Most suitable DVD video formats?

[Hassaan17]

I have wmv videos which I wish to convert to DVD. Some are 854 x 480, some 720 x 480 (for the widescreen videos), 576/640 x 480 (for standard videos).

Which are the suitable formats (for both types)? I think I read somewhere that 854 x 480 videos are too big for DVD, but I'm not sure about the others.

 

[nottheking]

The answer depends on what you mean by "convert to DVD." If you wish to try and burn a disc that mimics standard video-DVDs and hence will have a chance at playback on many common, ordinary devices, then the maximum resolution you want is 720x480; for NTSC you don't have that many options: 720x480, 704x480, 352x480, and 352x240.

Note that widescreen is the default form on video DVDs: you can use 4:3 aspect ratio video, though it'll "upconvert" to 702x480. This can result in black bars on the side, but using the correct settings in the player/TV will remove them.

 

[Hassaan17]

The answer depends on what you mean by "convert to DVD." If you wish to try and burn a disc that mimics standard video-DVDs and hence will have a chance at playback on many common, ordinary devices, then the maximum resolution you want is 720x480; for NTSC you don't have that many options: 720x480, 704x480, 352x480, and 352x240.

Note that widescreen is the default form on video DVDs: you can use 4:3 aspect ratio video, though it'll "upconvert" to 702x480. This can result in black bars on the side, but using the correct settings in the player/TV will remove them.

Would videos of 854 x 480 be too big? What I mean is burning onto DVD and playing on perhaps a widescreen (e.g, 42 in) television, what would be best. I have 640 x 480 (which is standard definition), but would I need to "upconvert" to 720 x 480 or is it playable anyway? Whereas 720 x 480 widescreen videos are suitable?

 

[nottheking]

854x480 would be have to be downconverted in some manner: either by matting, (clipping off the sides) or squeezing it in to fit the 720 maximum width.

For 640x480, it would need to be upconverted in some manner: again, either by stretching, or most likely, by "pillarboxing" the image. (i.e, putting black collumns on both the left and right sides) That part wouldn't be as much an issue, as usually a DVD player/TV's settings will let it clip those out to fully fit.

720x480 videos, given that they match the main native format for DVDs, would work 100% perfectly fine without any aspect format adjustment.

 

[Hassaan17]

854x480 would be have to be downconverted in some manner: either by matting, (clipping off the sides) or squeezing it in to fit the 720 maximum width.

For 640x480, it would need to be upconverted in some manner: again, either by stretching, or most likely, by "pillarboxing" the image. (i.e, putting black collumns on both the left and right sides) That part wouldn't be as much an issue, as usually a DVD player/TV's settings will let it clip those out to fully fit.

720x480 videos, given that they match the main native format for DVDs, would work 100% perfectly fine without any aspect format adjustment.

Downconverting 854 x 480 to 720 x 480 would be fine given that they are both still widescreen formats. When 640 x 480 are played in a DVD player, on a widescreen television, wouldn't the pillar boxes on the side appear anyway given the resolution?

 

[jasonlau61]

The 42'' widescreen TV will cut off the sides of the 854x480 video, i do not think so. According to my experience it will display the 854x480 pictures (or frames) of the video in full size and fill black in the spare space around the video picture.