For a long while, I'd been using the SKVCD option (480 x 480) in MovieStacker as the desired output size for my encoding. And it always took a few hours to encode (which is no surprise). And I was content.

However, since I own a widescreen TV, I've started to use the 1/2 DVD option (352 x 576) instead. This usually gives me a quicker encode time with a file that is condensed horizontally. When I burn it to watch on my Stand alone DVD though, it plays nicely - stretching it to fill the screen horizontally with no obvious reduction in picture quality.

My question is 'Is this too good to be true?'. I can't think of anything negative from doing this, except maybe how the file might play on a non-widescreen TV?

It works a treat for me, but if I ever buy a new TV...

It is completely normal.
You can use also: 720*480, 704*480, 544*480, 528*480, 480*480, 352*480, and 352*240 (all generally in mpeg2-SKVCD). Only need to know what of this resolutions your standalone supports.
Of course, less ress, less encoding time, but stick at 352*480/480*480.
No matter what kind of TV have you.


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thanks prodator

but would 352 x 576 look 'stretched' on a non widescreen TV? Occasionally, I take my KSVCDs around to a friends house to watch. If i do them all in 352 x 576 (480), will they only be watchable on widescreen?

The gain of a widescreen Tvset is, that it takes out the best of an anamorph encoding as you now got a wider wdth on your Tvset.

BUT you cant encode anamorph when choosing a Widht of 352!
No matter if 352x576,352x288 or the same in NTSC, as this encoding width doesnt support anamorph state.

So in case of KVCD stay at a letterboxed (4:3 with balck borders) encoding and everything will play fine as prodater said.

Theres also possible to encode anamorph at 480 width BUT not every player supports it, and that could cause problems if you use a different player then yours.

Actually you can in 352*576 because that is part of the DVD standard. But that is a complete nonsense (cutting the hor. reso by two and expanding the ver. one by 2 )

Maybe I should give an example.

Recently, I tried to play a KSVCD I'd made up at 352 x 576 on my friends 'normal' TV (non-widescreen). The TV screen vertically squashed the video by half but otherwise played perfectly. We then tried hooking up his portable TV but the same thing happened again. The square TV picture had the top half as a squashed movie and the bottom half was black.

The KSVCD plays fine on my widescreen and on both my laptop and his.

I'm not looking for big theories on this, I just thought I'd enquire about it since I'd been assuming that my encodes will look ok on every TV (if the stand alone DVD is ok with it).

They play badly on your friends TV because you probably did them in anamorphic and their TV does not handle this. Let me tell you that all my 352*576 KVCD plays well on any kind of TV (widescreen and normal).

352*576 is known as CVD format and it was used for chinese warez SVCD far before DVD burner exist. At this time no widescreen TV existed either. And this had always worked.

Phil, thanks for that.

Yep its more than likely because of anamorphic. I've been selecting the 'anamorphic' output on MS2.1 when dealing with sources which have larger black borders - because it seems to be the best method of removing the borders without cropping too much off the left & right edges.

480x576 is (obviously) better...

Better than what ? Better for what ?
You add a message at the bottom of a thread that ran in several directions so precise your point.