h.263 mov actual resolution is 320x240 ffmpeg thinks it is 352x288, this gives you the 320X240 on top left within a 352x288 frame. ffmpeg -i mov_wrong_resolution_assumed_by_ffmpeg.mov -r 15.03 -vcodec mpeg4 -an output.avi FFmpeg version SVN-r10908, Copyright (c) 2000-2007 Fabrice Bellard, et al. configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-pp --enable-swscaler --enable-pthreads -- enable-liba52 --enable-avisynth --enable-libamr-nb --enable-libamr-wb --enable-l ibfaac --enable-libfaad --enable-libgsm --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libnut --en able-libogg --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-libx264 --enable-libx vid --cpu=i686 --enable-memalign-hack --extra-ldflags=-static libavutil version: 49.5.0 libavcodec version: 51.47.2 libavformat version: 51.17.0 built on Nov 4 2007 01:52:26, gcc: 4.2.2 (mingw32) Seems stream 0 codec frame rate differs from container frame rate: 29.97 (30000/ 1001) -> 15.03 (1351498/89949) Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'mov_wrong_resolution_assumed_by_ffmpeg. mov': Duration: 00:00:20.6, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1875 kb/s Stream #0.0(eng): Video: h263, yuv420p, 352x288 [PAR 12:11 DAR 4:3], 15.03 f ps(r) Stream #0.1(eng): Audio: pcm_mulaw, 8000 Hz, mono, 64 kb/s File 'output.avi' already exists. Overwrite ? [y/N] y Output #0, avi, to 'output.avi': Stream #0.0(eng): Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 352x288 [PAR 12:11 DAR 4:3], q=2-31 , 200 kb/s, 15.03 fps(c) Stream mapping: Stream #0.0 -> #0.0 Press [q] to stop encoding frame= 310 fps=211 q=15.2 Lsize= 651kB time=20.6 bitrate= 258.6kbits/s video:638kB audio:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead 2.032820%