Mine are 16:9. I wouldn't call them true anamorphic because I believe that is a special process that only the major studios can do. Also, I don't think you gain a lot of vertical resolution. You do end up with black bars that look much better than the LD ones because they are pure black and there is no analog noise in them. This method would also work for VHS. I would not use this method on pan&scan sources though. Just use widescreen.

Here is what I did and anyone can do if they have an encoder capable of 16:9 support:

1. Captured the video at 720x480 (Mine are NTSC). If you have PAL, you would capture at 720x576.
2. Took video after editing and loaded into TMPNGEnc Plus encoder and chose 16:9 for the aspect ratio of the output video. I left the source video at 4:3 525 Line (NTSC). Others I know used 4:3 525 Line (704x480 NTSC). I don't think there is much difference between the two because the image is going to be converted.
3. Also in TMPNGEnc, I chose Full Screen (Keep Aspect Ratio) for video arrange method. This keeps the aspect ratio of the video without distorting it.
4. I went to the clip frame filter in TMPNGEnc and clipped all of the black bars off of the top and bottom.

By doing those steps, I achieve an image that is 16:9 and retains the 2.35:1 aspect ratio of the movie when played on a 16:9 TV. I've tested my DVD-R on a 16:9 TV and the results were that the image was displayed correctly just like on my 4:3 TV. On the 16:9 TV there were no black bars on the sides (only the top and bottom).

The image is correctly displayed on a 4:3 TV because there is a flag set by the encoder that the player follows depending on how it is set up. If you have a 4:3 TV, make sure your DVD Player is setup to play 4:3. If you have a 16:9 TV, make sure the player is set to 16:9. So basically, the DVD Player will convert the image according to how it is set up so that it will display the image correctly. However, you will also need to have a video that is output for 16:9 to play it correctly on a 16:9 TV. If you don't, the image will not fill the sides without using the zoom function or stretching the image.

I could post some screenshots if I have a space. I also need to figure out how to do it again. I've tried to take snapshots in Windows Media Player, but they don't come out right in Paint. There's a way to do it. I just have to read up on it.

I do encourage people who have the equipment to try and make their own DVD's instead of purchasing bootlegs. It is a pain to do at first, but the results are satisfying when it all comes together. Mine have the movies spread across two discs each. However, I plan to go back and make single disc versions when I can get the audio compressed with a lossless codec like AC-3. I'm also looking at the possibility of buying a dual layered DVD Writer when they come out and prove theirselves. There is talk of those writers coming out, but no one knows exactly when.

I was wondering if we could have another section of the forum to post all of this technical information. I would also encourage everyone to check out www.dvdrhelp.com for technical questions that require lengthy answers. That way, we aren't using up too much of Jay's bandwidth here.

Patrick