Rendered files - odd aspect ratio changes

[Davidk]

Hi,
Using X5, I've been assembling video clips taken on holidays into small, specific topic mini-movies (say about 2-3 mins long each) for friends and family, and I've noticed an odd effect of rendering using the mpeg optimiser option when creating a video file from a set of project parts.

All the source clips have a 16.9 aspect ratio. The project file has full, trimmed, and cut clips, plus text, voice over and music.

Put together in a project file, the various clips fill the small or large display windows, as one would expect. Trimmed and cut clips made not difference to the display when playing. But the rendered result of that project file shows irregular "jumping" of the image aspect ratio: sometimes, it's the full display window, at other times it looks like the image is full width but there are black bars top and bottom, and still other times the reverse - bars on the side with a full vertical image. Those latter characteristics are symptomatic of a 4:3 image converted to 16:9, and I promptly checked to make sure the sources were all 16:9, and they were. The jumping seems to happen within rendered clips and when a clip transitions from one to the next, but not every time. When it happens within a clip, the display 'flickers" as the aspect ratio changes and its that flicker that originally drew my attention to what seemed to be happening.

Does anyone know what might be causing this???

Davidk

[lata]

Hi David

You have been on the forum for long enough now to know to give more information, you have been assembling video clips, what type? what are the clips properties?
Then tell us the properties of the final rendered file?
Now are you creating a video for the internet or to burn a DVD?

You have described some of the edits you have applied but to be honest I find it difficult to imagine what effect you are trying to achieve.
I think you have used several overlay tracks?

What are “the small or large display windows, as one would expect.”

Better still create a smart package of the project, zip it and upload to 4 Shared.

[Davidk]

Hi Trevor,

This is a case of it being hard to know what detail might be needed, so I tried to describe the effects. So, responding to your remarks . .
1. small and large windows
the small window is the UI player panel (user guide p14 item 3), and the large window is the enlarged preview window (guide, pp18/19, item 13 to toggle to it).
2. Overlay tracks. yes - 1. Basically, only used to get a reasonable matching colour background around a photo image (colour panel in the timeline and photo in overlay #1). There are 3 photos in the entire project file, maybe 15 sec total, and it's run time is 1min30sec according to the VS project duration item.
3. video file properties - there's nothing in the properties panels for either of the two rendered files discussed that's unexpected: the aspect ratio in both is 16:9 and the audio is dolby.

Since our last discussion about rendering I've been using the mpeg optimiser for individual clips, and that's worked fine. This was the first time I've actually used the optimiser to render a whole project. And the aim (to answer one of your queries) was to just create a video file on that topic. I may - or may not - later use this with others to burn a DVD with a menu. This issue does not involve any attempt to burn a DVD.

The project file itself contains clips (previously rendered to mpg form), music and photos.

Since I posted the topic, a bit of thought suggested a further test, so I re-rendered the same project file using the previous approach I had been using (Share/create video file/same as project settings).

In passing I noted that the "show message" item that matches project settings to the first clip in the timeline doesn't seem to work when a project file is loaded. The default PP was for LPCM audio, and when the clip was loaded (the first item in the project file was a clip with dolby audio) there was no change to the PP - ie it remained at LPCM audio.

So, having loaded the project file, I then used the Settings/project preferences/edit button to set the project settings to be dolby audio, and O'Kd it. I then chose share/create video file/same as project settings, a unique name and place to save it and OK.

Playing the rendered result did not have those aspect changes in it that I referred to in this topic. I re-played the two test files (one with the problem and one without) using media player to verify it, no change. So far, the optimiser method seems to be the culprit.

So, file sizes. The package of data comprising the project file is a rather more than 100mb, but - as I stated most of the clips have edits and trims in them that would result in a smaller end file when the project is rendered. The two rendered results (with 'mpeg optimiser' and with 'same as project settings') are 98Mb and 85Mb respectively. Why there is such a 10% size difference from the same project file beats me. Ideally, I would upload the project package and both the rendered files for your review, but that's about 300+mb of data and - at a broad estimate - many hours of upload time from my end, assuming everything works the first time. It never has. So I think that approach is not really practicable.

Any suggestions?

Davidk