to see if a flag is set correctly?

Thanks for trying to help me out :)
Former user wrote on 8/7/2012, 10:54 AM
Sorry, Mediainfo is a free program that gives you all of the information on your video files. You can download it from here.

Then open the file and change to TREE view and see if it says 16x9 or 4x3.

http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en/Download

Dave T2
gumshoepaul wrote on 8/8/2012, 9:34 PM
Well, I think I finally figured it out. It seems pretty ridiculous to me, but there are THREE different places in the DVD Architect program where you have to select the video's aspect ratio. You would think ONE time would be enough. In "Preferences" I selected 16:9, in "Options" I selected 16:9, and in the upper right corner of the program there was another selection box for media (this is the one I was missing). Next to the video file name there is a drop down selection box and I clicked on "media properties." The default was set for 10,000 Box (or something like that). Once I changed that to DV Widescreen everything looked fine.

Thank you, everyone for your help.

Chienworks wrote on 8/11/2012, 2:31 PM
Odd. The *only* place i change it is under File / Properties / Disc Properties / Aspect Ratio. I always get a proper widescreen DVD that way.
Former user wrote on 8/11/2012, 8:14 PM
That sounds like to me the flag was not set correctly for widescreen on your file.

Dave T2