• Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

  question about 720×480 vs 720×486

  Posted by Chris Elmer on December 1, 2005 at 4:52 am

  Okay, so I have a FCP scene with the default DV 720×480 settings. And I have two files with the same content, only one has 480 horizontal lines, and the other has 486. The thing is, when I import these into FCP, there seems to be no difference. Shouldn’t the 720×486 version squeeze to fit into the reguar DV 720×480 frame? There doesn’t appear to be any distortion. Is this something FCP is doing behind the scenes?

  Thanks,

  -chris

  Chris Poisson replied 20 years, 9 months ago 4 Members · 3 Replies
• 3 Replies

• 

  Shane Ross

  December 1, 2005 at 5:03 am

  720×480 is the dimensions of DV. 720×486 is the standard dimensions of SD video. The 6 pixels are blank on the DV footage…that’s it. No information. Not something anyone at home would see or not see anyway.
• 

  Bret Williams

  December 1, 2005 at 6:13 am

  Well, they’re not blank. They’re not there. Your playback device ADDS the blank lines on playback into the analog signal.

  When you import 720×486 into a 720×480 sequence, FCP shoud leave it as is, with 6 lines hanging out of frame. Lost essentiall. If it scaled the footage, you’d compromise the field ordering, forcing it to interpolate field mush.
• 

  Chris Poisson

  December 1, 2005 at 4:53 pm

  Chris,

  FWIW this is kinda interesting:

  https://www.cytechandprofservices.com/vhistory.htm

  Have a wonderful day.

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