Incorrect Aspect Ratio (4:3 stretched)

cameron · May 13, 2015, 4:25am

Hi, I was re-encoding a file I already had from a few years ago, and noticed while the old file displays correctly at 4:3 on the PS4, the new encode is stretched. Not the entire 16:9 frame, but its wider than the original source.

Both files are encoded as anamorphic as well. Here are the Mediainfo files for both:

Old file:

Video #1

ID                                       : 1

Format                                   : AVC

Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile                           : High@L3

Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames                : 5 frames

Codec ID                                 : avc1

Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding

Duration                                 : 11mn 18s

Bit rate                                 : 614 Kbps

Width                                    : 720 pixels

Height                                   : 480 pixels

Display aspect ratio                     : 4:3

Original display aspect ratio            : 4:3

Frame rate mode                          : Variable

Frame rate                               : 29.606 fps

Minimum frame rate                       : 14.985 fps

Maximum frame rate                       : 29.970 fps

Standard                                 : NTSC

Color space                              : YUV

Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0

Bit depth                                : 8 bits

Scan type                                : Progressive

Bits/(PixelFrame)                       : 0.060

Stream size                              : 49.7 MiB (75%)

Writing library                          : x264 core 114

Encoding settings                        : cabac=1 / ref=5 / deblock=1:1:1 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=hex / subme=7 / psy=1 / psy_rd=0.40:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=3 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=5 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=300 / keyint_min=30 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=50 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=19.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=3 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:0.60

Encoded date                             : UTC 2011-03-23 03:12:49

Tagged date                              : UTC 2011-03-23 03:26:59

Color range                              : Limited

Color primaries                          : BT.601 NTSC

Transfer characteristics                 : BT.709

Matrix coefficients                      : BT.601

 

Video #2

ID                                       : 5

Format                                   : JPEG

Codec ID                                 : jpeg

Duration                                 : 11mn 18s

Bit rate                                 : 59 bps

Width                                    : 640 pixels

Height                                   : 480 pixels

Display aspect ratio                     : 4:3

Frame rate mode                          : Constant

Frame rate                               : 0.001 fps

Color space                              : YUV

Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0

Bit depth                                : 8 bits

Compression mode                         : Lossy

Bits/(PixelFrame)                       : 0.192

Stream size                              : 7.23 KiB (0%)

Encoded date                             : UTC 2013-12-29 18:00:41

Tagged date                              : UTC 2013-12-29 18:00:42

 

Audio

ID                                       : 2

Format                                   : AAC

Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec

Format profile                           : LC

Codec ID                                 : 40

Duration                                 : 11mn 18s

Bit rate mode                            : Variable

Bit rate                                 : 192 Kbps

Maximum bit rate                         : 294 Kbps

Channel(s)                               : 2 channels

Channel positions                        : Front: L R

Sampling rate                            : 48.0 KHz

Compression mode                         : Lossy

Stream size                              : 15.6 MiB (24%)

Title                                    : Stereo

Language                                 : English

Encoded date                             : UTC 2011-03-23 03:12:49

Tagged date                              : UTC 2011-03-23 03:26:59

 

Menu #1

00:00:00.000                             : Chapter  1

 

Menu #2

ID                                       : 4

Codec ID                                 : text

Duration                                 : 11mn 18s

Encoded date                             : UTC 2011-03-23 14:56:07

Tagged date                              : UTC 2011-03-23 14:56:07

00:00:00.000                             : Chapter  1

New Encode:

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 11mn 18s
Bit rate : 890 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Original display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 29.622 fps
Minimum frame rate : 14.985 fps
Maximum frame rate : 29.970 fps
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.087
Stream size : 72.1 MiB (82%)
Writing library : x264 core 142 r2479 dd79a61
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=5 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=8 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=6 / lookahead_threads=1 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=300 / keyint_min=30 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=50 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=16.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=3000 / vbv_bufsize=1500 / crf_max=25.0 / nal_hrd=none / filler=0 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 1904-01-01 00:00:00
Tagged date : UTC 1904-01-01 00:00:00
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.601 NTSC
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.601

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : ac-3
Duration : 11mn 18s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 15.5 MiB (18%)
Title : Stereo / Stereo
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 1904-01-01 00:00:00
Tagged date : UTC 1904-01-01 00:00:00

Menu
ID : 3
Codec ID : text
Duration : 11mn 18s
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 1904-01-01 00:00:00
Tagged date : UTC 1904-01-01 00:00:00
00:00:00.000 : Chapter 1

Can you any reason why the Playstation 4 would display the newer file differently?

cameron · May 13, 2015, 5:22am

Wow, this is the strangest thing.

