16:9 issues

[Peter Wiggins]

It will always render a 4:3 ratio picture as the anamorphic part is describing how it is displayed. If you want an 16:9 movie for the web etc then enter in custom frame dimensions like 1024 x 576 for PAL when you export.

If going to DVD, leave the movie ‘squished’ and set it as a 16:9 asset in DVDSP. Peoples DVD players will then do all the hard work

Peter

[Tom Brooks]

That’s normal because the anamorphic format uses a non-square pixel aspect ratio to get the 16:9. What are you trying to do with the exported file? Your use will determine how to proceed.

You’ll need to tell most video apps that the file is anamorphic in order for them to interpret it correctly.

[James Martin]

Ah – that might explain why Quicktime was happy to play it 16:9 but not other media players.

I’m going to burn the video to DVD using iDVD for brevity’s sake. I think I’ll have to export with custom settings.

Given that all my source material was true 16:9 (DV), is there a way of avoiding the anamorphic thing and just having a true 16:9 DV sequence?

[Rafael Amador]

Open Movie Propertie (Comm-J)> Video Track> Visual Setting>.
Ucncheck “Preserve aspect ratio”. In “Scaled size” you will have 720×576 if you are in PAL and 720×480 if you are in NTSC.
If you are in PAL you must set 1024×576. If you are in NTSC land (I think) is 854×480. Save when you close and the movie will be displayed always like that.
Rafael

PPC G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM/BlackMagic SD/PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM
JVC DTV-17″/FCS2/AE CS3/COMBUSTION/SHAKE

[Rafael Amador]

I don’t know how works iDVD. With DSTP, as Peter says, you only need to tell to the application that your movie is 16×9, and will make a 16×9 clip in your DVD. The application only see a picture of 720×56 or 720×80, but do not know how the picture must be displayed, unless you tell him.
Rafael

PPC G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM/BlackMagic SD/PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM
JVC DTV-17″/FCS2/AE CS3/COMBUSTION/SHAKE

[Jeff Carpenter]

Given that all my source material was true 16:9 (DV)…
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There’s no such thing. You either have anamorphic DV or letterboxed DV. Those are the only 2 choices, neither of which is “true” 16×9.

Based on what you’ve said, it sounds like you have anamorphic DV. You have 2 choices:

1) Make new 4×3 sequence in Final Cut and drop your original sequence into it. Final Cut will letterbox it. Export that and put it into iDVD. You’ll have a letterboxed DVD. Perfect on 4×3 TVs, not good for 16×9 TVs.

or…

2) Take the “squished” video you have and make a widescreen, anamorphic DVD with it. In DVD Studio Pro, just use the squished file but turn the settings for the video track to 16×9. The DVD player will see that and adjust everything on output.

If you want to make an anamorphich DVD in iDVD, you’ll probably have to ask in another forum. I don’t know that anyone here knows iDVD that well. If you decide to use DVD Studio Pro, we can keep answering questions, though.