can't keep VS from changing the aspect ratio

[billcbos]

I am using VS Pro X3.

I have a .mov file in 16:9 ratio. I need to add a picture to the front of the movie so that this image appears in the player I am using when the movie is loaded and ready to play.

EVERY time I try to create the new movie, the movie aspect is reformatted and I get black bars across the top and bottom of my movie. I have been everything I can find in the program - using custom formats and defining the exact dimensions. I must have tried this over a dozen times looking for something stupid that I am missing but I can not figure this out.

The original file is quicktime (.mov) 960X540. If I play this file in my player (its a flash player) it plays clean in the 16:9 aspect with no black borders. This should NOT be a mystery, but if someone can tell me what settings to use. I do not care whether the file is .mov, mp4, or flv. The player supports all of these (and a few more common types). This will be web hosted so I am concerned about file size. Step one for me is to get VS to create a movie file in the appropriate aspect ratio without black bars!!!

[Ron P.]

Welcome to the forums..
You should be able to create a MOV video file, and use the properties of your clip.

1. Go to Share>Create Video File, Select Custom
2. In the Create Video File dialog window, change the Save as type to Quicktime Movie Files
3. Click the Options button
4. In the Video Save Options dialog, click on the General tab
5. On the General tab, under Frame size click on the radial button for User-defined, enter the frame size (960 x 540)
6. Adjust other settings to suit your needs, then when finished clicking OK will close the dialog.
7. Provide a name for your video file, click Save. VS should now create a video file, using those settings.

Now if you're going to be using those properties often, create a Movie Template by going to Settings, Make Movie Template Manager. In the first dialog you will need to click on the New button, then select your file format, and provide a name for your template. The Template Options will be basically the same as the Video Save Options.