Aspect Ratio

[wkadams]

I need some help with setting aspect ratio. I know how to set it (I think) but don't know what to set it to.

Here's the situation. My project is a slideshow made from photographs which need to be displayed in the 4:3 ratio. I am making a DVD which will be played on a 16:9 TV. I can adjust the picture ratio on the TV for proper viewing but what I would really like to know are the proper setting within VS.

Right now I have Images on the preferences page set to "keep aspect ratio". I am not sure what Project properties under settings really means. Is this the same as selecting the aspect ratio on the add media page (step 1) of sharing. So what should project settings to set to under the settings tab. And then what should I select on the add media page of share. Are there other settings i am not aware of?

I would rather not have to adjust my TV from regular viewing but if I do, that is okay.

Thanks for the help. The manual is pretty good at saying how to do things, but not very good and saying what to do.

I appreciate the help.
WKAdams

[BrianCee]

As regards aspect ratio of a video you play on a TV there are only two choices 4:3 and 16:9 - since you want to play on a modern 16:9 TV then use that as your project properties - keep aspect ratio is fine for your images or else you will distort them - you just need to adjust the overall size (keeping the correct aspect ratio) to whatever you want on screen

your best option is to put a colour block in the top track and set your project properties to 16:9 and then put all your images in one (or more) of the overlay tracks - changing their size to whatever you want without changing aspect ratio - or do as I did when I recently re-edited a 4:3 wedding into 16:9 and put a nice floral image in that in the top track - see the image below

Also remember there are thousands of different ways you can present you images - they dont just have to slip by full screen with a transition between them - you could do something along these lines :-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFyyfVH ... lRpjgikt4Q

or another technique I have used is to put the video in the top track with the project properties set to 16:9 and distort the video to fit - then put the same video in the overlay track and keep 4:3 and produce a video like this :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJf4hpKctj0

[wkadams]

Brian

Thanks so much for your reply. I do have a couple of follow up questions. I have done as you suggest and put my photos on the overlay track, put a color (colour) block on the top track. When I change the project to 16:9 it changes the photos as well. Is that because I need to set the project size before I put photos on the overlay track? Right now I had just moved them from the top track to the overlay track.

Thanks so much for your help.

WKAdams

[BrianCee]

You need to remove all of the still images from the timeline - then put a color block in the top track and set the project properties to 16:9 - then when you insert the images they will not change aspect ratio

[wkadams]

Brian

Okay, that's what I thought I might have to do. I will do some experimenting with it.

Thanks for your help.

WKAdams

[lata]

Hi

Your images are probably 3 x 2 ratio.

You will be best to manually resize the images, keeping the aspect ratio.

Place the images in the Overlay Tracks, they should display as a small image.
Drag the lower left corner to resize the image, I would not increase to full screen, just a little short, to the safe area rectangle, that will create a bottom border, (may help with any TV Overscan)
Then drag the top right corner again a little short
You should have a border left and right, top and bottom.
Dragging corners keeps the aspect ratio.

Right click the preview screen for Anchor Center – Center

Right click this clip on the timeline and select Copy attributes
Shift + left click last image to select all
Right click for Paste Attributes. All images display as first image.

You could of course use an image editor to modify your images to 16:9 ratio, maybe adding your own borders.

[wkadams]

Trevor

Thanks so much for you reply. This is very helpful.

WKAdams

[wkadams]

Brian

I tried your suggestion on a new project I am doing with a video clip in 4:3. I did as you suggested by placing a colour block in the top track and the clip on the overlay track. It worked great.

Thanks so much for the help.

WKAdams