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I'm new to video work and I am evaluating Video Studio 12. It looks as if it is going to do all I want it to and more. Mainly it can handle MTS files without conversion! It seem straightforward to follow but I have just one problem. When I import MTS files from my new Canon HG10 and burn to DVD there is a black border at the top and bottom when viewed on a standard TV set to 16:9. I think I need to edit the aspect ratio of my project to match 1:77 but the default appears to be 1:25 (720x576px) On my trial version the "Frame size" "User Defined" box in File > Project Options is greyed out. Is this disabled on the trial version? More importantly is this the way to edit the aspect ratio so that the video will fill the whole screen when set to 16:9
Many thanks for any help and advice you can give
mitchell65

Are your project properties set to 16.9 mode or 4.3 mode?
The aspect ratio 720x576 is correct for the UK and Europe.

It took me a while to work out why 720x576 can be correct for 4.3
and ALSO correct for 16.9 but eventually the penny dropped.

Non Square Pixel Rendering.

I admit that this used to confuse me for quite a while until eventually the penny dropped - so let me explain it in laymans language.

Think of a screen size - any screen size will do, for arguments sake we will say that our screen size is 100 x 100.
If we use Square pixels then we will have a perfect 100 x 100 square like a sheet of graph paper.
If we use non square pixels then these pixels could be oblong in shape.
Therefore the 100 x 100 will not be square.

To clarify that even further lets put some sizes to those pixels.
Let us say that our square pixels are 1" x 1" (OK a pixel isn't an inch - I am just trying to make things clear)
so we have a 100 x 100 square measuring 100" x 100"

In our non square pixel example each pixel is 1" high x 2" wide
so now our 100 x 100 grid is in fact 100" x 200" (Oblong)

Both examples contain a 100 x 100 grid but in the square one it is "Square" - the non-square one is "Oblong".

Thank you for a most informative reply. My project is set to 16:9. I had in fact made sure that in "Project Options" the "Perform non-square pixel rendering" was checked but I still get the black border top and bottom.
I have clearly not set something, somewhere but I have searched all the help files and tutorials over the last three days and cannot find the answer. Can you assist further please or does this software always produce these borders? Is it something I must accept or change the software?
Thanks again
mitchell65
(In very sunny Cornwall )

When you say "standard TV set set to 16x9" do you mean a wide screen TV (LCD or Plasma)

If it's not a wide screen TV then you will always have black bars at the top and bottom if you have a 16x9 DVD.

If it is a widescreen TV then there shouldn't be black bars.

If you don't mind: Check the video Properties of what you imported by right clicking on the video file and then /properties. (write them down and reply here)

The project properties should match that. Edit away...

When you proceed to burn a DVD, click on the little cog wheel at the bottom and make sure everything there is set to 16x9 as well

Thanks for your response Clevo.
It is an LCD wide screen TV.
Here's the Imported file properties:

File Name ...........29414.M2TS
File Format.......PAL HDMV
File Size.....17.886 KB
Duration.........16.8 seconds
Video:
Video Type...H.264 Video. Upper Field First
Total Frames 420
Attributes......24 bits. 1440 x 1080 16:9
Frame Rate 25 fps
Data Rate....Variable bit rate (Max 16000 kbps)

The project properties are:
PAL (25 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-PAL), 16:9

The pixel sizes are different. I can't change them for the project properties as the "Userr defined" option in Project properties is greyed out!
Did check the cogwheel and this is set for 16:9 but still shows 720x576

I did find this earlier and wondered if this was greyed out in the Trial version that I am using. I'm a bit loath to splash out cash just to see if this is the case!
Look forward to your further comments

We often overlook the simple and obvious.
Have you checked the settings of your TV set - there are often various "modes" to choose from such as pan and scan, stretch, zoom etc.

Trevor Andrew has a great tutorial about Working with Widescreen Using VideoStudio.

Oh Dear! Oh Dear!
Time for me to eat a very large sample of "Humble Pie".
After getting very frustarted by this problem, I took one on the DVD's that I had produced to a friend of mine and we put it into his DVD player. Result - Perfection!
When I told him the make of my television he immediately knew that it was a cheapo from the local supermarket. On my TV there are 3 settings - 4:3, 16:9 and "Cinema" Set the TV to cinema and it works perfectly so all the time it was my TV set causing the problem. I can only apologise for wasting eveyones time but who would have thought that?
Suffice to say that I have today ordered my full version of the software and look forward to many happy hours of learning and editing.
Once again my apologies. The upside I suppose it that it might possibly help someone else in the future
mitchell65

I can only apologise for wasting eveyones time but who would have thought that?

Steve Jones.

I am pleased that you appear to have sorted your problem, however as a novice video editor myself I understood that the project properties should match the first clip properties.

In your post above your file properties state Upper Field First whilst your project properties state Lower Field First and I believe that you should change the project properties to match the file properties.

I am not sure, despite Steve's explanation whether your pixels should be square or not.

No doubt one of the experts will correct me if I am wrong.