Handbrake Is Cropping My Videos When I Don't Want It To (Another Victim!)

Hello.  I hope I'm not violating any site protocols by jumping into this conversation.  I found this thread via web search, since I am having the same kind of problem.  Maybe you could help me, if it's not too much trouble please.

My project is 720 x 480.  I was getting the same problem - unwanted cropping.  Specifically, 62 for each the top and the bottom.  When I follow the steps you've given, particularly at Step 5, it reverts from what I've just entered -- all zeroes -- to cropping 62 pixels on the top and bottom.  In fact, before searching the web for a solution I had taken Steps 1 through 4, with no luck.  Now, from this thread, I see that I have to re-click "Automatic" (Step 5).  This both seems counterintuitive, and it reverts my top and bottom zeroes to 62.  Both ways of doing it, stopping at Step 4, and going all the way through to Step 5, result in a 780 x 356 output.   What else could I be doing wrong?

Thank you in advance for any assistance you offer.

INPUT is WMV file, 720 x 480
CONVERTING to Format MP4, H.264 MKV 720p 30
PROGRAM BUILD/VERSION = 1.3.3 (2020061300)
FILTERS: (default)
VIDEO: tried both with Constant Quality and Avg Bitrate at 4500
Codec VP9, FPS 30
AUDIO: (default)
No SUBTITLES or CHAPTERS changes (i.e. default)

Hello keglined

I have moved your message into a new forum thread, so that it doesn't get mixed up with that old forum thread.
I suspect your problem may be different to what that other used was experiencing.

Have you used Handbrake before or are you a "newbie" ?

What is the final destination for your video, after you convert it with Handbrake ?

It is normal behaviour for 99% of the time, that Handbrake automatically crops videos.
If there are black bars at the top of bottom (or sides) of the original video, that is what Handbrake is removing! This is actually a really good idea.
If you let Handbrake do this, the video will still play OK afterwards in any Media Player you choose OR if you upload it to YouTube.
When you play a cropped video in a Media Player or YouTube, you will notice that the "black bars" that were removed from the original video, will reappear when you play the video FULLSCREEN.
Except this time, the black bars will look truly black and not washed out.
So I encourage you to let Handbrake do it's thing!

How to fix if needed
However, if something else is going on, you can stop Handbrake from doing this.

Import your video into Handbrake.
Go to the Dimensions tab
Set Cropping = Custom
Set Top and Bottom to 0
That's all you have to do.
Press Start Encode and it should work OK.

If for any reason you still have problems, re-start Handbrake, import your video,
then take a screen shot of the Dimensions tab and a screen shot of Summery tab.
Upload both screen shots to the forum.

Regards
Derek