How to convert WMV (HD) files to DVD

[Shagga]

What software will maintain the aspect ratio and resolutions of high definition WMV files and convert them to DVD?

Much appreciated.

 

[bob4432]

tagged for knowledge...sorry i can't help out...

can you plug in a computer to them?

 

[rbV5]

None, unless you burn them to a data cd...then just leave them as WMV HD files.

DVD by definition is limited to 480p max resolution.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Yeah, I think hooking up a computer to your display would be the best way...

 

[3chordcharlie]

There's no HD standard (i.e. greater than 480p) that will play on your dvd player - hook up your plasma or LCD to your computer directly.

 

[Shagga]

Thanks guyz. I wonder if my DVD player will play WMV files. Gunna have a go now.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Shagga
Thanks guyz. I wonder if my DVD player will play WMV files. Gunna have a go now.

Even if it does play WMV, I don't think it's going to output it in HD, only 480p.

 

[bob4432]

i thought some of the xbox games were for hdtvs....but can't remember

 

[Continuity28]

Originally posted by: bob4432
i thought some of the xbox games were for hdtvs....but can't remember

Yes, some XBOX games play in resolutions above 640x480 (widescreen 720x480) but that's only for games, the maxmimum resolution you'll ever achieve on a DVD is 720x480.

If your video is 1280x720 or 1920x1080, obviously you're losing out by converting it to 720x480 with black bars on the top and bottom.

If you still want to do it though, the best programs cost a LOT of money, like CCE... but you can try other cheaper solutions like Nero Vision Express 3 and TMPGEnc XPress 3.0

 

[0roo0roo]

you convert you lose your hd and go straight to dvd resolution. only way is to output the recorded wmv hd file from a computer.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Oh, and even upconverting DVD players that output 720p wont help you because the source material is still going to be a 480p DVD.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Oh, and even upconverting DVD players that output 720p wont help you because the source material is still going to be a 480p DVD.

i was thinking the same thing. i have read that some people claim the dvds do look better but wonder how many suffer from the placebo effect. in all honesty, if i shoot my mini dv cam at its native 720x480 (or any video for that matter regardless of what the orginating source was) and the make any adj, there is atleast a small degradation in quality.

i have no idea how the internals of a upconverting dvd work, maybe it is like a amp, even though there is some distortion it is so small that as humans we cannot see/hear it....i don't know.

i still feel the best way is to connect the computer to the display to get the true resolution or wait until the hd-dvds come out...

 

[rbV5]

Oh, and even upconverting DVD players that output 720p wont help you because the source material is still going to be a 480p DVD.

Thats not true. It depends on the video components and scaling ability of your STB and your display device. If your PC's software and graphics hardware has better video scaling capabilities than your STB DVD player...... using your PC as a scaler to output to your display device can most definately improve the PQ of the displayed video.

The fact is, most DVD's are 480i source material anyway. Progressive scan DVD players act as line doublers and scalers and can have advanced features or be completely crap. PC's can in fact be far superior...or crap as well.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Oh, and even upconverting DVD players that output 720p wont help you because the source material is still going to be a 480p DVD.

i was thinking the same thing. i have read that some people claim the dvds do look better but wonder how many suffer from the placebo effect. in all honesty, if i shoot my mini dv cam at its native 720x480 (or any video for that matter regardless of what the orginating source was) and the make any adj, there is atleast a small degradation in quality.

i have no idea how the internals of a upconverting dvd work, maybe it is like a amp, even though there is some distortion it is so small that as humans we cannot see/hear it....i don't know.

i still feel the best way is to connect the computer to the display to get the true resolution or wait until the hd-dvds come out...

Yeah, I'm not sure how it works either, but I've been looking at DVD players in the $200 range (mainly oppo971 and Panasonic s77). Both do upconversion but both have issues with Macroblocking. I'm not really worried about that since my Infocus 4805 is a 480p projector, but these two still seem to be the top choices in the $200 range.

So, with this macroblocking issue it sounds like 480p component output via the s77 is actually better looking on some displays than the digital output upconverted. I'm planning 480p (or even 480i) component to my projector, so I think I'm set.

The upconversion problems on these players seem to be a flaw in the faroudja scaler/deinterlacer chip that enhances the macroblocking problem on DVDs and makes it very noticable on some displays.

