Record an Anamorphic DVD from Voom?
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I do it with my Sony RDR-GX7 all the time and it works great. I have svideo coming from the Voom STB. If you want to do some research on other DVD recorders I'd suggest you check out www.avsforum.com on the boards under DVD recorders. There are some very knowledgeable people there. Good luck!
clarification...
Maybe I should clarify - anamorphic is where the entire 16:9 image is compressed down to 4:3 (everyone looks thin).
Most 16:9 tv's read this as "DVD", and re-stretch the screen for you.
Letterbox is a 16:9 image shrunk down to fit a 4:3 screen (with black bars on the top and bottom). Letterbox loses resolution when the 16:9 tv stretches it (it has to stretch both the horizontal and vertical, instead of just the horizontal in anamorphic).
So, are you recording anamorphic or letterbox?
Thanks!
Maybe I should clarify - anamorphic is where the entire 16:9 image is compressed down to 4:3 (everyone looks thin).
Most 16:9 tv's read this as "DVD", and re-stretch the screen for you.
Letterbox is a 16:9 image shrunk down to fit a 4:3 screen (with black bars on the top and bottom). Letterbox loses resolution when the 16:9 tv stretches it (it has to stretch both the horizontal and vertical, instead of just the horizontal in anamorphic).
So, are you recording anamorphic or letterbox?
Thanks!
Maybe I misunderstood the term anamorphic. I set my GX7 to record in 16:9 mode (but it can only do this up to 2 hours record time). I have my Voom STB to output a 16:9 image to my HDTV. When I playback the image on my 16:9 HDTV the image is exactly the way I viewed it (this is expected). When I played the DVD in a non-HDTV 4:3 TV the image did not look compressed or skinny. It looked normal. My understanding is the GX7 can set the 16:9 flags correctly and that is the key.
I'm not sure if I answered your question, but I advise you to check out the following link. I think this covers it well.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=398318
Hope this helps.
I'm not sure if I answered your question, but I advise you to check out the following link. I think this covers it well.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=398318
Hope this helps.
There is a program ava from doom 9 that is supposed to change the flag in your vob file before you burn, I cannot remember the name at this time.(only if you burn with a pc)
Why am I asking?
Basically, my thought is to get my ReplayTV to record in Anamorphic. Then, on my Sony LCD TV, I can use the standard "stretch" zoom, which only stretches the horizontal (and leaves the vertical alone). This will result in a better 16:9 picture than using the standard "zoom" mode, which stretches both horizontal and verticle.
I found an option in the Voom setup to squish a 16:9 image over the s-video. I'm going to try it tonight. I'll let you know how it works out...
Until then, here is a good article about anamorphic and it's history...
http://www.projectorcentral.com/anamorphic_lenses.htm
Basically, my thought is to get my ReplayTV to record in Anamorphic. Then, on my Sony LCD TV, I can use the standard "stretch" zoom, which only stretches the horizontal (and leaves the vertical alone). This will result in a better 16:9 picture than using the standard "zoom" mode, which stretches both horizontal and verticle.
I found an option in the Voom setup to squish a 16:9 image over the s-video. I'm going to try it tonight. I'll let you know how it works out...
Until then, here is a good article about anamorphic and it's history...
http://www.projectorcentral.com/anamorphic_lenses.htm
Anamorphic with ReplayTV - here's how it works...
Well, I found out in the resolution settings on the voom box, you can "squeeze" 16x9 video into a 4x3 format (called Anamorphic).
It actually works great. It allows me to record the entire 16x9 image on the 4x3 replaytv. Then, when I play it back using the Replay, I use the "zoom" function on my sony widescreen, and it stretches it back to 16x9. This is exactly what I wanted.
As for the resolution, it is still 480i. However, when I stretch widescreen movies recorded in Anamorphic, they look much better than just scaling the 16x9 to fit on a 4x3 screen (scaling both the vertical and the horizontal), then playing it back using the "full zoom" function on my tv. It's just sub-DVD quality to me - so it is acceptable.
One issue though, is that when you set the Voom receiver to output in Anamorphic it only squeezes 16x9 video - 4x3 video is left untouched. So, when I watch programs using my replay, I need to constantly switch between zoom and regular (as the programming switches between anamorphic and standard 4x3 video). Somewhat of a pain, but acceptable until the PVR comes out. Also, the funny thing is that regular OTA signals are "squished", even though the majority of the programming in upconverted 4x3. So, it gets a little confusing once it's recorded.
