Answers.Body: <p>You can use <a href="http://ffmpeg.org/download.html" rel="nofollow">ffmpeg</a>, a free command-line tool, to do this:</p>
  
  <h3>Without letterboxing, NTSC wide pixel-aspect</h3>
  
  <pre><code>ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=720x480,setdar=16/9" -r 30000/1001 -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac -movflags +faststart output.mp4 
  </code></pre>
  
  <h3>With letterboxing, NTSC 4:3 pixel-aspect</h3>
  
  <pre><code>ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "pad=1920:1440:0:180,scale=720x480,setdar=4/3" -r 30000/1001 -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac -movflags +faststart output.mp4
  </code></pre>
  
  <h3>With letterboxing, square pixels</h3>
  
  <pre><code>ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=720x404,pad=720:480:0:38,setsar=1" -r 30000/1001 -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac -movflags +faststart output.mp4
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Read up on sample or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_aspect_ratio" rel="nofollow">pixel aspect ratios</a>, if you're unfamiliar with them. Your requirements make it sound like NTSC-spec files are expected, so try the commands in the order listed.</p>
  
  <p>If your source audio is MP4-ready i.e. of codec AAC or MP3, then you can replace <code>-c:a aac</code> with <code>-c:a copy</code></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-04-18T17:32:09.887Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-04-18T17:40:02.003Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2016-04-18T17:40:02.003Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Gyan
Body: <p>I'm trying to find the best application on windows to do this HD to SD conversion for a video server which requires files to be exactly 720x480/29.97fps MP4 H.264 to function. I can't find any options for leterboxing in Handbrake so I suppose I'll need an alternative.</p>
  
Tags: <video><encoding><compression>
Title: Convert 1920x1080 Video to 720x480 With Letterboxing
UserDisplayName: Orosho
ThreadText: # Convert 1920x1080 Video to 720x480 With Letterboxing
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-18)
  
  I'm trying to find the best application on windows to do this HD to SD conversion for a video server which requires files to be exactly 720x480/29.97fps MP4 H.264 to function. I can't find any options for leterboxing in Handbrake so I suppose I'll need an alternative.
  
  **Tags:** video, encoding, compression
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2016-04-18. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  You can use [ffmpeg](http://ffmpeg.org/download.html), a free command-line tool, to do this:
  
  ### Without letterboxing, NTSC wide pixel-aspect
  
  ```
  ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=720x480,setdar=16/9" -r 30000/1001 -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac -movflags +faststart output.mp4 
  
  ```
  
  ### With letterboxing, NTSC 4:3 pixel-aspect
  
  ```
  ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "pad=1920:1440:0:180,scale=720x480,setdar=4/3" -r 30000/1001 -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac -movflags +faststart output.mp4
  
  ```
  
  ### With letterboxing, square pixels
  
  ```
  ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=720x404,pad=720:480:0:38,setsar=1" -r 30000/1001 -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac -movflags +faststart output.mp4
  
  ```
  
  Read up on sample or [pixel aspect ratios](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_aspect_ratio), if you're unfamiliar with them. Your requirements make it sound like NTSC-spec files are expected, so try the commands in the order listed.
  
  If your source audio is MP4-ready i.e. of codec AAC or MP3, then you can replace `-c:a aac` with `-c:a copy`
  
  
  ---
  
  