LiDiC & 01.05.350 f/w aspect ratio.

[sub3R]

Will recording from a VCR via a LiDiC to a DP-S1 still give an incorrect aspect ratio with 01.05.350 f/w?

The 'Firmware 01.xx.350 Bug & Wish List' here states:
B5. File playback issues, as follows:
(g) (for DP-P2 and LiDiC only) using the zoom function for H.264 Wiz files gives an incorrect/inconsistent aspect ratio.
Can I get some clarification on this please?
Does this mean that a 4:3 aspect ratio VCR tape will have an incorrect aspect ratio when recorded & played back on the wiz (& also played back on a PC)?
Or will a 16:9 aspect ratio video camera cassette tape in a VCR have an incorrect aspect ratio when recorded & played back on the wiz (& also played back on a PC)?
Or does the above only occur when the zoom button is used.

Does anyone know if ‘VideoReDo TVSuite H.264’ will read & convert files recorded on a wiz from a VCR via a LiDiC?

[IanB]

The LiDiC aspect ratio problems stem from the h.264 video stream that BW generate. It come with the Pixel Aspect Ratio, PAR, field always incorrectly set as 1:1.

The video capture dimensions are industry standard 720x576 (720x480 for NTSC).

This means the final video will be interpreted by default as having a Display Aspect Ratio, DAR, of 5:4 instead of 4:3 or 16:9 depending on what PAR the original recorded analogue source actually had.

Now the 1.05 series firmware has a partial hack added to it. If and only if the Config -> A/V Input -> Display setting is set for Full screen (not Centre) and the Config -> A/V Output -> TV Aspect Ratio setting is set for 16:9 (not 4:3) then the final output picture is forced to have a DAR of 16:9. So if you record a 16:9 picture from your Foxtel box or VCR it will playback appearing with the correct aspect ratio.

For all other cases and for all cases with 1.07 firmware (which does not have the hack) the final BW output display will have the aspect ratio squeezed to 93.75% of the correct width.

When playing or processing a LiDiC generated stream on a PC or MAC you always have to override the apparent aspect ratio from 5:4 to either 16:9 or 4:3 depending on the aspect ratio of the source you originally recorded. VideoReDo apparently has an option to do this.

[sub3R]

That’s the detailed information I was after ... thanks.
A link from the bugs list to your post would be handy for future reference.

It’s a pity the hack doesn’t work with 4:3 aspect ratio material, but as least it can be corrected with ‘VideoReDo TVSuite H.264’, providing VideoReDo will read those files. I wonder if anyone has tried.

BTW ... ‘VideoReDo TVSuite H.264’ under ‘File > Save Video As > Options > Aspect Ratio’ has ‘No change, 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 & 2.21:1’ options. The ‘Aspect Correction’ options are ‘None, Crop to fit, Letterbox/Pillar box and Custom crop & resize’ with Presets of ‘Pillar box to Standard, Letterbox to Widescreen, Standard to Pillar box & Widescreen to Letterbox’.
And under ‘File > Save Video to DVD > Change Output Options > Video Options > Aspect Ratio’ has ‘No change, 4:3 & 16:9 options. Presets are as above.