The VideoLAN Forums

Purpose is to make single mkv file from my music DVD.
Video: PAL year 2010
Band: Archive - Live In Athens (2011)

1. I used MakeMkv to create mkv file but with Windows desktop Vlc player 2.2.1 video appears to be horizontally distorted - compressed.
Vlc codec info reports 720x576. Size ratio 1.25 - 5:4
But in fact Vlc determine to play it 4:3 and not 16:9.

Same when opening single vob directly from this DVD.

2. But when playing same DVD as DVD with same computer Vlc player, DVD picture is normally wide and not distorted.
Vlc codec info reports same 720x576 but video is full wide screen.
Where is the problem?
Why DVD plays full wide screen 16:9 but same from Vob or mkv file is 5/4 (obviously).

Monitor is HP EliteDisplay E271i 27" FullHD IPS 1920 x 1080 (Ratio 16:9)

Are there 2 different frame sizes in same video content?
One in the beginning of DVD and different in each vob?
Is it possible that MakeMkv has missed this first frame size when creating mkv?
Any ideas how to fix or create this mkv file in normal size?

720x576 is the normal size for a PAL DVD but the video stream doesn't have square pixels but anamorphic widescreen:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamorphic_widescreen

So yes, I guess MakeMKV is doing something wrong, maybe use Handbrake instead for ripping your DVD:
https://handbrake.fr

Thanks.

I see that MKVToolNix is capable to fix this - setting aspect ratio back 16:9 and now video is not squeezed.

Still, there is also something weird with Vlc player.
I added ratio 16:9 to file with MkvToolNix and it plays full width in full screen now. (was not possible with previous video file)
But in windowed view I can resize window horizontally (width) to match video pixel size exactly but it's not possible vertically, there always remains significant black stripe area up and down of video, which can't be resized out of windowed view.
Why there is black stripe up and below video like Vlc is trying to maintain some 4:3 ratio?

https://www.samsung.com/africa_en/suppo ... hing-dvds/
https://www.lifewire.com/black-bars-on- ... ed-1847838

But you can use the Crop feature from the Video menu to remove the black bars during playback.

Yes, I understand there is black band on full screen view but why it's not possible to remove/resize out this black area in Vlc windowed view?
When there is only 576 vertical pixels why Vlc still creates these black stripes when I set window height to 576?