DVBt to AVI, aspect ratio

[iffybob]

Hi all ... first post so please bear with.....

I have been lookin at this site for a few mounths now, read a few of the BAsics of, and getting started..... Thank You to the people who wrote them

a bit about me, as I'm a newbie, male 40, nuts, geek (not nerd), ex-programmer from way back, so please dont ask for prog avice i'm pre-C++.

OK to whinge.......

I live in the UK where i receive digital television - DVBt - 25fps PAL.


I have a recorder that records a single channel ie BBC1 , ITV etc
in a raw stream in marked as mpg format onto a flash drive.

the tv commly transmits at 720 x 576 res with an aspect ratio of 16:9 or 4:3

i then use

PVAStrumento ver 2.1.0.21 to process the mpg from ts to ps - this works.

DVDPatcher ver 106 - to patch the file as needs be - this works.

I then cut out the ads etc using a veriety of software to give the best results

This gives me an output as an mpg but not a true mpeg

the mpegs just fool the playback in to thinking there proper mpegs not a DVBt stream.

the prob is :-

my prefered target is an avi (approx DivX 5, though i use Xvid cos the Divx encoder keeps crashing don't know why)

the re-encode takes out the bad spec conformaty. (there are rules they - the TV companies - just break them)

my target avi spec - resolution 720 x 576 at 1000kbps or 2000kbps cbr , with an aspect ratio of either 16:9 OR 4:3 to match the input and mp3 audio, to get a file that will playback on most devices.

to covert i'm using OJOsoft Total Video Converter 2.5.0.1009 with the Xvid codec. or Xilisoft Video Converter 3


the probs with the play back aspect ratio


if i force a 16:9 it playsback at 4:3 fullscreen on every playback programe and device. if i select auto it encodes 4:3 leter box, with top/bottom boarders.

Gspot says the AR is not set in the avi but is in the origanl mpg - ?.

I have seen some of the other encoders .... choices ..... confused ..... Im not an expert.

have tried many, most just crash, i suspect some use there own codecs, as I make changes in the Xvid control pannel , and these are ignored.

I have tried using front ends for AVI synth, I think I have probs with install order, and what versions of what work with what.


I "supect" that apect ritio is not setable (yes that is now a word) for avi's, and the files I have set the resolution, to get the playback to display correctly.

I suspect my best solution is just to re-encode the files to proper DVD mpegs, and make them up to DVDs but I would prefer them as AVi.

Unless I have missed the obviouse, I'am going in circles on FAQs and the like.

any "simple" help please, I have approx 350Gbytes of recordings stacked up to process (Had to buy a new external HD to store them) and I would like my head to stop hurting.

My OS is Windows XP - (I know head not hurting and windows is a contardiction in terms).

My machine is - A Dell GX270 (2,8GHz) , 400GB HD, 1.5 GBytes of ram, Radion 9550se 128MB Club 3D Graphics and crappy mother board sound. and a Compaq QVision 210 monitor.

My internet is - a pay as you go - Mobile 3G from vodafone (USB) - which i have had very few probs with.
( it disconnects external USB drives when it is pluged in, and does not like being already plug in at system startup/restart, this is livable, it is also multi connective 3G, GPRS etc)


and I know my spelling is bad i bin told that since i was little - I just no good at it - but get by.

Thank you. boB