VS9 Frame Size Question.

[JMan]

I'm a new member, see if someone here can help me out.

I'm working on a project, using some .avi files, each of 13GB in size, captured from a SONY DV camcorder. Here's the properties:
File Size: 13,043,912 KB
Frame Rate: 29.970 Frames/sec
Video Compression: DV Video Encoder -- type 1
Video Attributes: 24 Bits, 720x480, 4:3

Now the problem: when I do "Share->Create Video File->NTSC MPEG 2 (720x480 29.97 fps)" in VS9 to create mpeg file, the resulting video has a distorted size - with a black bar at the bottom of the picture, and picture is squeezed in vertical dimension.

But when I played with it a little more, I found that if I set output frame size to 720x540 (but I can only do this with .wma files which is not what I needed), the result video had a normal frame size.

Is this something related to VS9 that I can find a quick answer here? Or I need to dig into it more? (BTW - I have done searches in this forum, but couldn't find anything related.)

Thanks all you gurus here in advance.

[JMan]

I just wanted to add something, which might or might not be relevent to my problem. I was thinking if I made a mistake when capture the .avi files - I might've used PAL instead of NTSC format. But aspect ratio is for sure 720x480.

Since I'm not sure about if I made the mistake, could anyone here tell me if it is possible that the .avi files could be captured in the size of 720x480? And if this is my problem, is there anyway I could fix it?

Thanks again.

[Ken Berry]

No, unless you consciously played with the options of the format, both the frame size and the speed (29.97 fps) indicate you captured in NTSC and not PAL.

If you are intending to produce a DVD, then at the Share > Create Video File stage, you should have selected 'NTSC DVD' and not 'NTSC MPEG-2'. Although most DVDs require an mpeg-2 file, they need to be in correct DVD format and the correct format is 'NTSC DVD' (logically ). The 'NTSC MPEG-2' is another version for other purposes. First of all, it uses the Frame Based field order by default, whereas your project requires Lower Field First. And the frame size is usually different as that form of mpeg-2 is (normally) used to produce an SVCD. When you look at an SVCD mpeg-2 in a viewer before it is burned to CD, it always looks 'squashed' and I suspect this is what has happened in your case.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

You indicate from your first post that you captured to DV-Avi.
If you were connected via a Firewire and selected DV as the ‘Capture format’ then you actually copied the video data from your camera to video studio. What you have in your camera is what you get on VS no re-coding takes place. Other than selecting the DV-Type there are no other settings to bother about. ( use DV-Type 1). ( I think this is the best method of capturing)

With your captured video in the timeline, right click and select properties, this shows the clip and therefore the capture settings. A thumbnail of the captured video should also be seen in the library, again right click to select properties.

After editing your project, Share Create Video File. And as Ken indicated select NTSC–DVD not Mpeg.

The process will take some time, Approx 2 to 3 hours depending on your PC.

Once complete use the new video file to burn a disc. Share Create Disc.
Make sure the project settings are the same as the video clip properties.

Again if you wish to view a clips properties ‘right click the clip’

Hope this Helps

Trevor