PAL Question

[Michael Gissing]

1024 x 576 is PAL 16:9 square. Divide down or multiply up for other frame sizes

[Matt Campbell]

That’s 16:9, I’m referring to 4:3.

Like in NTSC, your edit would 720×486, but that’s for broadcast and for web you would use 640×480, square pixels. Any ideas?

OS 10.6.7, Mac Pro 2 x 3 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 4 gb ram and AJA IoHD

[Bouke Vahl]

Back to school, math class 101.

640 / 4 * 3 = ????

No matter the pixels used, if it is intended to be 4:3, the square pixel variant has a 4:3 aspect ratio.

So a 40 x 30 image will do just fine, aspect ratio wise…

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Matt Campbell]

Sorry, I’m just not following. So I opened a PAL D1/DV Square Pixel, 788×576 preset in Photoshop. Opened up the Image Size window and changed the 788 dimension to 640 and got 640×468. Sound right?

I dont’ how to do all these conversions. Can anyone just give the dimensions without all the runaround?

OS 10.6.7, Mac Pro 2 x 3 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 4 gb ram and AJA IoHD

[Bouke Vahl]

Quicktime is playing tricks on you.
It anticipates on the pixel aspect ratio as the file is intended to show, as well as the non-square pixel aspect ratio of the monitor.

So, do get your calculator out.
But what i don’t get, if you don’t know how to transcode, what are you trying to accomplish?

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Matt Campbell]

That’s my confusion is that I’m not really sure. In NTSC land, when I have a D1 file 720×486 and use my external monitor with FCP, all looks good and normal. That actual file on the computer monitor looks strange because the monitor can’t display NTSC pixels. So quicktime displays it using the Production setting under Show Movie Properties, rather than displaying Encoded Pixels. So I would create a 640×480 square pixel file to represent what the TV would display. So looking at the 640×480 square pixel movie file on the computer side by side with the NTSC file on the TV monitor looks identical.

My question is, with PAL, what are the dimensions for this. What would a web deliverable in PAL be. If we deliver 720×486, as 640×480 for web in NTSC land, what is that equivalent in PAL land?

Sorry, this stuff is really confusing. And I’m not even sure I’m saying this correctly or even representing the files correctly. I don’t use 720×486 for web because the computer can’t display those NTSC pixels and allowing Quicktime to display it using the Production setting, still looks off. Hence using the 640×480 setting.

OS 10.6.7, Mac Pro 2 x 3 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 4 gb ram and AJA IoHD

[Bouke Vahl]

640 x 480 would work for Pal just the same. It’s also 4:3, as i’ve told you.
But you could also use 800 x 600, or whatever 4:3 format you like.

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Matt Campbell]

Thx. And sorry for the confusion.

OS 10.6.7, Mac Pro 2 x 3 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 4 gb ram and AJA IoHD