Widescreen aspect ratio for After Effects

[Ben Rollason]

This is correct. Widescreen images are anamorphic (they use a non-square pixel). In fact, even 4:3 TV images are slightly anamorphic too. 720×480 is an NTSC DV size.

It all seems a bit weird, but it is normal. When you play it on a TV it will look fine. If you are using Quicktime, you can use the movie properties dialog box to adjust the display size to account for the non-square pixels on a square pixelled (computer) screen.

In Quicktime (I think you need Pro) go to Window -> Show movie properties. When the dialog box comes up, click on the video track, click the visual settings button and then adjust the display size to 720 x 405. Then save your movie. It doesn’t do anything to it, other than change the way that it is displayed to be 16:9.

Hope that helps,

Ben.

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https://www.fink-base.com

[Sam Moulton]

if you captured from the camera you had it set to downsize to DV. you’re not getting hdv, you’re getting widescreen DV so the size is right. if you want hdv then you have to set the camera to send hdv down the firewire. read the camera manual.

[Nick Vaka]

If it’s a little dis-orienting for you in AE there’s a button you can hit in your comp window that will show it in the 16:9 ratio instead of the squished 4:3 called the “Toggle pixel aspect ratio correction” button. It’s a small white box in the comp window.

[Jacob Tamari]

Thanks for the tips.

Sam: HDV does not export QT Ref, yes it’s DV widescreen I was asking about, not hdv.