Obviously, it's not a HD solution - but one that will make the recording of 16x9 look much better.
Well, I found out in the resolution settings on the voom box, you can "squeeze" 16x9 video into a 4x3 format (called Anamorphic).
It actually works great. It allows me to record the entire 16x9 image on the 4x3 replaytv. Then, when I play it back using the Replay, I use the "zoom" function on my sony widescreen, and it stretches it back to 16x9. This is exactly what I wanted.
As for the resolution, it is still 480i. However, when I stretch widescreen movies recorded in Anamorphic, they look much better than just scaling the 16x9 to fit on a 4x3 screen (scaling both the vertical and the horizontal), then playing it back using the "full zoom" function on my tv. It's just sub-DVD quality to me - so it is acceptable.
One issue though, is that when you set the Voom receiver to output in Anamorphic it only squeezes 16x9 video - 4x3 video is left untouched. So, when I watch programs using my replay, I need to constantly switch between zoom and regular (as the programming switches between anamorphic and standard 4x3 video). Somewhat of a pain, but acceptable until the PVR comes out. Also, the funny thing is that regular OTA signals are "squished", even though the majority of the programming in upconverted 4x3. So, it gets a little confusing once it's recorded.
Obviously, it's not a HD solution - but one that will make the recording of 16x9 look much better.
I do it with my Panny E85H, though it is FAUX anamorphic. What I do is set the Voom stb to output a vertically stretched image in the 4:3 setup screen and my Panny records it that way. When I go to burn the DVD, the Panny will only record in a 4:3 format and warns me of that since it recognizes the anamorphic pic. But when I play it back through the player and select FULL on my pj, it fills the entire screen just like an anamorphic DVD.
Squeezed is not anamorphic
Bitwise.
Just to let you know, you are using anamorphic incorrectly. You want squeezed.
Anamorphic lenses squeezed the picture, but in a non-linear manner. The reason for this was that you would not lose detail in the middle, only toward the edges, where the eye is not a fussy. They do look very close to each other to the naked eye.
I have even cheated in my broadcast engineer days. We had to transfer an anamorphic feature, and the telecine was not very good using the anamorphic. So, I did a second run recording straight 4:3 and vertically squeezed the output with a DVE box (Digital Video Effects). If you had filled the screen with perfect circles and done this, you would notice the resulting non-linearity, but the overall transfer was far better.
From that day forward the station adopted my vertical squeeze method. I left in the 90's before better digital systems came along, and who knows, they may have a true anamorphic filter setting.
Anyway, you are looking to record the sueezed video. If you set your Component out to 480i, you have no choice but to get squeezed output on S-video and composite. I use the component out directly into my Philips DVDR. Works great. Just adjust on TV in playback.
Bitwise.
Just to let you know, you are using anamorphic incorrectly. You want squeezed.
Anamorphic lenses squeezed the picture, but in a non-linear manner. The reason for this was that you would not lose detail in the middle, only toward the edges, where the eye is not a fussy. They do look very close to each other to the naked eye.
I have even cheated in my broadcast engineer days. We had to transfer an anamorphic feature, and the telecine was not very good using the anamorphic. So, I did a second run recording straight 4:3 and vertically squeezed the output with a DVE box (Digital Video Effects). If you had filled the screen with perfect circles and done this, you would notice the resulting non-linearity, but the overall transfer was far better.
From that day forward the station adopted my vertical squeeze method. I left in the 90's before better digital systems came along, and who knows, they may have a true anamorphic filter setting.
Anyway, you are looking to record the sueezed video. If you set your Component out to 480i, you have no choice but to get squeezed output on S-video and composite. I use the component out directly into my Philips DVDR. Works great. Just adjust on TV in playback.
An excellent article on anamorphic is available at:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/editorial/bz100298.html
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/editorial/bz100298.html
Anamorphic term...
Whazoo,
I was only using the term used on DVD's. I know Anamorphic used to use special lenses. However, on today's DVD's that show in "true widescreen", they are labled anamorphic (and I don't believe that they are transferred from film to DVD using a lens - my guess would be more of a digital squeeze - but still they are calling it anamorphic).
At any rate, it's one term over another - I agree it used to mean something different before, but nowadays the are used interchangably. (or at least that's the way they appear to me - if I am wrong on this assumption, then please explain).
Take care... And yes, as I posted earlier, I too am recording my "squeezed" video onto my Replay, resulting in a much better picture. However, I am using the setup options on the Voom box to acheive this, yet still have the component resolution set to 720p.
