Converted video is squashed

[TechiMan]

I'm using a video converter program called Video to Video to convert videos to another format; the programme can also trim videos and save them as a direct stream copy (which I'm assuming is the saved video in its original format). I've been capture my videos using Corel Video, then using Nero Video to convert them to a TS file to DVD. However, when a particular video file in Nero exceeds to 4GB limit, I have had to use Video to Video to trim the video into small parts so that I can fit the video without wasting too much disc space when burning to a disc (very often files exceed past the red line even when the video is only very short and only about a few hundred MBs in size which should fit). But when I've trimmed the video and saved it using the "Direct Stream Copy" option, when played through VLC player, I find there is no sound, yet when played in Windows Media Player there is (very strange). Why would there be no sound in VLC when all I've done is converted the video file direct to the same format only trimmed it? However, when I convert the video to an MPEG-2 file there is audio when played in VLC, but for some reason the video is "squashed" up for lack of a better term, and I have to then correct the aspect to 4:3 to resize it, which may seem OK but when the file is dropped into the Nero Video project timeline the video appears squashed in, and it will probably remain that way when I've burned it to a DVD. I'm guessing this is down to the crappy video converting program I'm using, but why no sound I don't know, maybe Corel is at fault there, maybe a codec issue.

 

[strangely tim]

Check your audio options in VLC, it plays any format I've tried it with.

 

[TechiMan]

Check your audio options in VLC, it plays any format I've tried it with.

I think the problem maybe down to Corel video when I captured the video tapes, could be using a strange audio format. In Corel Video Studio there are two options, one is LPCM (can't remember what the other option is and I can't try it at the moment as don't have my capture card and VCR at hand), whether that's causing the loss of audio when I've converted in Video to Video. Speaking of Corel Video Studio, but since using it recently to capture videos from my VHS recorder (home videos, but every tape I've tried is the same) I am getting tinny audio during capture, both recording and in playback. No idea whether it's Corel that's causing this or the cable I'm using could be faulty, or the recording heads of the VCR are worn. I can't test it on any other programme because no other programme seems to be able to detect my capture device; I've tried VLC (which used to be able to capture video), OBS Studio (it was working initially for a few weeks until it would no longer detect the capture device, and I've tried everything to get a signal but nothing), Adobe Premiere using the capture option (nothing detected though I haven't tried my old Hi8 camcorder yet), and VSDC, though I did download the latest version which I was able to capture video but the resulting video came out very choppy even when the settings had been set accordingly for capturing standard video and the frame rate was set at 25fps, and it saved the video in a format that I have never heard of before.