I just re-encoded the file. Perfect aspect ratio. I tried again ONLY CHANGING THE AUDIO FILE TO AC-3 PASSTHROUGH and the aspect ratio was stretched again :o

It can't be the audio track though because I'm now going through other 4:3 material and some of it displays correctly and some does not, and they all don't have AC-3 tracks. So weird.

I know there is an issue with the current PS4 firmware and anamorphic material, but is it random? How am I creating two files with identical settings, with the exception of an audio track, and they are causing the PS4 to display them differently??? :blink:

cameron · May 13, 2015, 5:48am

So far, I've tested this about over a dozen times and the files with AC-3 tracks have an incorrect aspect ratio, and the ones with AAC tracks display with a correct ratio.

What I don't understand yet is why I have some other 4:3 material with AAC tracks that display incorrectly like the videos with AC-3 tracks mentioned above.

thr0tt · May 13, 2015, 7:25am

Have you renamed the file in case this is some sort of cache going on ?

I wish this was sorted as all my DVD’s can’t be played through the PS which is easier than Chromecast for the wife and kids to operate. Can you upscale 576 to 720p ?

cameron · May 13, 2015, 1:39pm

Yeah, each file had its own unique filename.

cameron · May 13, 2015, 2:45pm

Looking at my Plex Logs from last night, and regarding the two files that are identical except for the AC-3 track, it seems that if there is any transcoding going on (in this case, the AC-3 track) Plex Media Server seems to send the 720x480 without square pixels?

May 13, 2015 01:42:41 [0x10d181000] DEBUG - MDE: analyzing media item 28947

May 13, 2015 01:42:41 [0x10d181000] DEBUG - MDE: 1b: Direct Play is disabled

May 13, 2015 01:42:41 [0x10d181000] DEBUG - MDE: 1b: media must be transcoded in order to use the hls protocol

May 13, 2015 01:42:41 [0x10d181000] DEBUG - MDE: 1b: no direct play video profile exists for mp4/h264/ac3

May 13, 2015 01:42:41 [0x10d181000] DEBUG - MDE: computed resolution bounding box of 720x480.

Another 4:3 file I tried had an AAC soundtrack that was just over the limit (265kpbs over the limit of 256kpbs) causing the same thing to happen:

May 13, 2015 01:18:11 [0x10d604000] DEBUG - MDE: E03 - Paris: Direct Play is disabled

May 13, 2015 01:18:11 [0x10d604000] DEBUG - MDE: E03 - Paris: media must be transcoded in order to use the hls protocol

May 13, 2015 01:18:11 [0x10d604000] DEBUG - MDE: E03 - Paris: no direct play video profile exists for mp4/h264/aac

May 13, 2015 01:18:11 [0x10d604000] DEBUG - E03 - Paris - audio.bitrate limitation applies: 265 > 256

May 13, 2015 01:18:11 [0x10d604000] DEBUG - MDE: computed resolution bounding box of 718x480.

There were a couple of other 4:3 files that also didnt display correctly, but Im not sure what the issue was with those yet.

SpaceLincoln · May 15, 2015, 4:08am

Is there any ETA on a fix for this issue?

cameron · May 15, 2015, 2:53pm

There is supposedly a fix coming in from Sony because the PS4 has an issue displaying anamorphic material, but I don’t know if this is a separate issue since I can get it to display correctly in certain cases.

oboshua · May 16, 2015, 4:08am

We've been waiting for the fix for a while! It's weird, because anamorphic DVDs display fine. Apparently it's coming in the next Plex app update.

SpaceLincoln · May 17, 2015, 3:18am

Yeah, I know there's a fix on its way (which I greatly appreciate :)) I was just hoping to get a clearer idea of when we can expect it to be implemented. I'm getting so frustrated with this issue. I just love Plex so much, I want to be able to use it to watch all my videos. I'm watching the X Files with Serviio on my PS3 right now and it pales in comparison to the PS4 Plex app. I wish the staff here could give us an ETA.

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Incorrect Aspect Ratio (4:3 stretched)

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