Whazoo,
I was only using the term used on DVD's. I know Anamorphic used to use special lenses. However, on today's DVD's that show in "true widescreen", they are labled anamorphic (and I don't believe that they are transferred from film to DVD using a lens - my guess would be more of a digital squeeze - but still they are calling it anamorphic).
At any rate, it's one term over another - I agree it used to mean something different before, but nowadays the are used interchangably. (or at least that's the way they appear to me - if I am wrong on this assumption, then please explain).
Take care... And yes, as I posted earlier, I too am recording my "squeezed" video onto my Replay, resulting in a much better picture. However, I am using the setup options on the Voom box to acheive this, yet still have the component resolution set to 720p.
Anamorphic according to Encarta
an·a·mor·phic [ànn? máwrfik]
adj
of image distortion: relating to or producing image distortion caused by unequal magnification along different perpendicular axes
Voomster !sadroll
an·a·mor·phic [ànn? máwrfik]
adj
of image distortion: relating to or producing image distortion caused by unequal magnification along different perpendicular axes
Voomster !sadroll
whazoo commented:
> Anamorphic lenses squeezed the picture, but in a non-linear manner. The reason for this was that you would not lose detail in the middle, only toward the edges, where the eye is not a fussy. <
Whoa! This is completely and totally incorrect. Anamorphic image compression, whether performed by an optical lens or by digital means, is always (and always has been) a linear process. It's ridiculous to state otherwise.
Proof: take any anamorphic source material (like, say, an AVIA test disc, for instance), display the full image frame at 4x3 to fill a screen on a front projector (vertical ovals), then squeeze the image down (vertically only) to a 16x9 ratio, so the circles are circular, and the squares are square. Examine the resultant image on the horizontal axis. Are all the boxes of uniform width? Or do they vary in width, being wider (more detail) in the middle, and narrower on the sides? (Clue: it's uniform horizontally).
Anamorphic compensation for DVDs ONLY adjusts the vertical axis, by discarding 1 out of every 4 scan lines when displayed on conventional 4x3 monitors (or by electronic compression in more advanced sets like the Sonys). It does nothing to the horizontal axis.
I can't believe nobody caught this obvious faux pax.
- Tim
P.S. This is not to say that there aren't displays available that WILL do non-linear expansion of 4x3 material to fill 16x9 displays, to achieve the effect whazoo described, and minimize apparent distortion.
> Anamorphic lenses squeezed the picture, but in a non-linear manner. The reason for this was that you would not lose detail in the middle, only toward the edges, where the eye is not a fussy. <
Whoa! This is completely and totally incorrect. Anamorphic image compression, whether performed by an optical lens or by digital means, is always (and always has been) a linear process. It's ridiculous to state otherwise.
Proof: take any anamorphic source material (like, say, an AVIA test disc, for instance), display the full image frame at 4x3 to fill a screen on a front projector (vertical ovals), then squeeze the image down (vertically only) to a 16x9 ratio, so the circles are circular, and the squares are square. Examine the resultant image on the horizontal axis. Are all the boxes of uniform width? Or do they vary in width, being wider (more detail) in the middle, and narrower on the sides? (Clue: it's uniform horizontally).
Anamorphic compensation for DVDs ONLY adjusts the vertical axis, by discarding 1 out of every 4 scan lines when displayed on conventional 4x3 monitors (or by electronic compression in more advanced sets like the Sonys). It does nothing to the horizontal axis.
I can't believe nobody caught this obvious faux pax.
- Tim
P.S. This is not to say that there aren't displays available that WILL do non-linear expansion of 4x3 material to fill 16x9 displays, to achieve the effect whazoo described, and minimize apparent distortion.
And looking at Voomsters definition:
> image distortion caused by unequal magnification along different perpendicular axes <
which means simply that the magnification (scaling) on the vertical axis does not equal the magnification on the horizontal axis. NOT that the magnification varies along the horizontal axis.
- Tim
> image distortion caused by unequal magnification along different perpendicular axes <
which means simply that the magnification (scaling) on the vertical axis does not equal the magnification on the horizontal axis. NOT that the magnification varies along the horizontal axis.
- Tim
bitwise said:
I'm doing the same with my new DVD Recorder. Only problem is that if you play that DVD back on a SD TV, it will still be squeezed. Any way to record the squeezed video, then have it letterbox it on a SD TV? (I'm using a LiteOn 5005 recorder).
-John
