4K Files & Timeline Exported to 1080 Leaves Small Black Lines Left & Right

[Thomas Hanser]

Thanks, David.

Customer wants a smaller file, for use in a CBT training course. 4k is way too large.

My timeline and clips are all 4096×2160, exported to an MP4 at 1920 wide.

I cannot see these small black lines on the left or right IN THE TIMELINE. They only appear in the rendered file.

Render dimensions settings (scaled down) are 1920×1010.

Still trying to figure out where the black lines come from. These clips were shot on a Red camera, I’m told.

Thanks again.

Thomas Hanser
Seattle, WA

[Thomas Hanser]

Well, that makes sense, David. ????

Problem is, I’d have to scale down all of my 4k clips to fit a 1920×1080 timeline – very time consuming, considering my project is done.

Also, I believe this particular camera doesn’t shoot files that are exactly proportional to 1920×1080, it works out to be 1920×1010.

I’ll have to figure something out and I’ll reach out to the team who shot this Red camera.

Thanks again.

Thomas Hanser
Seattle, WA

[Jeff Pulera]

Hi Thomas,

The source you are working with is Cinema 4K at the 4096×2160 resolution, and that is not a 16:9 aspect. The more common “consumer” 4K found on camcorders and TV displays is known as UHD and is 3840×2160. That is 16:9 and will perfectly scale to HD at 1920×1080 with no cropping/borders. In any case, as Dave said, don’t try to invent your own non-standard video size at export, no good can come of it.

Try this. Save a COPY of the current Premiere project, and work on the COPY in case something goes sideways with what I am suggesting. Create a New Sequence at UHD resolution, should be a preset for that.

In original 4K sequence, Select All > Copy and then go to new UHD sequence and Paste.

This will replicate the original edits in a new UHD sequence. A small portion of the original image will be cropped due to smaller dimensions of UHD frame but should not pose an issue. Assuming what you now see in Program Monitor window looks correct (no black border), export as 1920×1080 HD and all is well.

If you do more of these projects in the future, edit the 4K clips in the UHD sequence to start with.

Thanks

Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

[Thomas Hanser]

Thanks, Jeff.

I was in a rush to complete some training vids using someone else’s 4K files, shot on this Red camera I mentioned.

Normally when I start a new project in Premiere, I simply drag the imported clip into an empty, undesignated sequence that is available when you create a new project. That way, the sequence is exactly what the CLIPS are, in terms of dimensions, frame rate, PAR, etc. That’s just a habit I created.

Next time, I’ll import my clips and create a new UHD sequence, like you suggested.

Thanks again.

Thomas Hanser
Seattle, WA