Hi John,

Thanks for the prompt response.

Hi Terry

Which version of MEP are you referring to?

My usual MEPP 2016. But it was the same in MEPP 2017 16.0.4.119 (UDP3)

In MEP 2018 the export from a project using the same settings as yours, plays fine as 16:9 in WMP, Films & TV and VLC.

MediaInfo says the AR is 4:3 and the original video was 16:9 (correct).

Same here, apart from my 50 fps.

Mediainfo extract:
Width: 1440 pixels
Height: 1080 pixels
Display aspect ratio: 4:3
Original display aspect ratio: 16:9

However there is no data on the pixel ratio - 1440x1080 HD uses a rectangular pixel to achieve 16:9 AR, whereas 1440 x 1080 4:3 uses a square pixel - this is also how 16:9 widescreen in 720 x 576 DVD is achieved.

I've always found this confusing! I read that extract as "This video was displaying at 16:9 and it's now going to display at 4:3." Nevertheless, because of the pixel size, I would expect (by the internal pixel-expanding stuff) that it would actually display as 16:9. But it did indeed display for me at 4:3.

What was the initial preset option you change to 1440 x 1080? I started with the MP4 Full HD 1920x1080 25fps and changed this to 1440 x 1080.

Same here, as earlier screenshot. Only the fps differs.

The steps were as follows, in either 2016 or 2017:

1. New project. Settings at my default of PAL FullHD 50p 16:9 (1920x1080; 50fps)
2. Changed project settings as shown earlier, i.e. to PAL HDV2 1080i 16:9 (1440x1080; 25fps)
3. Import VOB. "The active movie has a resolution of 1920x1080 (16:9), 50.00 fps.
The file "VTS__01_1.VOB" has a resolution of 720x576 (16:9), 25.00 fps." I chose not to adjust, as usual.
BTW, IMO that resolution info is ambiguous and would be better expressed as '720x576 (displayed as 16:9)'.
4. Export MP4 settings as shown earlier, i.e.1440X1080.

Result displays as 4:3 in MPC-HC, the player associated for ages here with most video extensions.

However, mystery solved!

Prompted by your reply, I thought I should try playing the result in something other than my trusty default of MPC-HC. They all displayed correctly! (In MEP itself, in VLC, in Films & TV and in WMP.)

So now I need to pursue that puzzle 😉

If anyone else has MPC-HC, perhaps they could download and play this 1 second MP4 please to see how it displays?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ykbaz5xqgzjca43/TestMPC-HC-Aspect.mp4?dl=0

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Hi Terry

. . . . Result displays as 4:3 in MPC-HC, the player associated for ages here with most video extensions. . . .

As soon as I read that line, I thought 'there's the problem', then I continued reading and saw you also found out it was MPC.

For the DAR problem have you updated MPC HC to the latest version 1.7.13 (also looks like this is going to be the last as well)..

HTH

John EB

Yep, 1.7.13 (e37826845).

Great pity it's no longer being supported as it's become my favourite, preferable even to VLC.

Greetings Terry,

I've had the same problem as you for a long time with MPC occasionally and very frequently with Windows 10's "Film & TV" player. The way I get round it is to

• convert the mp4 file to MKV using MKVToolnix (the portable version - just Google it). There is no re-coding. Just set aspect ration to 16:9 and all is well. A bonus is that the MKV files are slightly smaller (usually) than MP4s

OR if you want to keep it as an MP4

• Use "video to MP4" from http://www.pazera-software.com/products/mp4-converter/ again as a portable version. Just tell it to copy video and audio. I tried this with your clip and 16:9 is the end result. It must click a switch or something in the file, I don't really know.

Both of these programs are free. I've used them for years with never a proble - oops, jinxed it now!

AndyW

Thanks Andy, but as per my more recent discussion with John, the problem was with MPC-HC, not the MP4.

For the relatively little conversion I do, I use MovAVI.

So how do you like Movavi? It's on sale here in the States & Imwas thinking of buying it - until I read the negative reviews on Amazon. Said that 1) it's slow and 2} it's ad driven.

I haven't seen evidence of those criticisms and have not regretted my purchase in June. However I'm not impressed with either customer support or their update policy. PM probably more appropriate if you need more details.

Hi

I also use MovAvi and agree with Terry's comments, I find it fast - it does use Hardware Acceleration on the Intel processors with integrated GPU.

Never seen an ad on it.

HTH

John EB

+1 to what John EB has written.

Jeff