640 sd into 720 timeline

[Rafael Amador]

[Michael Denora] “I have a project using 640x480sd footage ripped from a dvd.”
Ripping aDVD ou should be getting a 720×480 NTSC Pixels movie, whatever the DVD is 4×3 or 16×9.
If you’ve got 640×480, you have done something wrong when transcoding the files.
Convert the MPEG-2 again with MPGstreamclip making sure you check “720×480 Unscaled”, otherwise you are unnecessarily making one downscaling + one upscaling.
You are working with a low quality format and you must avoid to lose two generations on the process.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Michael Denora]

Thanks Rafael you helped me last week with this issue.
I’m ripping using Protube imedia Converter software (seems pro) using a pro res 422 setting @ original size 640×480 (720 is not an option) (MPGstreamclip will not work with 10.8, the QT component is not compatible)
I then imported in fcpx and optimized media, then created a timeline ntsc 720×480 both anamorphic and not, expecting to see my 640 footage with two black bars on the sides. I thought from there I could upscale it to remove the black bars and either have a cropped image or transform it to fit.

The anaomrphic timeline appears 853×480 in fcpx window even though the properties setting read 720×480 and the non-anamorphic timeline appears 640×480 (without black side bars) even though the properties read 720×480

[Rafael Amador]

edited
[Michael Denora] “The anaomrphic timeline appears 853×480 in fcpx window even though the properties setting read 720×480 and the non-anamorphic timeline appears 640×480 “
These values are correct when displaying NTSC as Squared pixels (PC screen).
http://www.nagavideo.com

[Michael Denora]

How do I get a 720×480 final movie?

[T. Payton]

A bit more explanation: as weird as it may appear, FCP X is doing everything correctly because horizontal pixel sizes are different on different devices.

A 480p or 480i signal can be in the 4×3 aspect ratio:
640×480 (square pixels – ie computer screen)
720×480 (slightly thinner pixels – DV camera)

in 16×9 aspect ratio it is:
853×480 (square pixels – computer screen)
720×480 (anamorphic pixels, or wide pixels – DVD)

Weird ain’t it? Once you get working that way it makes sense: Here is some more info: https://support.apple.com/kb/TA26788

Now FCP X will accept files with all these sizes (even thought the square pixel sizes are technically incorrect when working with video, but you can create files in that size just fine).

One gotcha with FCP X is that currently you can’t manually tell a 720×480 clip to be anamorphic unless the clip is encoded that way. When you rip from a DVD most all of them don’t embed the pixel aspect ratio in the clip, therefore you currently need a workaround. Just stretch the SD footage on the x axis 133%. (I’ve been waiting every release for a fix for this from Apple. It has to come soon!)

FCP X is going export SD when you Share > Export Media, as 720×480 with either an anamorphic or non-anamorphic flag set depending on the timeline settings. However when going to Apple devices it will export as the square pixel format, i.e. 640×480 or 853×480.

Does this make sense?

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[Michael Denora]

Thanks it’s starting to make a little sense…… I think

I did just stretch the SD footage on the x axis 133% to fill the width.

But I can’t seem to get a 720×480 screen in my fpcx window. It’s either 853×480 or 640×480

What I need is a 720×480 proportion and then I’ll stretch or crop and enlarge my 640×480 footage.

Can that be done?

[T. Payton]

Hi Michael,

FCP X is always going to show the corrected aspect ratio in the viewer. i.e. a 720×480 timeline or clip will “show” 640×480 (4×3) or 853×480 (16×9) in the viewer. If you choose Share > Export Media then it will export a 720×480 movie. If you open that movie in QuickTime Player you will notice that it is 720×480 but will in fact display 640×480 or 853×480 because of the aspect ration correction.

Is this making sense?

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[T. Payton]

Michael,

By the way, you’re best bet is to post in the FCP X Techniques forum rather than this one. This is the forum where people vent their frustrations with FCP X and the world in general. 😉

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[Michael Denora]

I thought I was venting my frustrations……. lol

thanks for your help

[Michael Denora]

So are you saying there is no actual viewable in display 720×480