Widescreen Problem with X5

[GaryG45]

Hi,
I'm doing a trial of VS X5 and have potentially encountered a widescreen problem. I'm a newbie, and this may be a mistake on my part. I used a Toshiba VCR/DVD recorder combo to copy some old VHS tapes to DVDs. When I play the DVDs on my widescreen TV, they fill the screen. I'm trialling X5 to create better menus and maybe make other improvements. I've taken the DVDs and used a free program called VOB2MPG to copy the DVDs to MPEG2s. The MPEG2s have an aspect ratio of 4:3. Next I imported a MPEG2 into X5 and set Project Properties Display Aspect Ratio to 16:9 and settings to 16:9. In Edit I noticed that the preview window shows black bars on the sides of the video clip, but I thought that would change later. I didn't make any changes to the clip in Edit and went to Share to create a Disc. In the Create a Disc I checked to see if the aspect ratio at the bottom of the window was set to 16:9 and it was. I proceeded to burn the disc. When I play the disc on my widescreen TV, I see the black bars on the right and left side of the screen. I've tried this with a couple of MPEG2 clips and all have the same results. Hopefully I'm missing a setting during the Edit or Share phase of processing. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[lata]

Hi

Welcome to the forums

It is difficult to identify the frame shape when viewing on TV as we can tell the box to fill the screen, using smart zoom will keep the video in proportion, so you can view a 4:3 on a 16:9 tv without borders.
From Video Studio
Right click the original video in the timeline and select properties what are they?

You indicate that they are 4:3.
If you set the project properties to 16:9 the video will sit on the frame the unused portions will show as black bars, 4:3 being smaller frame size than 16:9

Go to Preferences, change the background colour to anything but black
The preview screens frame will show in colour.
Add a video file, any colour you see will be part of the video frame.

You can convert, stretch the 4:3 to fit the 16:9 frame
View this guide to widescreen 16:9, was made using earlier versions but nothing has changed that much.

http://www.lata.me.uk/video_studio/16_9/16_9.htm

The DVD can be inserted/imported to Video Studio using the Insert Digital Media Option, right click timeline.
Otherwise
The DVD contains VOB files, copy to your hard drive. these can be renamed to use MPG as the file extension. Works for most Vob files but not all

You should then be able to add to VS timeline.

[GaryG45]

Trevor,
Thanks a lot that fixed the problem.

Yes, when I right clicked on the video in the timeline, the properties showed that it was 4:3.

I do have a suggestion for the instructions that were in the link and maybe my videos could be the cause of the way things worked for me. If I did step 3 Right click the preview screen and select 'Fit to Screen' and step 4 Right click the preview screen and select 'Keep aspect ratio', I found that I lost some of the video at the top and bottom of the screen. If I reverse the order of steps 3 & 4, selecting 'Keep aspect ratio' first, it appears that there was no loss of video. I didn't notice any other changes to the video.

Thanks again for your help.

Gary

[lata]

Hi Gary

When you convert 4:3 to 16:9 you will lose some detail top and bottom of the video.
You have to, the two frame being completely different shapes.

If you apply Keep aspect Ratio first this is applying to the default view, the small frame, which indecently using the correct ratio, so the option has no effect.

Using Fit to Screen on its own will distort the 4:3 frame to view as 16:9 literally stretching it horizontally to fill the frame, everyone in your video will put on a pound or so.
If the video does not contain people but just a scenery then you may not notice the difference.

Even so the frame will be distorted..............

Do a quick test using the sample library video V18
Start a new project, drag this to the overlay track.
The countdown video should be circular, resize it to convert to 16:9

[GaryG45]

Hi Trevor,
Using sample V18, I see the difference. Because the majority of the videos I'll be working with contain people I'll use the steps as provided in your instructions. Thanks again for your help.

Gary