VS9 - Widescreen and image size

Brad · Post by **Brad** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:17 am

I am a VideoStudio 9 user and have an inquiry about widescreen mpeg creation. I have spent many months trawling the forums for information and experimenting. There are some items of widescreen DVD creation I do not understand and I hope some kind person can clarify for me.

For my slideshows I add a title to the bottom and resize the images to 1024 x 576 using Photoshop and import the image into VS9. The scenery images always look quite good but the images with people, vehicles etc always look wide as the image is not resized in proportion. Another method I have used is the distort image function in VS9 but I obviously lose the top and bottom of the image.

I experience the same problem with out of proportion images when resizing images to 768 x 576 for 4:3 projects.

I guess to summarise how do other users resize their images to 1024 x 576 or 768 x 576 and obtain images that are in proportion?

Many thanks,
Brad

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:34 am

Hi Brad

I use 1024 x 576 for widescreen 16:9

and 768 x 576 for normal 4:3 aspect.

I am assuming you are in Pal country, the sizes should fit the frame exactly.
You should not need to use the distort function.
Use ‘Keep aspect Ratio
Make sure this is selected in File--Preferences—Edit tab.

The 16:9 preview screen should have a black border top and bottom. This should be the unused portions of the preview screen. To identify the exact frame:-

Have a look at 16-9 A look at widescreen from the link below

Hope this helps

Trevor

Brad · Post by **Brad** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 12:02 am

Thanks for the information Trevor.

Judging from the information on your web site, you do not physically resize the images to either a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio, you allow VideoStudio to do the resizing. Is this a correct observation?

I have read a lot of posts both on this forum and elsewhere where users resize the photos to the required aspect ratio and I am at a loss at how this is done as the images are out of proportion.

I am sure the penny will drop soon.

Many thanks Brad

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 12:11 am

Prevention is better than cure. Check your digital camera and also your camcorder. Most have a 16.9 setting. It is then less troublesome if you actually grab your videos and pictures in the correct format at the time of shooting.

A simple point often overlooked by many.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:00 am

Hi
Brad

(These sizes refer to Pal)

The web site info is referring to video, The video camera has been set to widescreen, when recording the frame size will be normal 720 x 576. Video Studio uses Non Square Pixel Rendering to reshape the recorded footage to the correct size. It basically stretches each pixel into an oblong.
So 720 x 576 is stretched to 768 x 576 for normal 4:3.
And 720 x 576 is stretched to 1024 x 576 for widescreen 16:9
The video pixels are not square.

If you intend to use a still image then the pixels are square, so using 720 x 576 will not fill a 16:9 frame.

For widescreen use 1024 x 576 for your still images

Does that make sense

Trevor

Brad · Post by **Brad** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 10:51 pm

I see, thanks Trevor I think I finally get it.