I ended up creating a nested sequence and distorting it to fit the 16×9 ratio. I wonder how much noticeable quality loss I can expect from this process.
I use these machines extensively and the only two major problems I’ve experienced in the last year is a)occasional sync problems during capture (off a miniDV) and b)very poor workmanship of the plastic faceplate – it breaks off easily and costs over $100 to replace.
Thanks for all your help. It looks like I will have to stretch and render the entire sequence. I still cannot understand, however, why FCP would not treat anamorphic clips as such when changing an existing sequence’s settings – weird shortcoming in my opinion.