MPEG-1 (.mpg) dimensions?

Yes you can get other sizes with two caveats;

Both the horizontal and vertical dimension MUST be evenly divisible by 16.

You must create a copy of the original preset, rename it, Quit Compressor and then hack the copy.
You can find the Settings files under Users / (your user folder) / Library / Application Support / Compressor

Right-click on the new setting file and Open with TextEdit, about half way down you will see commands for width & height, change those to your desired dimensions and Save (Cmnd-S)

I have not found or heard of a simpler way to accomplish this in Compressor. Other third party software typically allows these settings in the GUI

genious.

Great information, David, thanks for the contribution. I recalled the "multiple of 16" part but had not considered using TextEdit to create a new preset, slick.

bogiesan

David,

You just saved my day (or what's left of it...)

I wanted to encode MPEG-1 with 512x288 resolution, but could not find any way of modifying that part in Compressors presets. But after creating a custom preset, based on the Apple MPEG-1 for DVD and then modifying the file using TextEdit, it seems to be working. Thank you!

Well... almost there. Did change the resolution in the settings file, but the result played in QT is still not 512x288. Guess I must fiddle with more parameters - but I don't know which...

I was so excited when I saw this post. I need files for broadcast in Mpeg2 format sized at 720x512 with a pixel aspect ratio of .9.
I changed the settings file, and the change was reflected in settings summary within compressor. But the files dimensions dont actually change once the job is submitted. Not sure where to go from here.

I have in the past been able to successfully change the file dimensions for both MPEG 1 and 2 by editing the XML file in Compressor, I was using FCS1. I just tried to do the same thing in FCS2, didn't work. Apple must have changed something.

I stumbled across this: http://support.apple.com/kb/TA23436?viewlocale=en_US

Its an apple support page basically saying that you can not trust compressor, final cut pro, or quicktime to validate the dimensions of a mpeg2 because they will scale a 720x480 to 640x480 to comply with 4:3 playback. The file is actually 720x480, but quicktime tells you its 640x480.
The article says you can use DVD Studio Pro to properly validate a mpeg2 files actual dimensions. I unfortunately didn't have any luck in this. Using the above posters trick of changing the dimension setting for compressor via text edit, I sent an mpeg2 (m2v) file with dimensions of 720x512 to DVDSP, but the program rejected it as an invalid format. I then reverted the dimensions back to 720x480, and DVDSP was more than happy to ingest the file. Making it impossible to actually use DVDSP as a verification tool like apple suggests.

So it seems like the text edit trick might actually be working, theres just no way to verify it.

Chad...Thanks for that link, but that's doesn't apply to this issue. Here read this thread the hack does work or did work in the past.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8628338&#8628338

I am facing the same problem when I want a PAL mpeg-1, but all times it reverted to 320x240 whatever I did, even i change setting file by TextEdit, as below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><setting name="MPEG-1size720*576%2520"><description>MPEG-1%2520video%2520with%252048%252 0kHz%2520audio.%2520Settings%2520based%2520off%2520the%2520source%2520resolution %2520and%2520frame-rate.%2520</description><default-destination>default-destinat ion</default-destination><encoder name="MPEG1"><audio-video-encode isEnabled="no"></audio-video-encode><file-extension>mpg</file-extension><job-ca n-be-segmented>yes</job-can-be-segmented><duration-change on="no" factor="100" new-duration="" source-at-output="no"></duration-change><audio-encode name="MPEG" isEnabled="yes"><samples rate="48000" channels="2" bitsPerSample="16"></samples><data-rate>192000</data-rate></audio-encode><video -encode name="MPEG1" isEnabled="yes"><frame-rate>-100</frame-rate><video-conversion>1 0 1 0 Y 0 100 0 0</video-conversion><bounds width="720" height="576" pixelAspect="0"></bounds><automatic width="-100" height="-100" frame-rate="-100" crop="no" video-conversion="yes"></automatic><crop left="0" top="0" right="0" bottom="0"></crop><padding left="0" top="0" right="0" bottom="0"></padding><anamorphic>no</anamorphic><field-dominance>3</field-domin ance><auto-field>yes</auto-field><auto-anamorphic>no</auto-anamorphic><avg-data- rate>1.85</avg-data-rate><max-data-rate>1.85</max-data-rate><two-pass>no</two-pa ss><best-quality>yes</best-quality><motion-estimation>2</motion-estimation><gop- size>15</gop-size><gop-structure>IBBP</gop-structure><open-gop>yes</open-gop><ds p-metadata>no</dsp-metadata><chapter-markers-only>no</chapter-markers-only><for- dvd>yes</for-dvd></video-encode></encoder><filter-set></filter-set></setting>

Can anyone tell me what i did wrong, or kindly share compressor setting file which is worked?

Thx for any advice and help

p.s. I am using FCP 6.0.5 and Compressor 3.0.5