-
Adobe Media Encoder
Hi – I have been attempting to use Adobe Media Encoder to encode mpeg-2 files but keep getting the video squished top and bottom, with black bars top and bottom, and a loss of quality. Here’s the dilemma:
My editing program exports at 720×486 or 720×480 (whichever I choose) with any avi or QT codec, but when I take that file and use Media Encoder CS4 to make the mpeg-2 to send to station’s ftp sites, the file has the previous mentioned issues.
When I change the pixel aspect to square, it works fine, or if I export using the DV type-2 codec it will work fine (the DV codec just doesn’t look as good after the mpeg-2 compression is added on). I’m guessing that station’s will need standard, non-square pixels though.
My editor works in 720×486 non-square pixels. And I’ve tried exporting with different codecs I have loaded, such as Uncompressed AVI, NEWTEK 25 AVI, AVID QT, Apple Uncompressed QT, and several others with the same effect when AME is done.
Has anyone come across this before? Or have any solutions/things to try?
Thanks! TC -
4 Replies
-
Todd,
Daniel Low could probably better answer your pixel aspect questions. But in terms of Adobe Media Encoder, we’ve found it to be a very quirky piece of software. However, if you’re files are coming out looking correct with the seemingly incorrect settings, I’d send one your output files to a DVD authoring app or one of the station’s you’re dealing with and ask them to test it. It’s likely ok.
I know that there are some encoding apps out there that have global settings for how they treat aspect ration correction and such and perhaps there’s a setting on somewhere that’s causing this. The only other thing that comes to mind is are you sure your source or target file isn’t setup for 16:9? That could produce what you’re seeing.
Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com -
Is your source 4:3 or 16:9?
Are you using the same aspect ratio setting in AME?
What are you using to view the finished MPEG-2?
__________________________________________________________________
“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.”Steve Ballmer To USA Today: 30 April 2007
“We and Apple are neck and neck and we’re chasing the two
other players,”Steve Ballmer, referring to Nokia and Research in Motion. October 6th 2009
-
Finally had a chance to get back here.
No, I am positive the aspect ratio is 4:3 for the source. No doubt about that. And yes. I am using the 4:3 aspect in AME. The black bar top and bottom looks to be only a few pixels each. It doesn’t show within safe action – just about at safe action though.
I am using WMP, VLC, and my editor to view the finished files. All show the same problem.
TC
-
Honestly, it looks like AME CS4 is taking the non-square pixels and squishing them down to square and leaving black top and bottom.
I was going to try what Chris said. Send a test to a couple of stations with the setting set to square pixels and find out what happens at their end. I’m afraid that they may say it’s fine when it’s not though… When I did my tests here, the side got cut off.
Although, I’m thinking it may be something in the way the editor is handling the source file. Even though everything looks to be correct in the properties of the file. When I render something out in AE to any of the codecs mentioned earlier, it doesn’t have any problems in AME.
TC
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up