Transferring 4:3 footage DV from cam giving 16:9 anamorphic

geraghtyg · Post by **geraghtyg** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:51 pm

Hey

i ahve a very strange proble. I videotaped a panto at the weekend and decided for a change to shoot in 16:9 letterboxed. It's not anamorphic. Camera simply placed black bars at the top and bottom. I did this as it suited the shape of the stage better.

Anyway, am now loading up the footage to my PC with settings set to 4:3 as they should. Looks fine when transferring but when I go to play it back, it seems to have a widescreen flag. Footage is all squashed with huge black bars and in properties, it says it's 16:9 but it clearly is not. Anyone have any ideas please?

I have everything set to 4:3 at the capture stage as I normally do.

I'd really rather not have to restretch the video in post-production to bring it back to correct format as I'll lose loads of resolution.

Graham

TubaDad · Post by **TubaDad** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:05 pm

Graham,

You did not mention what type of camera you were capturing from. I know that there have been some threads on the forum regarding the transferring of video from the DVD cameras when shot in 16:9, and the squishing that happens. For some reason search is not working well for me this morning, but I will search later and see if I can find the thread. If you are using one of the DVD cameras it could be just the thing you need.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:55 pm

Hi

You say you see black bars, are these top and bottom or left and right?

Change the background colour from black (file / preferences / back ground colour.)
Any colour will do, your choice!

What do you see now??

Trevor

geraghtyg · Post by **geraghtyg** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:03 pm

Hi again

I recorded the footage on a Pansonic 3CCD EZ1. It's about 10 years old but has no firewire output. So I was using a Sharp viewcam. This is the way I normally do it. Have also tried on a JVC GR-D23EK and it's just the same. Black bars are on top and bottom. When viewed on a 4:3 TV, it's like 4:3 letterbox squashed down even further, if that makes sense? I'll try post a pic up in a few minutes

geraghtyg · Post by **geraghtyg** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:15 pm

OK, this is what it should look like....

But this is what it actually looks like:

When the bottom frame grab is viewed on a 4:3 set, it is the same width as the one above it but with black bars twice as thick. Hope that explains it.

I have project properties set to 4:3 AVI and footage looks fine when being uploaded onto PC but when played back, it goes all crappy and in properties, it says it is 16:9. Also says 16:9 in project properties even thought I'd had it set to 4:3. Changing this makes no difference.

geraghtyg · Post by **geraghtyg** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:16 pm

Oh, changing background color makes no difference. Have also tried it in Premiere 6.5 and it's exactly the same. My head is melting!!!

TubaDad · Post by **TubaDad** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:20 pm

Graham,

How are you transferring the video to the computer, firewire or is the camera a DVD recorder?

geraghtyg · Post by **geraghtyg** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:24 pm

Have just also noticed that if I capture in MPEG2, it is ok. Only AVI seems to have this problem. I'd rather not use MPEG2 though but looks like I'll have no choice.

geraghtyg · Post by **geraghtyg** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:25 pm

Transferring via firewire. Recording is on mini-DV

TubaDad · Post by **TubaDad** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:06 pm

Graham,

I'll have to bail out on this one. My camera does not do 16:9 and the only place that I have seen successful solutions is with the DVD-R cameras.

Good luck with it.

geraghtyg · Post by **geraghtyg** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:34 pm

Ah sure not to worry. I wouldn't mind but the camera is not even proper anamorphic widescreen camera - just letterbox black bars. So why there is a widescreen flag has me perplexed.
Well I'm loading the dv onto the PC in MPEG2 format instead of AVI which is a bit more cumbersome as every 15 minutes or so, the RAM is all used up and videostudio performs a "flushing dv transcode buffer" action which not only takes up a lot of time but also means that during this time, the tape in the playing the camera is in pause mode for so long that it starts playing again and then I lose the sync.

Bit of a pain. Wouldn't be so bad but I have 10 tapes to do!!!

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:57 am

Hi,
You could try reversing the procedure I use to go from 4:3 to 16:9.
Worth a try.
With the video on the timeline make a cut of about 2 - 3 minutes.
Goto Share -> Create Video File -> Custom .
Export as the same as source file (DV Type1 or Type2) but change the Aspect Ratio to 4:3.
Check ON Smart Render.
Check OFF "Perform non-square Pixel rendering".

Then preview that small clip.

Sounds like the DV cam your using is outputting the video in 16:9 format
when it's actually 4:3.

If that does correct the aspect ratio then any additional rendering on the
proper/corrected footage you want the "Peform non-square Pixel rendering" ON because now you would have the proper aspect ratio.
Especially when you create the mpeg2 file.

View the new exported file on powerdvd or windvd.
Depending on your "Project Settings" it may not display properly in VS.
The existing "Project Settings" may be incorrect for the 4:3 aspect ratio, depends on what you have tried.
Or, start a new project and import the small 4:3 file.

Hope this helps,

MD