(MP4.H265) Profile with Software Encoder Does Not Correctly Keep 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Mauser

The problem is that when using DVD Ripper (any recent release) to rip a standard 4:3 DVD to an MP4 file using the (MP4.H265) profile and software encoder, the resulting output file does NOT always play in 4:3 aspect ratio.

This problem happens when tested on multiple different computers (all running W10, with both Intel and AMD processors), but it does NOT happen when using H264 or MKV output. Furthermore, when the same task is run using a hardware encoder, the problem does not happen.

This problem is easy to reproduce, but hard to demonstrate - the problem of 4:3 aspect ratio files playing back at wide 16:9 ONLY shows up when played with either VLC or Kodi on my Android TV Box (a MECOOL KM2 Plus running Android TV v11). When the same files are played back with any player on my computer, they do display properly as 4:3.

I am uploading two test files (a 10 second clip from the beginning of a movie on a commercial DVD). The one that was encoded with the AMD APP hardware encoder plays fine on the Android TV Box, but the one that was encoded with the SOFTWARE encoder only plays back as wide screen 16:9. To make things even harder to diagnose, MediaInfo does not show any difference in the file details - they BOTH show in MediaInfo as Display Aspect Ratio: 4:3, Width: 640, Height: 476. And I repeat that BOTH Kodi and VLC players on the Android TV Box play this file as 16:9, so the problem is not specific to the playback software; it is happening during the encoding.

october262

The problem is that when using DVD Ripper (any recent release) to rip a standard 4:3 DVD to an MP4 file using the (MP4.H265) profile and software encoder, the resulting output file does NOT always play in 4:3 aspect ratio.

This problem happens when tested on multiple different computers (all running W10, with both Intel and AMD processors), but it does NOT happen when using H264 or MKV output. Furthermore, when the same task is run using a hardware encoder, the problem does not happen.

This problem is easy to reproduce, but hard to demonstrate - the problem of 4:3 aspect ratio files playing back at wide 16:9 ONLY shows up when played with either VLC or Kodi on my Android TV Box (a MECOOL KM2 Plus running Android TV v11). When the same files are played back with any player on my computer, they do display properly as 4:3.

I am uploading two test files (a 10 second clip from the beginning of a movie on a commercial DVD). The one that was encoded with the AMD APP hardware encoder plays fine on the Android TV Box, but the one that was encoded with the SOFTWARE encoder only plays back as wide screen 16:9. To make things even harder to diagnose, MediaInfo does not show any difference in the file details - they BOTH show in MediaInfo as Display Aspect Ratio: 4:3, Width: 640, Height: 476. And I repeat that BOTH Kodi and VLC players on the Android TV Box play this file as 16:9, so the problem is not specific to the playback software; it is happening during the encoding.
Mauser

see if posts 9 & 10 will help - https://forum.dvdfab.cn/forum/software-support-english/dvdfab-dvd-ripper-blu-ray-ripper-3d-plus/5729-aspect-ratio

Mauser

While I certainly appreciate your reply and attempt t help, I do not see how that other very old post applies to this problem.

I do not need to convert the format at all - the original factory discs are already in 4:3 format. When ripped with any H265 hardware encoder, the output file is still in 4:3, and plays fine on ALL devices. BUT ONLY WHEN the SAME disc is ripped with an H265 SOFTWARE encoder, the resulting output file plays back as wide 16:9 on my Android TV Box even though the file metadata still says that it is 4:3.

october262

While I certainly appreciate your reply and attempt t help, I do not see how that other very old post applies to this problem.

I do not need to convert the format at all - the original factory discs are already in 4:3 format. When ripped with any H265 hardware encoder, the output file is still in 4:3, and plays fine on ALL devices. BUT ONLY WHEN the SAME disc is ripped with an H265 SOFTWARE encoder, the resulting output file plays back as wide 16:9 on my Android TV Box even though the file metadata still says that it is 4:3.
Mauser

on your Android TV Box do you have the aspect ratio selection set to automatic or manual ??

Mona

While I certainly appreciate your reply and attempt t help, I do not see how that other very old post applies to this problem.

I do not need to convert the format at all - the original factory discs are already in 4:3 format. When ripped with any H265 hardware encoder, the output file is still in 4:3, and plays fine on ALL devices. BUT ONLY WHEN the SAME disc is ripped with an H265 SOFTWARE encoder, the resulting output file plays back as wide 16:9 on my Android TV Box even though the file metadata still says that it is 4:3.
Mauser

Hi, the developer asked for a copy of the dvdfab_internal log file and the fabcheck_internal log file. Thanks.

Mauser

I have repeated the tests this morning with the same results - requested logs attached.

Here is the sequence of events:

2023.05.24-05:51 DVDFab restarted
06:10 -- I did a 10 second rip using profile (MKV.H265), hardware encoder. Result: 4:3 playback
06:13 -- I did a 10 second rip using profile (MKV.H265), software encoder. Result: 4:3 playback

06:22 -- I did a 10 second rip using profile (MP4.H265), software encoder. Result: stretched 16:9 widescreen playback
06:23 -- I did a 10 second rip using profile (MP4.H265), hardware encoder. Result: 4:3 playback

Other than trimming the video clip just to save my own time in testing, no other changes were made to DVDFab settings between these tests.

Mauser

on your Android TV Box do you have the aspect ratio selection set to automatic or manual ??
october262

In the Device Preferences settings, the Screen Resolution is set to Auto.

I would never have even encountered this problem except that the DVDFab AMD APP hardware encoder has so many horrible problems that I am forced to use the software encoder just to get ripping and conversion tasks to run. And now I find that even the software encoder is not reliable!

I have used DVDFab for over 15 years without many problems (mostly just to do .iso copies of DVDs), but now that I am trying to convert those libraries to different formats, I am running into so many horrible problems that I am losing all faith in this product. I cannot remember the last time I encountered any software this buggy and unreliable. I keep reporting problems, but almost none of them have been fixed. It seems the company is now more interested in constantly inserting unwanted adds to sell more stuff than actually making the software work!

Mona

I have repeated the tests this morning with the same results - requested logs attached.

Here is the sequence of events:

2023.05.24-05:51 DVDFab restarted
06:10 -- I did a 10 second rip using profile (MKV.H265), hardware encoder. Result: 4:3 playback
06:13 -- I did a 10 second rip using profile (MKV.H265), software encoder. Result: 4:3 playback

06:22 -- I did a 10 second rip using profile (MP4.H265), software encoder. Result: stretched 16:9 widescreen playback
06:23 -- I did a 10 second rip using profile (MP4.H265), hardware encoder. Result: 4:3 playback

Other than trimming the video clip just to save my own time in testing, no other changes were made to DVDFab settings between these tests.
Mauser

OK. Thanks.