(ok, I'm done with my totally off topic post )

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Oh, and even upconverting DVD players that output 720p wont help you because the source material is still going to be a 480p DVD.

Thats not true. It depends on the video components and scaling ability of your STB and your display device. If your PC's software and graphics hardware has better video scaling capabilities than your STB DVD player...... using your PC as a scaler to output to your display device can most definately improve the PQ of the displayed video.

The fact is, most DVD's are 480i source material anyway. Progressive scan DVD players act as line doublers and scalers and can have advanced features or be completely crap. PC's can in fact be far superior...or crap as well.

I meant to say that an upscaling DVD player is still not going to get you HD from disc to display since it's downconverter and then upconverted along the way... is that true?

 

[rbV5]

I meant to say that an upscaling DVD player is still not going to get you HD from disc to display since it's downconverter and then upconverted along the way... is that true?

True that. If you were to encode it down to 480p (WMV HD) you forever lose the important bits. No upconversion or scaling can replace that, or even come close.

Worse yet, since WMV HD files are highly compressed already, re-encoding them to 480p MPEG-2 wouldn't be pretty.

Good thing he has HT with that processor too, since that 6800GT can't accelerate WMV files. Hopefully the plasma has decent resolution and a high bandwidth connection like HD-15 or DVI. The LCD, if its the one for the rig, should be fire up a supported WMV HD player (wmp10) and full screen.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: rbV5

I meant to say that an upscaling DVD player is still not going to get you HD from disc to display since it's downconverter and then upconverted along the way... is that true?

True that. If you were to encode it down to 480p (WMV HD) you forever lose the important bits. No upconversion or scaling can replace that, or even come close.

Worse yet, since WMV HD files are highly compressed already, re-encoding them to 480p MPEG-2 wouldn't be pretty.

Good thing he has HT with that processor too, since that 6800GT can't accelerate WMV files. Hopefully the plasma has decent resolution and a high bandwidth connection like HD-15 or DVI. The LCD, if its the one for the rig, should be fire up a supported WMV HD player (wmp10) and full screen.

just out of curiosity, what gpu does accelerate wmv files?

 

[Shagga]

I'm kinda confused. My DVD player states that it will play both 1280 x 720p and 1920 x 1080p providing the display panel can display it. Are we saying that its a limitation of DVD media to display either 820 or 1080p?

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: Shagga
I'm kinda confused. My DVD player states that it will play both 1280 x 720p and 1920 x 1080p providing the display panel can display it. Are we saying that its a limitation of DVD media to display either 820 or 1080p?

is your dvd player a hd-dvd player?

does your dvd state that it is upconverting? dvd resolution is 720x480. all of the higher resolutions have been upconverted.

 

[Continuity28]

Originally posted by: Shagga
I'm kinda confused. My DVD player states that it will play both 1280 x 720p and 1920 x 1080p providing the display panel can display it. Are we saying that its a limitation of DVD media to display either 820 or 1080p?

Does your DVD player play DIVX files or other MPEG4? The truth is, standard DVDs use MPEG2, and on standard DVD with the DVD format, you cannot go above 720x480. If your DVD player can play DIVX files (or other MPEG4) that may be where the extra resolutions are coming from, but that's not DVD format, thats DIVX files on a DVD disk.

 

[Continuity28]

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: Shagga
I'm kinda confused. My DVD player states that it will play both 1280 x 720p and 1920 x 1080p providing the display panel can display it. Are we saying that its a limitation of DVD media to display either 820 or 1080p?

is your dvd player a hd-dvd player?

does your dvd state that it is upconverting? dvd resolution is 720x480. all of the higher resolutions have been upconverted.

Good point, some don't play DIVX and simply upconvert normal DVD material only.

 

[Shagga]

Emm. Okay gunna have a look. It sounds like my DVD player is upscaling. It's a Pioneer DV-868AVi-S

HDTV looks excellent by the way if those clips I've downloaded are anything to go by.

 

[IeraseU]

I think this HD DVD player would play those HD WMV files with no downconversion or scaling, have a look:

http://www.onlybestrated.com/product_in...2&products_id=40&affiliate_banner_id=4

 

[Budman]

Originally posted by: IeraseU
I think this HD DVD player would play those HD WMV files with no downconversion or scaling, have a look:

http://www.onlybestrated.com/product_in...2&products_id=40&affiliate_banner_id=4

wow that's a nice player with great features, too bad it's 309.99$ CAD