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Hello,
I've some videos with an aspect-ratio of 16:9. I would like to transcode them to 4:3, so that there is a black area on top and bottom of the video.
I've allready tried many command line arguments but it was never the solution.
Could someone help me?

I'm using Windows Vista Ultimate and vlc 0.8.6i.
The input file is and XVID Video with mpga Audio.

You need to use transcode's canvas option. See the output from "vlc.exe -H --advanced --help-verbose" for information about those options (will be saved to vlc-help.txt)

canvas-aspect i've allready tried but vlc just opens a new console window wich says that the command line options couldn't be loaded (if i use ti like --canvas-aspect="4:3"). If I use :canvas-aspect="4:3" the option are accepted but not working.
where is vlc-help.txt saved?

vlc-help.txt should be saved in the current directory.

What you need is something like this: I hope that helps. (Note that the canvas syntax is different if you're using 0.9.0 or later. See 0.9.* NEWS file for more details)

Thank you,
now it works. I used canvas without the height and width settings. Now erverything works fine.

I've Downloaded the new vlc 0.9.2
Now I've some problems again. This produces a video with height=432 but with larger width then 576. If I use the command without :sout-transcode-height=432 the width is 576 but height is smaller then 432. Both videos are 16:9 but should be 4:3.
With the old Version 0.8.6i it worked, I used the same arguments, I just changed "standard" to "duplicate{dst=std".

Something else: I found a bug. If I use C:\"Program Files"\ViedoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe (worked with 0.8.6i) it interprets Files"\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe as first argument. Throws an not playable error.

Edit: changed mpga to mp3. mpga will produce output file without hearable audio but with audio track.

Edit: I changed now canvas options in vfilter=canvas{width=576.... and tried vfilter=croppadd{paddtop=60... -> both didn't work.

Using vfilter=canvas{width=something,height=something,aspect-ratio=something} should definitively work. Just make sure that you don't specify a transcode width and height. If that still doesn't work, please paste the new command line you're trying.

Both don't work. The ouput file is too wide for the showed height, it's the same like vfilter=corppadd{paddtop=integer,paddbottom=integer}.

Looks like canvas is messed up somehow. I'll investigate and try and fix it for 0.9.3 (should be out in a few days/week to fix the first big bugs)
Please post in this topic in a few days if you haven't heard anything new from me (in case I forget).

Cheers,

Is this solved? Seems like problem remains in 1.0.2

bump bump bump

My script works fine so: vlc --ttl=64 .... --sout "#transcode{vcodec=mpgv,vb=3500,fps=25,acodec=mpga,ab=128,channels=2,deinterlace,vfilter=canvas{no-padd,height=576,width=720,aspect=4:3}}:std{access=udp,mux=ts,dst=...}"