VS9: Wide Screen: What to do

meengla · Post by **meengla** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 10:20 pm

Hi:
I want to create a Flash video (.FLV) like at:

http://www.proxus.com/components/FLV_Player.php

I have a MiniDV camcorder and have just bought Ulead VS 9. One main reason for buying VS9 was the widescreen support (16:9). Here is what I have done so far:
1) Capture as "DV1" videos in .AVI format (I split scenes and leave out undesired parts from the DV)
2) Program in VS9
3) "Share" video by making NTSC WideFormat (16:9) .avi file. By looking at the file's Properties, it is 760x480 (or something close to these numbers). The video looks great but has a black-border around it.

What can be done to have just the 'active' visible part of the original video making its way to the final .avi file? Also, I am not sure 760x480 is the 16:9 ratio/wide format? And finally, how can I make video like Proxus' video? I think I can use Sorenson Squeeze to make .FLV and even crop them to Wide Format but still I need to fix the black box /frame problem first.

Post by **Ron P.** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 12:05 am

Well you have a few options to achieve this. However for the example you posted, a FLV player you will first need Macromedia (now Adobe) MX to create an FLV file.

There are however several alternatives to this, one that I'm familier with, is Swishvideo http://www.swishzone.com.
It will convert an avi file to Flash streaming format. A good little program for only $49 (US).

Then another one is Tubine Video Encoder;
http://www.blue-pacific.com/products/tu ... efault.htm
They offer a free version that puts a small watermark on your finished product or you can pay $24 for a license.

There are quite a few avi-swf encoders around. Just Google it

I believe if you rendered a 16:9 (wide screen) video which is intended to be viewed on wide screen tv, then it is normal to have the letter box effect (black box above and below) when viewed on a regular 4:3 tv.
You can read more about this here:
http://hometheater.about.com/cs/televis ... ctor_2.htm

Regards

meengla · Post by **meengla** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 3:59 am

I believe if you rendered a 16:9 (wide screen) video which is intended to be viewed on wide screen tv, then it is normal to have the letter box effect (black box above and below) when viewed on a regular 4:3 tv.
You can read more about this here:

Thank you. But I am not looking at the generated .AVIs on TV--they are still on a computer, not do I need assitance in converting to .FLVs.

The question still is: How can one make wide screen .FLVs as seen in Proxus video?

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 5:30 pm

Did you capture to Dv-Avi via a firewire connection.

Select the clip in the timeline, right click, select properties.

Do the properties show 16:9

If you see 16:9 then in edit the preview should show a wide screen frame.

Trevor

meengla · Post by **meengla** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 6:17 pm

Thank you. Well, I am not sure how I Captured it! When the very first time I launched VS9, it prompted me to select a Capture Size and I selected 16:9 and also checked the box which says "don't show this dialog box again". After that, I did Capture it using a FireWire card (which came with a boxed Pinnacle Studio version I bought many months ago, by the way).

Okay, I will try to Capture the video again. But I am also interested to find out if MediaStudioPro 7 would be a significantly better product for NLE and if so, I may Upgrade to that product instead? (I opened another thread but apparantly no one is interested in selling me the Upgrade

).

Thanks.

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 6:33 pm

Just FYI, you shouldn't have to recapture the video. The pixel aspect ratio is stored in the AVI file header. Also, regardless of whether it is 4:3 or 16:9 video, the resolution will always be 720x480 for NTSC video, so don't look at the properties and say to yourself "Gee, that doesn't look right" and spend more time trying to capture again.

Even though you told UVS not to display that dialog again, you can still change the project properties to select a different aspect ratio. Plus, the aspect ratio only sets the default aspect ratio when you output the project to a new video file or disc -- it doesn't modify the videos you add into the project in any way.

In the Preferences, you can also tell UVS to resume all confirmations if you prefer to see those dialogs again.

meengla · Post by **meengla** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 6:42 pm

Great. Thanks a bunch. Here is what I did to confirm:
1) On the 'Timeline', right clicked one of the thumbnails and selected Properties: It said 720x480, NTSC 4:3... But I am not sure what this thumbnail represents: When Captured the video, I selected the option to 'scan' the DV from the tape and actually scanned only portions of it. But my hunch is that it was captured in 4:3 ratio?

Anyway, what I can do with the .DV on my tape to make it look like the Proxus video? How can I get rid of the black box around the final produced .AVI file as produced by VideoStudio. Just an overview will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:13 pm

Hi
You need to confirm that the footage on your cam-caorder is indeed 16:9 or 4:3

By capturing via firewire to Dv-Avi you actually copy the video footage to your pc.

What you have on your camera is what you get on your pc.

You have NO capture property options to select.

In the 'Options' cogwheel you should only get :-

Capture options...
Dv type...

If you see a box with more than two options then you may not be connected via 'Firewire'

So you can view the capture settings below the preview screen 'information'

once you have captured you can see the capture/clip settings from the edit screen, right click the clip in the timeline and select properties.

What are they???

Trevor

meengla · Post by **meengla** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:21 pm

Thanks a bunch. Hmmm, my ignorance that I assumed at it will be software alone which can convert . DV from my camcorder to 16:9 format. I will have to check if my camera (Panasonic PV GS200) even supports 16:9 shooting.

By the way, just Upgraded to MediaStudioPro 7.

Thanks again to all.

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:34 pm

The GS200 series doesn't support true 16:9, it letterboxes the image according to camcorderinfo.com. That explains why the Properties show it's 4:3 video.

meengla · Post by **meengla** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:02 pm

Hmmm. That settles it then! But I think I can still crop the video in a way to, sort of, fake a wider aspect video. But I am not in a rush to do it. First I have a learning curve ahead to for both the camcoder and the MediaStudio Pro software....

Thanks.