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The original slim woman speaking on the video(flv) is framed by vertical black space on the left and vertical black space on right side of the video. When it's converted to wmv or avi, the vertical black sides are gone and the video is widened to fill the player, and the subject is now very wide. How can I keep it the original way it appears when I convert it? Thanks.
The aspect ratio is being changed when you are converting it.
The black bars on the sides of the original are because the original video was captured or rendered in the wrong aspect ratio. It was probably a standard def video with a 4:3 aspect ratio, captured or rendered as HD video, widescreen, 16:9 ratio.
Unless your conversion program allows for setting or altering the aspect ratio, you may not be able to to much.
One thing you could try is to alter the pixel dimensions of the player... if it makes everything too wide, make the pixel dimension of the width less (narrower).
Next time, shoot, capture, and render the video in the correct aspect ratio so that there are no black bars to begin with.
Best wishes,
Video Man
Thanks for that explanation. I appreciate it. I'm learning all the time.
Can you recommend a "conversion program(s) that allows for setting or altering the aspect ratio"? Thanks again.
To really give a good answer, I'd have to know why you want to convert from .flv to .wmv or .avi and what will this converted video file be played on (what type of media player).
Video Man
Thanks again for your help.
The flv plays fine on my PC flash player. But when I upload to a video site (a phpmotion.com site, which apparently converts most formats to flv upon upload) it displays in the wide, distorted manner. So, I'm hoping to tweak it somehow, beforehand so it won't distort after it's uploaded. I tried to convert it to wmv and avi, to see if they would keep the original view when uploaded, without success. I need a solution to keep it in it's original viewable state, by either converting, copying or some other suggestion, please. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Why convert to some other format when you want a .flv in the end anyway? Can't you just upload the file without converting?
How did you get it into the .flv format anyway? Camera's don't shoot in .flv so it was originally in some other format before it was a .flv.
Video Man
Good question. I'm helping someone take thier video from youtube and put in on the phpmotion site. I've downloaded from YT (in flv) and it plays fine on my PC, but widens after it's uploaded to the new site. The only reason I want to convert it, before uploading, is to attempt to keep it not-wide once it displays on the new site. When I upload it as flv format, avi or wmv, it appears wider on the new site. I'm looking for a solution to keep it in orginal size. Every other video uploaded to the site stays in it's same viewing form. I need a solution to keep this file in it's original viewable state, by either converting, copying or some other suggestion, please. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
When you talk about the upload process working with every other video, do those videos also have the black bars of the sides?
If the answer is no, then it sounds like the problem is the original video and the fact that it was shot or rendered in the wrong aspect ratio, resulting in the black bars.
It may be that the only way to fix it is to remove the black bars and make a completely new video file.
Perhaps the easiest way would be to do a screen capture of the video as it plays on your desktop and only capture the actual video, minus the black bars. You might try something like
http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/
or get hold of an older version of Windows Media Encoder, version 9:
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/...r_9_series.htm
Can't vouch for the site listed above... you can Google for other links if you want. But you need the older version, the newer versions do not have screen capture.
I use and have used the Windows Media Encoder for many years, it will do Live streaming as well as the screen capture... it's free and works well... but you choose what you want for a screen capture program.
Play the video, capture the screen, test that video file... see if that will work.
Best of luck!
Video Man
Yes, the problem is the original video.
I tried your two suggestions without success (Camtasia had an error installing). Would someone be interested helping me if I send the file to you?
I'd greatly appreciate some help.
Look for PM in your in box.
VM
You can try Video to Flash converter,. I always use it. It can convert video to flash FLV, SWF and HTLM page, Define the cropping values to remove the unwanted area like black slides and zoom the scenes which are too far away through set its aspect ratio: original, full, 16:9, 4:3.
You can use AppGeeker to convert FLV to MOV.