insert new frame size?

[bill in pa]

Hi and Good Evening,
I have a problem which I cannot find an
answer for in the pdf manual. I have need to order
various frame sizes which are not available from within
the program: settings/project properties/edit/frame size/user defined.

If there is a way to remove the grayed-out section covering over that button to allow me
to insert the proper size for the project I am curently working on
I would appreciate the directions on how to accomplish
this task. As always thank you for any help offered,

bill in pa

[gewb]

AVI, MOV, WEBM and UIS allow custom (user-defined) frame size but is set from the Share tab, Computer playback, Custom format. Other than that I have no other ideas.

[lata]

Hi Bill

Can you explain what you are trying to create, what type of video?
The standard frames aspect ratio for all video is 16:9, some formats may use 4:3

So if you need to change the project properties to a different aspect ratio than 16:9 then you would have to output to WMV, Mov or Avi
Is that what you want?

Now can you give more information regarding the video files, what are their properties?

[bill in pa]

Hi Trevor,

Yes I can explain further. I record and save many historical documentaries from the TV.
However lately, as you were kind enough to point out, they have changed the aspect ratio
To 16:9 while this is not a big deal, it has become one simply because the TV manufactures,
in their zest to make a buck, have standardized this ratio. Now what happens to the folks like
myself who have purchased a new TV? Well you sit in front of it and wonder were the devil is
that 43” viewing area that you paid a small fortune to see?
What has happened is the cable companies and television networks show miscoded films in the format of 16:9!

Unfortunately, films from the 1940’s the war years, when these documentaries were
made, are shown with heavy black bars either on top of the picture or aside of the picture
In order to compensate of the lack of total area. What this actually equates to is your new
43” picture in now about 21”! The properties of the projects record to our DVR like this:
Width 546, Height 473, rate 29 fps with a total bit rate 742kbps. I am using the program to
Burn these programs onto DVD, so they would output at standard .mpg files.

Taking yourself away for moment and stepping into VS10, I think you can see the
problems. To date I have used two programs to try to compensate for these odd
frame sizes, freemake and handbrake. While they worked to some extent they were
not able to match exactly the odd recorded spec’s in order in eliminate these annoying black bars.

Regards,
Bill in pa

[Ken Berry]

The problem, of course, though, in trying to get a 4:3 video to fill a 16:9 screen is that if you stretch it horizontally, the contents will be stretched and will look wide and fat. And if you also stretch it vertically to maintain the aspect ratio of what is on the video, then the top and bottom of the original video will not be visible on screen...

[asik1]

The best way to view 4:3 in 16:9 is with two pillars.
that is the way they were screened on the big silver screen.

[Ken Berry]

Yes, but that is precisely what he doesn't want. He wants to see his 4:3 video from side to side, and top to bottom, in a 16:9 screen... No black borders anywhere.

[bill in pa]

As always Ken your diagnosis of the problem is 100%
accurate. The most perplexing point of the problem is that they sometime will show
in its original form and all is right with the world.

You are also correct in your estimation of the stretching of the
characters on the screen, if left unattended. Sometimes is
has comical affects as you view a Lancaster bomber flying
across the screen with those Merlin engines roaring, only now
growing to the size of a B-52! I would suppose that is part of
videography in trying to get everything to fit perfectly on the screen
without distortion of any kind. I wish I could find out how the networks
do it, probably with the turn of a small knob on the left! <G>

Thanks again for the help and suggestions,
bill in pa

[gewb]

You could crop the 4:3 into 16:9 then shift the center point based on scence. You would lose a lot of the originbal 4:3 material to do it. Could be done in VS but would take time. I don't think I would like it...

[bill in pa]

Hi Gewb,
I am doing sort of that very thing. Starting from
center screen and working outward to the limits of fit on
all four sides. Not perfect but not that bad and still better
than the dreaded “Black Bars”. What I have learned is that
the whole project works better if I concentrate on a face it
seems to work better than trees or other landscape items. Then
everything else seems to follow suit. Of course, its not perfect as I said,
but better than I expected. Sometimes I come across one film
that is too far off the mark and I must take it as it is without adjustment.

Best to you,
bill in pa

[Davidk]

Doing this manually would be/is a pain, when you can do it automatically. There's an option to 'keep aspect ratio (no letterbox)' which does this, but you do lose a bit of the image.

In preferences, for a new project, see the edit tab as this screenshot

For an individual clip within a project, put clip in the time,line and select the clip, open the options panel, and select, as this screenshot

[lata]

Hi Bill

Whatever the way you choose converting from 4:3 to 16:9 will lose some detail across the top or bottom of the frame.

The quickest test is to use the overlay track, right click the clip on the preview screen for Fit to Screen.
That will distort the frame to fit
Now right click again for “Keep aspect ratio” that will reset the distort to display the video in proportion, we will lose some of the top and bottom frame, but can move up and down to improve things.

Once set on the first clip we can use Copy and Paste attributes to set the effect to other clips.

A further concern would be quality, as we zoom in to the 4:3 we do lose some quality, the video may look soft focus.
Your original recordings from the DVR are 546 x 473, strange sizes, but also low resolution.
Can you right click a clip on the timeline, choose properties, what are they?
The data rate of 742kbps is also low.
Are you able to change the DVR settings to record a higher quality, maybe 720 x 480?

Personally I think you are best in keeping the original aspect, those black bars could be filled with an image.
You could move the video to the far left of the 16:9, then set a slide show to the right with still images appropriate to the video, I guess a Picture in Picture effect.

But more concerned with the 546 x 473 quality after resizing the frame.

[gewb]

Reason I would do by scene is to use track motion instead of fixed frame.

[bill in pa]

Thanks, DavidK and especially for the screen shot! I am ashamed of myself!
David, I must have been on that edit card at least 100 times, I always make
sure, the top box for quality is checked for best quality! I ever looked twice
at the box you pointed out. I can’t wait to give it a whirl. Coming up shortly
there is a newly produced documentary on one of my favorite people, Winston Churchill.
It’s under Masters of War series “Winston Churchill”. I can’t think of a better time
to test the setting out. Many thanks again David----I’ll try to keep my
eyes open!

lata, yes I recognize loss of some picture as a necessary evil. The unusual
frame sizes are I believe stemming from the DVR. This unit
gives a perfect copy of exactly what is on the screen and I believe
it is trying to compensate for the picture size to fill the TV screen, fighting
between the 720 x 420 then also the size ratio 16:9 to 4:3
Yes, it is possible to make minor adjustments to the DVR
but when you do, it tends to try to again compensate for the
picture it is trying to record, and you have a bigger mess to contend
with. Again, let me say Thank You to all who took time from
their busy day to send me a helping hand. In just a few days
that new presentation will air, and I will be using all your suggestions.

Best Wishes,
bill in pa

[Ken Berry]

Coming up shortly there is a newly produced documentary on one of my favorite people, Winston Churchill.

Winnie is certainly not someone you'd want looking any fatter!! That really would be his darkest hour...