Quick aspect ratio question

[Rafael Amador]

Make sure that your 640×360 is SQUARED PIXELS.
rafael

[Jonathan Young]

Ok that worked but why when I choose the 720X480 (another final output that the client wants from the 1920X1080 master)if I use the square pixel option for aspect ratio the final video comes out looking more 4:3 but when I add the 16:9 anamorphic setting to the aspect ratio it comes out looking fine. but when I add the 16:9 anamorphic setting to the aspect ratio of the 640X360 I get the video that turns into 540X360 with the green vertical bar on the right hand side of the player?
What I am trying to say is why does the 720X480 have to have a 16:9 anamorphic pixel aspect ratio to come out correct but the 640X360 have to have the square pixel aspect ratio to come out correct.

Thanks

[Nick Meyers]

look at the numbers

640×360 is a 16/9 ratio

720×480 is 4/3, so needs non-squre pixels

nick

[Rafael Amador]

[jonathan young] “What I am trying to say is why does the 720X480 have to have a 16:9 anamorphic pixel aspect ratio to come out correct but the 640X360 have to have the square pixel aspect ratio to come out correct.”
720×480 is made of NTSC PIXELS.
If you check “Anamorphic”, it will be 16×9.
If you don’t check Anamorphic, it will be 4×3.

Think of the pixels as tiles.
NTSC pixels, NTSC Anamorphic pixels and Squared pixels, all have different shapes/proportions.
NTSC and NTSC Anamoprphic are rectangular. Squared are squared.

[jonathan young] “when I add the 16:9 anamorphic setting to the aspect ratio of the 640X360 I get the video that turns into 540X360 with the green vertical bar on the right hand side of the player?”
If you check Squared pixels as Anamorphic, you are distorting the pixels. They won’t display Squared any more.
Squared pixels are just that “Squared”. No option for Anamorphic.
rafael