Gaming Encoding Batman The Animated Series

[WeaponXxX]

I am trying to encode several of my DVDs like Animaniacs, TMNT, Tiny Toons, Batman, ect to DivX (Not looking for a what is better war, DivX plays best across the 9 devices I have to share DivX files across) Anyway, so ... most episodes come out at 640X480 but I get the occasional ones that only give me two options, the default one at 512X384 or if I bump up the bitrate I get 656X480. Now I am somewhat confused as to why I am getting this and...well isn't 4:3 TVs max ouput 640X480? If so why am I getting an option for 656X480? I also get the occasional 640X466 option as well which never bothered me as it didn't break the 640X480 limits...but 656? I'm puzzled

Any help from GBATempers would be appreciated....

PS
Thanks in advance Fast

 

[FAST6191]

re 480 on 4:3 TV for NTSC regions is the limit, PAL go to 576 (although overscan does come into it).

As for reasons it can be a few things.
16 pixels is the standard size for a block using current encoding standards (see mod16).
My guess then is the frame shifts at some point during the video, was the victim of a bad transfer (these early 90s cartoons were made in some really odd ways; worse than a lot of anime so getting a good transfer takes some serious effort and skills*) or has some noise there and the app you are using to encode detects this as part of the image, thus when it comes to crop and/or resize it it rounds up to the next 16 so as not to lose the "image". Your TV/DVD player will usually crop though and as it is only those who would transcode it that have a problem.....

*not wanting to knock the DVD makers but they usually concentrate of not messing up the pulldown or fixing problems involved with it. As computers capable of dealing with video at any sensible level were not all the available during the 90s I guess it is a telecine job or worse a copy of the film a TV station had floating around (which could mean any aspect ratio imaginable) which trickles down to this.
Next up is related to the above but is more of an encoder issue, the pixels could well be an odd shape and the correction used changes it as above with the same mod16 coming into play.

All of this is theory though so in the end, test a small section and then a combination of a shift (crop and add borders), a crop and possibly a resize will sort you out.
A shift of 2.5% (2.5% is assuming you lose a full 16 pixels (straight up crop, no resize or testing) where I suspect it is going to be 3 or so at most and if you do it properly there will be no change) is not going to be all that noticeable.

Also is this the 90's version of batman (intro: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lEx9r5enZsk ) and if so is this the box set that got released a few months back? I have been thinking about picking it up and wondered if they made a good transfer.

 

[WeaponXxX]

Thanks Fast,
I did realize that with the videos that came in at 512X384 that if I went into advanced settings I could bump it up to 640X480. The app I use autodetects the videos best output size and after reading what you wrote, well first I should say my process of encoding involves me removing intros and credits because when your watching shows back, to back, to back, it gets quite tiresome to see the intro every time. (My kids are pissed though I removed the TMNT (1985) opening though)

So back to reading your post about frame shifts I thought to myself, "all these shows start on a black screen and fade in to the episode title" so I took one of the episodes that came out at 512X384 and reripped the whole episode and found out that it now got auto detected at 640X480. YES! Some still output to 640X466 but I can live with that.

And regarding the Batman episodes, yes I did encode the animated Batman series from the early 90's. (As shown in the youtube video) Regarding the quality of the transfer, I never got around to watching them even though I bought all these DVDs for me but after watching the crap my kids watch now I said, "It is time to dish out some quality entertainment" Since I started encoded I have watched the first few episodes on my DivX player. The series starts out with "On Leather Wings" which based off the quality I thought was a vintage reel Bruce might be watching...nope it was the show. But 5 minutes in it does get better, of course you'll see the occasional scratch or blip now and then but overall from what I have seen I'm ecstatic to start watching these shows again. (Unfortunatly my kids aren't as keen to Batman as some of my other shows again, TMNT, Rescue Rangers, and Tiny Toons have gone over really well so far but Batman may be a little too serious and dark for them.

Oh yea, I am not in the UK so we got the series in four volumes each with four disks per volume and we got these a while back but I am going to guess that the same source material was made for production of both the US and UK DVDs