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Anamorphic made comprehensible
Here’s what has precipitated this crisis in understanding.
My videographer shot footage in 16:9 SD 30P per my request. In playback on a 4:3 monitor, it’s clearly squeezed. On my editing monitor where there is a button selecting whether to display 4:3 or 16:9, it clearly can display the widescreen image undistorted, but of course, letterboxed.Now, my shooter says the anamorphic is a function largely of SD, as opposed to HD, since HD natively shoots widescreen. Is this the case?
Is there no other way to shoot material in SD widescreen other than anamorphically. In my case, I was shooting DVCPro 50 with an SDX 900.The material that I had shot widescreen will initially go to the web. I would imagine FCP will prepare an anamorphic sequence that will output widescreen without any letterboxing. But, will Encore or whatever other encoding software I choose to use, take the file and create a QT or Win playback sequence in widescreen? Or,will it be letterboxed? Is it pretty seamless?
Where is there a thorough treatment of this anamorphic issue as it relates to acquisition, outputting an edited sequence, and then preparing it for ideal web delivery?
Thanks,
DavidP.S. and if Tom chooses to offer insights, a big “hello” to you and Beth.
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4 Replies
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Hi David,
“Is this the case?”
Yes.
“Is there no other way to shoot material in SD widescreen other than anamorphically.”
No. The frame size for SD is always the same regardless of the aspect ratio.
“Or,will it be letterboxed? Is it pretty seamless?”
Can’t speak to Encore, but from FCP if you’re going to DVD you export and anamorphic version and the DVD player displays it as the user wants, pan & scan, letterboxed, or widescreen. As far as the web, you export from FCP or Compressor using a 16:9 ratio format, say 853×480 or 480×270.
There is quite a bit about anamorphic material in the FCP user manual which is a searchable PDF file you can access from the Help menu.
All the best,
Tom
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 2 Editing Workshop” Class on Demand “Complete Training for FCP5” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy” DVDs
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Thanks for the quick response.
So, as I understand it, what you’re doing then is “cheating” SD by mechanically or electronically getting more out of it than it is originally designed to do — the widescreen aspect. Yes?And as far as my editing monitor is concerned, it can “unsqueeze” the anamorphic image (although it’s displayed letterbox because it’s a 4:3 tube) because it has special electronics that can handle the anamorphic signal (or pixels?)? Is this true of new consumer TVs that are widescreen? Do they recognize whether a signal is conventional or anamorphic and display it to its best advantage?
Lastly, any reason not to playback this anamorphic material full widescreen, rather than letterbox ON THE WEB, other than maybe its larger file size?
Thanks again,
David -
“Yes?”
Correct.
“because it has special electronics that can handle the anamorphic signal (or pixels?)? ”
Correct, because the 4:3 monitor is widescreen switchable.
As far as a widescreen TV’s concerned, it depends on how it get there? Off a DVD? How it displays is a function of the DVD player. If it’s off a deck or camera the display is a function of the device.
The web should be widescreen. There’s no point in wasting the bandwidth on areas of black for the letterboxing.
All the best,
Tom
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 2 Editing Workshop” Class on Demand “Complete Training for FCP5” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy” DVDs
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Thanks, Tom, for sharing your knowledge.
All the best,
David
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