Quick 'n' dirty way to go from 16:9 to 4:3 for YouTube

I shot a number of hours of footage on a workshop in Canada recently, using a Canon HV-30, shooting wide screen (16:9), recorded onto the HDV type mini-DV tapes, at the standard definition setting.

Now, after reading Philip Hodgett's excellent "TheHDSurvivalHandbook", I realise that it's best if I prepare the best quality 320 x 240 pixel SD video I can---but that means some kind of mask to reduce the 16:9 to 4:3.

These YouTube clips will be short (3-4'), so I am assuming my best workflow is to L&C, either from my deck (DSR-11) if it will do this (the camera is brand new and I have not tested the workflow yet) or by Capture Now via FW straight into FCP 6; edit at 16:9, and then mask to 4:3 (using full height of the video) before outputting.

Is there a better way?

TIA, KL

Sounds like that info is a bit out of date. You Tube will very happily accept 16:9 video and in fact for watching in full screen mode, it's far better that you keep it 16:9 rather than letterbox it.

I'd advise you do an export at 640x360 and upload that. Remember to deinterlace!

Martin Baker
[www.digital-heaven.co.uk]
Unique plug-ins and tools for Apple Pro Apps

Hello Martin,

That's interesting. I was quoting Phil's tutorial here (I see now that it's dated March 2007):

"YouTube converts everything that is uploaded to Flash 7 video at 320 x 240."

I will ask Phil to look at that, to see if that's still current.

What you suggest is good news, especially as the little Canon has a 25p mode, too, in HDV, that I would like to experiment with.

So, now talking about future projects that will end up on YouTube (short clips), iTunes for download, and DVD for distribution, may I have suggestions for workflow, from folk here who do this? Or are there tutorials anyone can recommend? I have a standard def. GY500 with a broadcast wide zoom that I have been using for educational DVDs, but bought the baby Canon for shooting the YouTube clips, and to play with the HDV format to sort out an efficient workflow.

My deck (DSR-11) can't handle HDV, so my original intention had been to downconvert in-camera to wide-screen DV and record on DV tapes in standard def. Would it be better to record HDV in camera, and simply use the camera to play out and Capture Now in FCP, keep an HDV workflow for the edit, and then use Compressor to output the different end products?

any help here at the planning stage is much appreciated.

cheers, kl

Like digitalheave said.

Look at what he is talking about


LDB Campaign 30 sec. spot
Use h.264 at 3000 mbits

God Bless,

Douglas Villalba
director/cinematographer/editor
Miami, Florida

[www.DouglasVillalba.info]
[www.youtube.com]
[vimeo.com]

Very nice, Douglas, especially at full screen. Thanks for that.

I am glad it helped

God Bless,

Douglas Villalba
director/cinematographer/editor
Miami, Florida

[www.DouglasVillalba.info]
[www.youtube.com]
[vimeo.com]

>>Like digitalheave said. <<

Wow, you miss one little letter and the meaning changes so much. Martin's gonna love that one.

"Digitalheave"?

So it's yet another occasion for...




www.derekmok.com

I am sorry about that digitalheaven.

Cubans are known for eating letters off of words. It runs in the blood.

God Bless,

Douglas Villalba
director/cinematographer/editor
Miami, Florida

[www.DouglasVillalba.info]
[www.youtube.com]
[vimeo.com]