Aspect ratio is displayed incorrectly

[T-buch]

How can I make avidemux to show various videos with the correct aspect ratio?
I would guess that the attached picture explain better than words what I'm looking for

[Jan Gruuthuse]

Re: AVIdemux doesnÃ,´t show 16:9 aspect ratio correct!

[T-buch]

Thanks for your feedback. I'm not quite sure what your answer is;-)
If the answer is "You can also play with Force display width.http://www.avidemux.org/smf/index.php?topic=10232.msg55041#msg55041 (old link which is not working)" then I can not I find this feature?

[Jan Gruuthuse]

Avidemux is only showing pixel as 1:1. So causing display not showing 16:9 with SD video where you could have 4:3 or stretched 16:9 in the same resolution. (pal/ntsc).

The force display width is not for playing video in 16:9 in avidemux. It is only there in
Output Format
[Mkv Muxer] or [Webm Muxer]
[Configure]

To solve some issues with other (older) standalone video players.

Avidemux is not a videoplayer.

[T-buch]

Thanks again

Avidemux is not a videoplayer.

But avidemux is a video editor 
I know it's free - so just see it as a friendly request - but actually it can be hard to make quality editing, if the video is displayed somewhat distorted

[Jan Gruuthuse]

Has nothing to do with free. Developer(s) don't have enough time and other (developing) priorities. We users have learned to live with that. And are happy to have this great tool.
Fast editing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avs5AvlSq4Y
Processing huge video files: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcUGtoHHmXg
4k, h265, ..., webm and most likely more goodies to come in the future.
more: Avidemux Demo

[T-buch]

I think that you misunderstand my recent post
It makes no sense that you write that it "has nothing to do with free."

The only reason I emphasize and point out that it is free is that one should be cautious with wishes for a free program
I also think it is a good program. However, only for the video-files that are displayed in the correct aspect ratio

[AQUAR]

@ T-buch

The correct display aspect is related in part to the type of monitor used, in part if the content is anamorphic etc.
Avidemux simply renders/scales the stored data points (ie display aspect ratio = stored aspect ratio).
So what you see are the actual "data points" mapped to screen pixels.
Avidemux has never made any determinations to scale the Stored Aspect ratio into a Display Aspect ratio for its playback window.

As an example - PC monitors have square pixels and video meant for monitors with non square pixels are going to look "wrong".

That does not stop you from editing the video in anyway.
It also informs the end user to pay attention to defining parameters for aspect ratios in the transcoded or copied result.
Else you will most likely create material that will look incorrect on the playback monitor.

As Jan explained - avidemux is not a video player and the above provides the distinction.

This issue is about an end user not understanding that distinction.
ADM's approach is fine for all videos - not just videos that are shown with a correct display aspect ratio.

I am sure there are refinements that can be added, nothing wrong with asking for that, or pointing it out.
The fact that ADM is free does play into such requests - the sense here is: free=resource limitations.

[T-buch]

Thanks for taking time to reply

I actually had understood the technical explanation - generally
According to the wiki documentation for ADM under "Feature requests" I have read the guidelines and are trying to do this kindly requests - hopefully this is the place in this forum to post it
I understand your good point about the limited resources. I propose to use the resources to make a good program better and a more serious editing tool by providing that aspect ratios is displayed properly.

To be concrete:
You need to find the most welcoming and beautiful landscape shoot in a video sequence - Then you are very handicapped by by a wrong and distorted aspect ratio

So again - my post is transformed to a kindly "feature request" with the hope that many users agree with me = "The fact that ADM is free does play into such requests"

[AQUAR]

@ T-Bush

We try to help  .
I do think you have missed the point that ADM purposely renders to the stored aspect ratio rather than the intended display aspect ratio.
It serves as a hint that the end user cannot go about doing "dummy default" processing.

IMHO this behaviour should not change but a user setting to initiate typical display scaling factors would be a nice feature.
Trouble is that end users may become confused as to why that function is there and what they should set it to.
In the end its comes down to understanding how to use the video editor.
 

[T-buch]

I do think you have missed the point that ADM purposely renders to the stored aspect ratio

Ha ha - I do think I understand it.
Maybe my English is not of a super high level but don't be fooled by that 
I'm talking about the displaying of a video clip - I am not talking about rendering. I love the way AVM renders and after trying so many free and costly video editors I really appreciate that I'm just with a few keyboard- and mouse clicks can cut out selected parts of a video sequence and store the finished product in a snap

[AQUAR]

Rendering in the sense of creating a display from video data rather than rendering to compose the frames of a computer game or rendering to create an edited video file.

 

[T-buch]

Okay - my mistake

But maybe the mistake was caused by: "

the end user cannot go about doing "dummy default" processing

Cause how can the end user go about doing "dummy" things if AVM renders from the video data to the intended display aspect ratio to show on the screen?

You are right - I can not understand that  and  have missed the point of this behaviour of AVM

Its okay - if you lose patience with me ;-) - but I can not understand why the program does not have such a basic function when it almost perfect in many other things

[AQUAR]

I don't lose patience if people stay on topic and remain convivial.

If ADM shows the correct aspect for the video, then you know that this video was "configured" for a digital monitor/tv.
You know that because digital monitors have square pixels, and square pixels have a Pixel Aspect Ratio (PAR) of 1.
There is a relationship between the Display Aspect Ratio (DAR,) the Stored Aspect Ratio (SAR) and the PAR.
When PAR=1 we have DAR=SAR
When PAR is defined in the source as something other than 1, then DAR is not the same as SAR (hence the wrong DAR in ADM/PC-Monitor!).

When you recode your video material, you have to incorporate PAR information so that a media player can scale the video to suit.
If none are present its assumed that PAR=1.

ADM gives you a clue that PAR is not equal to 1 (wrong picture look on digital monitors).
If not PAR=1 then the recode needs to be set up to maintain the DAR of the source material for display on a digital monitor.
That setting up is done by rescaling the source material or by container PAR/DAR header information.

If ADM gives the correct look you can ignore all this "setting up" as ADM will take PAR to be 1 "dummy default".
If ADM doesn't give the correct look then if you ignore PAR in the recode (take the dummy default approach!) then the end result will also look wrong on your PC monitor (probably why you think ADM is flawed for these cases).

So ADM is really doing the right thing as a video editor by visually letting you know about a PAR mismatch.

I do think it would be nice if the user could choose a typical scaling factor so as to allow ADM to display with the correct DAR.
But that would have to be an "after the fact" feature (ie first the hint then from the stats pick the PAR for the DAR!).

In short ADM only recodes as per the way you set it up.
If the DAR in the video recode is wrong then you didn't set it up properly (source material has information that is being ignored in the recode!).

Just as note:
There are some scripts that will set ADM up (automate!) some of these "non PAR=1" cases (eg anamorphic DVD stuff!).