HandBrake

Can someone explain to me how the Picture tab works? I would like to encode my PAL DVDs (720x576 w- aspect ratio = 16:9) to MKV but the Width cannot be changed in the Picture tab. I get the following options:

Anamorphic = None, W=720 max, H=304, modulus=16. I can increase the H value to 576 but the W is evaluated as 1344.
Resulting file is: Anamorphic = Strict, W=720 max, H=304, Display size=1021x436.
Resulting file is: Anamorphic = Loose, W=720 max, H=304 fixed, modulus=16, Display size=1011x432.
Resulting file is: Anamorphic = Custom, W=720 max, H=576 max, modulus=16. I can set the Display width to 1920 which evaluates the PAR W=1920 and PAR H=720, Display size=1348x576. H then changes to 816.
Resulting file is: Which should I use for best results and what would be the resulting resolution? Thanks.

I think I'll choose "Anamorphic = None" as this produces the largest resolution output.

You're wrong, read here for why:
https://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki/AnamorphicGuide

Moved to Windows support forum.

I highly recommend Anamorphic: Strict with auto cropping, for both widescreen and 4:3 videos, as this will keep the original image size/aspect. If you go with anamorphic none, the picture of anamorphic titles will be smaller than the original since you're letterboxing the picture. I seriously doubt you want that. Try both (e.g just 1 chapter) and you will see for yourself.

For DVD live action movies I use high profile as a basis for my settings as this will give slightly more detail without making the file much bigger (maybe like 1%). For cartoons I use Normal. Both RF 20.

The 'display aspect ratio' of 2.35:1 tells me your content is a movie. Your input isn't 2.35:1, so there are going to be black bars at the top and bottom of the screen (i.e., letterboxed).

There is no reason to keep those bars and waste space, so cropping is your friend. I'd set it to auto crop as that should get you very close to correct. For an SD movie like this, I set it on High Profile and send the file on its way. Nor is there a reason to mess around with the Anamorphic settings, aside from putting it on Strict.

In other words, do exactly what Nostromo said.

Yes, this doesn't really answer your question, but the only time I've really needed to mess with anything other than cropping and setting to Strict is when I had a SD broadcast (640x480) transmitted over an HD widescreen channel (1920x1080) and I wanted to downsample the show back to 640x480 and I ended up using 'Custom' (maybe it was none) to get it to work properly.

*edited to delete what was probably wrong information about how Anamorphic works*

guachi wrote:Your screen width is 720 so that means, at a ratio of 2.35:1, the height of your movie is 306 pixels. Since this is the case, I'd shoot for an output of 720x306. You can do this with anamorphic Strict (and avoid Modulus 16) and the auto cropping should leave you with a 720x306 image. (it should be cropping off 135 pixels from the top and bottom)

Your math is off. Since DVDs are anamorphic, display width will be higher than 720. Typically, 2.35:1 movies are stored in a 16:9 frame (rather than 4:3), with letterboxing, so it could be either of the following:

NTSC -> stored at 720x480, displayed at 853.333x480 (16:9) -> after cropping, stored at 720x364, displayed at 853.333x364 (~2.35:1)

PAL -> stored at 720x576, displayed at 1025x576 (16:9) -> after cropping, stored at 720x436, displayed at 1024x436 (~2.35:1)

Gahh!!! You caught me before I could delete that. That is what I had written before I deleted it because I thought it was wrong. It was only up for, like, 15 minutes, too.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info.