Output size is different to input size

[otimm]

Hello,

I posted my question before already but it didn't show up so I give it another try. Sorry if it might be double posted.

I have the movie Meet the Fockers as a Video_Ts folder on my HD and converted it to mkv H264 and it looks good on my media player.

Now when I had a look in pictures settings in HB and I saw that the input of my movie was 720x480 but the output is only 624x336 (. Is this normal? I checked my other movies and the output is always different. I am playing the movies from my WDTV Live Hub over HDMI on my Sony Bravia 40 inch. Actually there is nothing to complain because the movies looks good on Tv but I want to be sure before I start with my other movies. I read the wiki and there was a lot mentioned about anamorphic etc. But this confused me a lot as I am a new to this.

Can anybody tell me if I need to change anything

Please see the log if required

[03:15:34] + /Volumes/Transfer/Meet The Fockers 2/VIDEO_TS
[03:15:34] + title 1, chapter(s) 1 to 9
[03:15:34] * destination
[03:15:34] + /Users/Downloads/Meet The Fockers 2.mkv
[03:15:34] + container: Matroska (.mkv)
[03:15:34] + chapter markers
[03:15:34] * video track
[03:15:34] + decoder: mpeg2
[03:15:34] + bitrate 4000 kbps
[03:15:34] + frame rate: same as source (around 23.976 fps)
[03:15:34] + dimensions: 720 * 480 -> 624 * 336, crop 70/68/0/0, mod 16
[03:15:34] + encoder: x264
[03:15:34] + options: ref=2:bframes=2:subq=6:mixed-refs=0:weightb=0:8x8dct=0:trellis=0
[03:15:34] + quality: 19.00 (RF)
[03:15:34] * subtitle track 2, English (id 21bd) Picture [VOBSUB] -> Pass-Through
[03:15:34] * audio track 0
[03:15:34] + decoder: English (AC3) (5.1 ch) (track 1, id 80bd)
[03:15:34] + bitrate: 224 kbps, samplerate: 48000 Hz
[03:15:34] + mixdown: Stereo
[03:15:34] + encoder: ca_aac
[03:15:34] + bitrate: 192 kbps, samplerate: 48000 Hz
libdvdnav: Using dvdnav version 4.1.3
libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.10 for DVD access
libdvdread: Couldn't find device name.
libdvdnav: Can't read name block. Probably not a DVD-ROM device.
libdvdnav: DVD disk reports itself with Region mask 0x00c00000. Regions: 1 2 3 4 5 6
libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.10 for DVD access

[s55]

Post the *full* log.

[IronHorse]

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm also just learning Handbrake and at this minute I'm converting a VTS*.VOB file to a m4v using the Constant Quality setting of "20" (60.78%). Anyway, on the lower left I see Picture Size: Source: 720 X 480, Output: 720 X 304. Am I losing 180 pixels in height and will the picture when played through my ATV1 to my big screen... look weird as in having even bigger horizontal black bars? Picture Cropping is set at: Auto 60/64/0/0 (don't know if that's default or what).

I've been searching for an answer, reading the FAQs and posts... haven't found an explanation for this "re-sizing". Thanks in advance for the help.

[thompson]

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm also just learning Handbrake and at this minute I'm converting a VTS*.VOB file to a m4v using the Constant Quality setting of "20" (60.78%). Anyway, on the lower left I see Picture Size: Source: 720 X 480, Output: 720 X 304. Am I losing 180 pixels in height and will the picture when played through my ATV1 to my big screen... look weird as in having even bigger horizontal black bars? Picture Cropping is set at: Auto 60/64/0/0 (don't know if that's default or what).

I've been searching for an answer, reading the FAQs and posts... haven't found an explanation for this "re-sizing". Thanks in advance for the help.

1) If you're seeing a percentage on the constant quality setting then you are still using 0.9.4 which is no longer supported. Upgrade to 0.9.5.
2) All DVDs are sized 720x480, even though they will often be letterboxed. Handbrake will crop out the letterboxing (the black bars) because it's useless to encode. It will not affect the appearance of the encode and you're not losing useful data.

[otimm]

Sorry, I checked the activity window but all other entries are missing. So nothing to post.

Just to make it easier, can anybody tell me if the anamorphic setting can just be on strict or loose for any movie or is there any downside. As far as I understood from the wiki, anamorphic just helps me to give me always a widescreen movie. Is this true?

Thanks

[IronHorse]

1) If you're seeing a percentage on the constant quality setting then you are still using 0.9.4 which is no longer supported. Upgrade to 0.9.5.
2) All DVDs are sized 720x480, even though they will often be letterboxed. Handbrake will crop out the letterboxing (the black bars) because it's useless to encode. It will not affect the appearance of the encode and you're not losing useful data.

otimm I again apologize for using your thread. Maybe we'll both learn something here LOL!

OK, I trashed the conversion, closed Handbrake/Quit, re-opened and did an update to v.0.9.5 just fine. Selected the same video file and on the lower left I see Picture Size: Source: 720 X 480, Output: 720 X 352, Anamorphic: 843 X 352 Loose, Modulus: 16. I'm assuming that the "cropped" or missing 128 pixels in height is the letterboxing. With regard to presets on the upper right toggle pane, what really _are_ the output differences between Apple, Regular Normal, Regular High Profile, and Legacy? The FAQ is very sketchy on this.

[thompson]

I'm assuming that the "cropped" or missing 128 pixels in height is the letterboxing.

Yes

With regard to presets on the upper right toggle pane, what really _are_ the output differences between Apple, Regular Normal, Regular High Profile, and Legacy? The FAQ is very sketchy on this.

Search the forum or start your own thread in the General forum, this thread has been hijacked enough.

[jamiemlaw]

@otimm, Always try to use Strict anamorphic if you can. The only disadvantage is that you often end up with widths and heights that are not divisible by 16. Some older devices require this, although most modern ones don't. Also, you can't scale the movie. Loose anamorphic lets you scale the movie, and also rounds the dimensions to the nearest 16 (or whatever your modulus is). If your input is anamorphic (if it came from a DVD, it's anamorphic), it's unwise to set anamorphic to None, as this causes widescreen movies to shrink. I won't go into details unless you really want me to. You can use Custom if a) you know what you're doing, or b) using either Strict or Loose results in a picture that looks too squashed or too stretched.

@IronHorse: correct, the top and bottom are getting cropped, and that's exactly what should be happening. Those values look fine.

[otimm]

@IronHorse, no worries I am learning form your questions as well as long as you stay with the same topic.

@jamiemlaw, appreciate that you don't go to much into details. I want to convert my 800 movies so I really need to know the basics at the moment. Just to recap, all my movies are in Video_TS folders and they are all from DVD. You mentioned "some older devices require this", I assume you are talking about the TV? I am going to move all the encoded movies to my WDTV Live Hub and will watch them through HDMI on my 40 inch Sony Bravia TV. With my set up I guess I should convert all my movies with a strict anamorphic? I won't use custom as I don't know what I am doing . So there won't be any downside for me?

Thanks for you help.