[Zeke Meginsky]

Oh okay! Thanks a lot. I’ll do that.

So the DV codec is really the best one to use for regular DV footage then?

[Zeke Meginsky]

Hi, Steve. I saw this thread while looking up Pixel Aspect Ratio in Google. You seem like you know what you’re talking about. This PAR stuff is driving me crazy. I just want to make sure my pictures look as proportionate as possible (and sometimes it’s hard to tell).

So if I have a big picture that is in square pixels and was taken with a normal digital camera, what should I do with it? If I want it to fill the screen (NTSC DV), I should make it 720×540, not 720×480? That is where I’ve gotten confused. Because some people say to make it to 720×480..

And if I want to do any zooming or panning on it, then After Affects will take care of it as long as I specify that it was originally square pixeled?

[Zeke Meginsky]

Thanks so much for the help. I’ll be using the File > Place method so I won’t have to worry to much about the PAR. I’m hoping that mostly retains how detailed the file is.

Is there any point of changing a JPEG image to another format? If it’s already JPEG than it won’t get any better right?

[Zeke Meginsky]

Oh, wait. Does pasting a picture into one of the preset canvas automatically convert the picture? And does it do it while still retaining its large size?

I won’t have access to Photoshop for another few days, and it’s only for a short time, so I’d like to know the simplest steps to take ahead of time.

[Zeke Meginsky]

But the point is to have Photoshop “distort” it a little so it looks normal in Final Cut Pro. Still do not understand how to make that happen while still retaining as much as the high quality image.

For example, I wouldn’t want to make the image 720 x 480 because then I’d lose a lot of detail in case I wanted to do some zooming in. So would I resize it to a multiple of those numbers?

[Zeke Meginsky]

Hi, Richard. Your book has been helpful so far. I read the whole section you have about resizing images.

My goal here is to make the image NTSC DV-friendly, but still fully retain the detail of the image. So I’m most concerned with keeping the dimensions as big as possible. Is the best option to do this is creating a new document with the film/video preset, and then “File, Placing” the image onto the canvas and clicking commit? If this is the best way, before I do commit, is there any way to automatically size the image so you fully see it on the canvas? I don’t want to lose any part of it..

[Zeke Meginsky]

Why do you suggest the size 1400 x 788? Where do you get that number?

Shouldn’t the aspect ratio be a multiple of 720 x 480, if I’m trying to do zooming and keep it looking proportionate for NTSC DV?

[Zeke Meginsky]

I can’t invest thousands of dollars into software, haha. I use a public editing studio.

But I bought it, got it in the mail yesterday.

[Zeke Meginsky]

Thanks, this link was the best thing I could ask for. See ya.

[Zeke Meginsky]

Oh, I did not know that!

So really, if you want to be a stickler about sound, you would set the sequence at the best quality audio clip that you have (mine would be at 48 kHz)? If you set it at 32 kHz, you’re essentially downgrading everything above that, right?

And if I want the sequence I already have to have a new audio setting, I would have to change the default in the Easy Setup, and then make a new sequence, and copy and paste my old one?

Thanks so much for the help.