4:3 video is too big

[agemoz]

Hello,
I created my first MediaStudio 8 video in 4:3 format, using the standard 720x480 default. I used the DVDfactory to make the DVD. When I preview it, everything looks fine in 4:3, but when I play it on a DVD player and a standard (not HDTV) TV, the video is too big, the outer 20% or so of the image is off screen--and the ratio of horiz to vertical is off--people look a bit fatter than they really are. I have square pixels on, and checked through all the settings but can't find anything wrong. I also see no global zoom filter I can apply to fix the problem manually. I made sure that the DVD factory settings were also set for 720x480 4:3. Help!

Bob

[Terry Stetler]

That area being cut off is what's called "overscan" and it's not showing on a TV set is normal. Overscan is there to account for out of adjustment TV's. It's been there since TV began, but unless you're editing on a computer it's never actually seen

The trick is to keep your content within what are called "safe" regions. There are two "safe" regions to be concerned with: "Title safe" and "Action safe".

"Title safe" is the area within which you want to keep your titles, graphics etc. This is usually set to 10-12% from any edge.

"Action safe" is the area within which you want to keep your subject matter. This is usually set to within 5-6% from any edge.

To give you an idea; when you enter the MSPro 8 titler with video displayed undera title the Title safe margin is the square inside the titlers preview window.

This defaults to 10%, but can be adjusted in File/Preferences.

[agemoz]

Interesting, of course I didn't know about this. I've made quite a few movies in Media Studio 7 and while I'd noticed a small amount of cutoff, it wasn't anything like what I am now seeing. For example, I created a title, and had stayed well within the 10% safe area, but much of the text ended up offscreen. I did it again with it set to 20%, and about 10% is *still* offscreen! And this is with a title that I kept within about 10-20% of the 20% safe area!

The other thing that makes me suspicious is the "fattening" of the image.

I did find I could zoom in clips using the moving filter set to a constant zoom factor--but I was pretty surprised there was no global zoom filter, I would have thought this would be a common adjustment.

Bob

[Devil]

What are you zooming and how? We can't help you if you don't help us by giving full details.

If the aspect ratio has changed, it must mean you are doing something to cause this. If, whatever you're doing, there is a Keep aspect ratio box, did you check it?

And you can apply an effect as constant, using Effects Manager. If you have selected the effect you are using and adjusted the first keyframe to how you want it, right-click the keyframe and click on Copy and Paste to All.

[agemoz]

Thanks for this information, I have saved the tip in my hints files.

I have not actually applied the zoom, I just mentioned that I had found out how to do it using the moving path. But I'll use your idea next time, or more likely do the filming so it is well within the frame boundaries (your "action" and title safe areas.

I did go back and check that movie's settings, both global and for the clips and effects). None of the clips that are oversize or fattened have any effects applied, nor do they appear to have any checkbox that says keep aspect ratio. I do see the Keep Aspect Ratio in the moving path Size or Size2 effects, but since I'm not actually using those effects, (I checked to be sure), that shouldn't be the cause.

I did notice one thing, though: the clip properties are 720:480 (aspect ratio 3:2). Taking a 4:3 clip and rendering to 720:480 seems like it would make people skinnier, am I right? I think the clips (which come from a SonyXV2000) were recorded at 4:3, then captured at 720:480. The rendering in MSP8 must clip to produce 4:3 from 720:480, hence making fat people!! What do you think? I'm going to try some experiments by changing the frame size of capture--unfortunately, that would in theory require a frame size of 720x540 (aspect ratio 4:3) which isn't an available capture frame size option. But I'll bet some variation of aspect ratio mismatch is the cause of this problem.

Bob

[Terry Stetler]

When discussing the "4:3" aspect ratio of captured video you're not really talking about the whole frame but just the visible portion, meaning exclusive of the overscan. This comes out to a real 4:3.

In short: Those frame sizes are as they are for good reasons. Don't mess with 'em if your target is TV playback.

[2Dogs]

I have square pixels on

Shouldn't you be using non-square pixel rendering?

[agemoz]

Shouldn't you be using non-square pixel rendering?

This was the problem!! Thank you. The video looks fine now on TV (with a small amount of overscan, just like MSP7).

Bob

[2Dogs]

Dear Bob,

you should be able to reduce the effects of the overscan by trimming away the screen surround of the TV with an old hacksaw....

[heinz-oz]

Dear Bob,

you should be able to reduce the effects of the overscan by trimming away the screen surround of the TV with an old hacksaw....

Ts, Ts, Ts...

[daniel]

..and with a platic screwdriver you could tune the horiz defl and vert defl trim-pots inside the TV set so that there is no oversan at all.
You could even have the rather exclusive display of the little dots that are on top and bottom of the image (teletext and other data). Very impressive to vistors, the only TV where you see it ALL.

But be aware there will be a barrel effect along the borders...

Sorry Heinz...