-
Convert HD to SD, Maintain Aspect Ratio
Hi all,
I am FCP guru, now adjusting to working primarily with Avid Composer 5.0 on a Nitris DX system. I am attempting to take a sequence cut and shot in HD 720p, and converting it SD 4:3 standards without stretching or squeezing the images to fit the smaller frame.
In Final Cut I could do this easily, by simply creating a new sequence set to 4:3 standards, dragging and dropping the original HD sequence into the new one producing a letterbox effect on the video. This would allow me to resize/scale while keeping the same aspect ratio.
In Avid, I’ve tried creating a new project set to 4:3 NTSC format, but when I copy the original HD sequence to the new project the video is squeezed rather than letterboxed.
Does anyone have other suggestions on how to go about this?
Thanks!
Lindsay
-
4 Replies
-
You can either change the interpretation of the source footage to Center Cut, then update the sequence (RightClick it and go to Update Sequence – Source Formatting), or you can add a new video track above all other tracks and drop a Pan and Scan effect on it. Set your input to 16:9 Anamorphic and your output to 4:3. Cut that track into sections to move your center cut right or left, depending on your shots.
Render, output, relax!
—————-
Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
Thanks for the valuable information. You’ve saved me quite the impending headache!
Lindsay
-
Okay…so I may have spoken to soon. I think I require a bit of clarification, but let me describe what I have tried so far.
1) I duplicated my original sequence, just in case, within my 16:9 formatted project.
2) I added a new video Track V2 and applied a Pan & Scan effect to the entire track. With the effect editor I selected, the source as 16:9 anamorphic and the ouput as 4:3.
3) I adjusted the grid to highlight the best parts of the video (I haven’t chopped the track up specifically for each shot yet)
4) I rendered the effect and it appears to me all that’s occured is that it is now stretched with the material that was within the grid, leading me to this question:Upon export, if set to NTSC 4:3 QT will the final product appear distorted still?
I created a 2nd duplicate sequence and tried the other method. Under ‘Tools’>>’Video Output Tool’ I changed the ‘Downconvert’ option to ‘Center Cut’and all other options to correspond with a 4:3 format. I then right clicked on the sequence in the browswer window and under ‘Refresh Sequence’>>>’Source Settings’. This produced no visible result in my Record window. Am I missing at step on this on?
Thanks again,
Lindsay
-
If your monitor is set to 4:3 in MC, and you are monitoring the track that has the reformat/pan & scan it looks normal, then exporting a QT reference of that will be 4:3 in the output.
Michael
Michael Phillips
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up