nOOb question: When to use the anamorphic checkbox?

[deckeda]

I read the anonymous intro to anamorphic DVDs, http://handbrake.m0k.org/trac/wiki/AnamorphicGuide but missed how to identify an anamorphic DVD. Am I looking for a squished preview image in MF/HB? And if so, what if I can't tell for sure, especially if I'm unfamiliar with how it should look?

[jbrjake]

I read the anonymous intro to anamorphic DVDs, http://handbrake.m0k.org/trac/wiki/AnamorphicGuide but missed how to identify an anamorphic DVD.

I wrote that guide.

The easy way is to know what you own and pay attention when you purchase films. Almost every DVD that's anamorphic says so on the box, and many do on the label. Either they'll say "Anamorphic" right out or they'll say "Enhanced for widescreen viewing", or "Enhanced for 16x9", "Widescreen", "X:Y aspect ratio", etc.

You can also often check on Amazon, though sometimes their descriptions can be shoddy.

iMDB maintains a list of anamorphic dvds:
http://www.imdb.com/Sections/DVDs/Pictu ... idescreen/

[deckeda]

COOL, thanks!

I do have one clarification question about this one:

"Widescreen"

... OK, the "generic widescreen" designation I usually see on the box is included in your list.

Is it too much of a generalization to say that everything not 4:3 is therefore anamorphic? My apologies if I'm trying to make this too simplistic or cut-and-dried.

[jbrjake]

Is it too much of a generalization to say that everything not 4:3 is therefore anamorphic? My apologies if I'm trying to make this too simplistic or cut-and-dried.

Yes it's too much of a generalization.

Sometimes cheaper/older DVDs will be hard letterboxed in a 4:3 frame, also known as non-anamorphic widescreen. Right now the app doesn't handle anamorphic for those correctly. It thinks they're regular 4:3 content and doesn't crop. I think clee was looking into it.

But you can trust that when you see "widescreen" on a dvd it usually means it's anamorphic widescreen. If you're really not sure, encode a single chapter to test.

[MundoMan4]

So do I have it right....
That all(most?) widescreen movies are Anamorphic (I always buy Widescreen, not Full)
If you want to use an Apple solution you should not select Anamorphic?
But QuickTime support will be coming soon, does that mean movies you make Anamorphic now will start working in QuickTime, or only new conversions after the support is added will work.


I want to put my movies into MPEG4 H.264 and play them back on either a MacMini (preferred) or an AppleTV (if I have too) connected to my Samsung DLP with DVI or Component.

Should I ignore the "Anamorphic" option? I just want my movies to look right mot squished.

Thanks
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
When not to use Anamorphic PAR

Right off the bat, to save people time, here are situations when you DON'T want to use anamorphic encoding:

When you want to watch your movies in QuickTime? (support will be coming soon thanks to maurj's hard work)
When you want to watch your movies on an iPod
When you want to watch your movies on an iPhone
When you want to watch your movies on an Apple TV
Seeing a pattern? Apple products tend not to respect anamorphic settings. The video will still play, have no fear of that, but it will appear distorted—vertically stretched.

If any of those usage scenarios apply to you, feel free to stop reading.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[jbrjake]

But QuickTime support will be coming soon, does that mean movies you make Anamorphic now will start working in QuickTime, or only new conversions after the support is added will work.

It means only new conversions after the support is added.

Sorry for being unclear about that in the guide. I think I was trying to fit it on one line or something. It's very ambiguous.

[sdm]

Don't forget that, for now, if you want to use QT/iTunes/Front Row with your shiny new anamorphic video, you can do a manual transformation of the shape in QT (Pro?) in the 'Movie Properties'. You can then save a QT Reference file. This will play in the QT/iTunes/Front Row with the correct shape.
Dont move your original file later or the QT ref file will need to re-link.

--sdm.

[MundoMan4]

It means only new conversions after the support is added.

if you want to use QT/iTunes/Front Row with your shiny new anamorphic video, you can do a manual transformation of the shape in QT (Pro?)

OK, I got the part that "you are stuck with what you chose now" Any current anamorphic conversions will not be "supported" in QuickTime.

EDIT: I removed my questions.
Sorry I asked, but its be cause I didn't know the answer. Yes I read the guide lots of times, But I had questions about what looks right.
I thought it might be easier to ask "the experts" what the best choice would be for my planned uses. Guess I'll just have to do one of each for every Video and then figure out what works right.

[jbrjake]

But the image size is different in QT. Standard= 704 x 304 and anamorphic= 720 x 360.
Which is the right size on my monitor/TV?? Anamorphic fills it much better since it has less black bars top and bottom, But is it right?

Did you read the rest of the anamorphic guide, or did you just stop at the beginning?

1 Archiving all my video in a convent place(big HD) & format (H.264).

If your goal is archive quality and you've got lots of storage, use anamorphic.

2 Play back through a MacMini (possibly AppleTV) connected to an HDTV.

If you're going to play it through a MacMini, go ahead and do it now anamorphic. You can just play them in VLC. If you want a QuickTime/FrontRow/AppleTV solution you'll have to wait for the next beta, or follow the directions given above to put the video in a .mov container with a transformation matrix.

3 Maybe future conversion to DVD or iPod Video if needed.

Well you're not going to be able to do either of those things with MediaFork so it's really something I'm not prepared to answer for you...

The DVD seems to display the same size on screen as the non-Anamorphic conversion. So Guess that is the correct size when displayed in QT (and I would guess AppleTV and iPod)

Again, this is covered in the guide.