Widescreen NTSC DV import and export basics

[Alex Jusay]

Here is what I think you should do:

–Source: widescreen DV footage (16:9)NTSC/PAL
–Capture in PremiereP2 using DV NTSC/PAL Widescreen 48kHz
–Edit in Premiere without messing with Project Settings
FILE>Export>MOVIE (Ctrl-M) to DV NTSC/PAL Widescreen 48kHz and dont mess with the settings
–In After Effects (dont know about Shake), double click on the project window and point to your clip.
–Drag that clip to the Create New Composition icon to have an instant Widescreen DV composition.
–Do your compositing and Make Movie (crtl-m)with the following settings:
Render Settings: BEST
Output Module: LOSSLESS or Uncompressed AVI (check audio output if you have audio)
–Make another PremiereP2 Widescreen project snd import your AFX rendered file.
–Press ENTER to render your uncompressed file.
–Export to your miniDV camera

Following this should maintain the widescreen aspect ratio of your footage.
Now that you have a widescreen video inside your miniDV tape, you should find a projector capable of projecting a widescreen video. Most projectors have this feature hidden in the menu. Otherwise, your footage will indeed be distorted if projected on a 0.9 aspect ratio (default projector setting, accurately, most will project square pixels)

For your DVD, go back to your second Premiere project and burn your DVD from inside Premiere. Premiere knows what to do with your widescreen footage.

Hope that helps…

Alex Jusay
https://jhalex.sitesled.com

[Scott Hathaway]

That would work if I was controlling the projector and/or making the DVD, however I must have my final product exported to mini-DV in the 16×9 format so that it can be put onto the DVD without any tweaking. If it must have 16×9 matte bars placed above and below the image in order to create a 4×3 image with the 16×9 footage in it, would that work as well? How can I make that?

I make movies, not a living.

[Alex Jusay]

If you export a 16×9 format video in mini-dv, you will have a 16×9 video and not a 16×9 image on a 4×3 frame. Again, 16×9 pixel aspect ratio is different from 16×9 image in a 4×3 aspect ratio video. Putting black bars on a 16×9 video to have a 4×3 frame will work but rememeber, you’ll never retrieve you original resolution from the 4×3 frame unless you go back again to your original 16×9 footage. I hope that makes sense. Sorry for the late reply.