Pixel aspect ratio issues in EncoreCS3

Ok, having a problem here.
The DVD project seems to show the 16:9 content correctly on most TVs and DVD
players. But on at least one TV and DVD player, it doesn't show the 16:9 menus
in 16:9, but in 4:3. It is a widescreen TV, however. Then when the video
timeline starts to play, this TV and DVD player shows that timeline correctly in
16:9.

We've also tried another commercial DVDs with that setup, and it did show all
the menus correctly in 16:9. So, this must have something to do with the menu
settings I have in Encore, right?

The menu background videos are created in square pixels, with resolution 1024 x
576, as this is a PAL dvd, and so does the Encore tell that those are it's
dimensions in the asset info. The menu that has this video as it's backround, is
a photoshop file with the exact same size and square pixels, and in Encore it
has been set as 16:9 aspect ratio. As it should be. STILL, on that TV and DVD
test they show the menus in 4:3, while on the other they show the menu in 16:9.

SO, do I have to resize the menus and their background videos to 720 x 576 size
in order that the DVDs interpret them correctly? (as the correctly showing
timelinevideo is 720 x 576). Can you not use square pixel videos and menus? And
if you can, which CONFORM TO: option you have to select? Does that determine
eventually how it will show up, even though it shows correctly on the preview
etc.?

Don't use 1024x576 square pixels for your menus.

jbowden, thanks for the answer.

My advice was specific to your case - if you're having problems with 1024x576
menus with 1.0 PAR, then don't use them. I don't know the details of why they
are causing you a problem.

      By "conform", do you mean File > Interpret Footage? That's
for video assets,
      not for menus.




Yes, ok, as I'm using these video assets as background videos (which don't
spread to the wide 16:9) I thought it might count something, but obviously not?

Anyway, I changed the aspect ratio of the Menus, and even the video backgrounds
to PAL wide pixels with size 720 x 576, and I replaced the old square pixel
video assets with them. The Interpret footage still Interpreted them as square
pixels, which I thought was because initially the replaced assets were in square
pixels. So changed the COMFORM TO WIDE PIXELS. And with the files like that the
same problem remains. Getting this only with that one TV - DVD combination at
the moment, with others, the menus are scaled the right way...SO, looks like
with the way the After Effects exports the m2v videos as Widescreenpixels in 720
x 576, at least Encore doesn't interpret them as Widescreen pixels, and looks
like that one TV - DVD combination doesn't either.

I did change the actual Encore menus with the edit in Photoshop option, but it
shouldn't make any difference, right? As I now open the menu in PS it's size is
correctly 720 x 576pxs and PAL wide pixel aspect ratio. Even the menu preview in
Encore still scaled the video background correctly (even though Interpret
footage says the video bg is in square pixel 720 x 576).