(This problem may be limited solely to DVD Architect, but I suspect the way the project was rendered in Sony Vegas may also play a part.)
I shot a video in 720x480 as I am sure many people on this forum have. I edited the video in Sony Vegas and rendered it using the project settings, 720x480. I made a menu for the DVD in DVD Architect using more 1.5:1 footage (as can be seen in the screenshot) and I then made the DVD.
When I watched the DVD on my computer, the video was 'smushed' vertically, just a tad, to accomodate the 1.33:1 ratio of a standard television screen (4:3). I expected this and I didn't really mind.
I burned the DVD and watched it on a 4:3 screen, and instead of the video being compressed vertically, it was simply cut off at the sides. The 'play movie' button you see in the screenshot, instead of being within the margins of the screen area, was touching the edges of the TV as was the 'play with commentary' button.
This annoyed me, and considering I had no idea how to fix it, I, for a few days, decided that it was close enough. Then I saw the film Barry Lyndon. As many of you probably know, Kubrick shot the film just about full screen and the DVD version currently available showcases it in something very close to 1.5:1. So, on a 4:3 television screen it doesn't quite fill the entire frame and is letterboxed just slightly, as, ideally, my movie should have been.
So, upon seeing this, I was struck with fresh resolve and I ask you knowledgeable people how I may best remedy this problem as I have absolutely no idea where to begin with it.
Re: Sony Vegas / DVD Architect aspect ratio problem (720x480 and a 4:3 television) by Don Bloom on Mar 24, 2008 at 1:22:24 am
it's possible that the TV you're watching it on is underscanning which would account for the edge cutoff.
The TV I use for CC underscans which I don't mind because I know how much it does and I use it as a safe area.
Just thinking out loud :-)
Don
Re: Sony Vegas / DVD Architect aspect ratio problem (720x480 and a 4:3 television) by David Shirey on Mar 24, 2008 at 2:42:50 pm
As Don said, you're tv is cropping the image which mosts televisions do to varying degrees. Both Vegas and DVD Architect have an "Action Safe" and "Title Safe" grid you can turn on to see roughly where people try to keep their titles inside of. DVD Architect should give you a warning when you try to create the dvd that you have one or more text items outside the title safe area.
This is something you have to keep in mind not just when editing, but when shooting also. If you want your entire frame to be visible on any tv, your best bet I think would be to just zoom out on the image within Vegas the render the mpeg2. However, since different tv's will crop the image in different places (I always ended up with crt tv's that cut off the right side far more than the others,) you could easily end up seeing black bars on one side and not on another, making for a pretty awkward movie watching experience.
Re: Sony Vegas / DVD Architect aspect ratio problem (720x480 and a 4:3 television) by Tyler Rad Williamson on Mar 24, 2008 at 7:09:33 pm
'...your best bet I think would be to just zoom out on the image within Vegas the render the mpeg2.' -- David Shirey
How exactly would I go about doing this? I'm unfamiliar with the technique. It sounds moderately dangerous in that, yes, I could end up with black bars on all sides, but it's worth a try.
Re: Sony Vegas / DVD Architect aspect ratio problem (720x480 and a 4:3 television) by Mike Kujbida on Mar 24, 2008 at 7:29:19 pm
Use Track Motion to do the zoom out.
Do it in small increments and test it after each step (burn to an RW) so that you don't go overboard.
Keep in mind that every TV is different so what looks OK on your set will look different on someone else's.
Re: Sony Vegas / DVD Architect aspect ratio problem (720x480 and a 4:3 television) by Tyler Rad Williamson on Apr 2, 2008 at 8:43:29 pm
Why is it that retail DVDs will adjust the way the image is displayed depending on the television, yet Sony DVD Architect cannot author DVDs that do this?
Is there a program that will burn a DVD in 1.5:1 ratio and insure that it is displayed properly, no matter on what kind of DVD player/TV it is watched? Is there a way to have the DVD letterboxed on a 4:3 standard TV and barred on the side with a widescreen TV? If not, why not, and how is it that professional DVDs are able to do this, yet those burned in DVD Architect are clipped at the sides?
I would really appreciate any answer. This is bugging me.
