Outputting 16:9 Aspect Ration to uncompressed QT

Hi,

I'm working in 16:9 standard def. When I bring my 16:9 source material into my timeline it looks fine, but when I go to export to uncompressed QT the aspect ratio changes to 3:4.

I'm also having trouble working in with 16:9 in Motion. There isn't a setting for this so I've had to manually force it to fit which is distorting the image a bit.

What can I do to resolve these issues?

Thanks,
Shelley

Shelley
MacBoo Pro 2015
16 GB Ram
OS X 10.13
Premiere Pro CC

That's what anamorphic 16:9 means. Read this:

[www.lafcpug.org]


www.derekmok.com

Hi Shelly,

I went through hell trying to figure this out when I started editing my Canon Optura footage in FCP 5 three years ago. So let me share a few things I discovered myself and a few things I learned from various user groups, especially LAFCPUG.

In fact it was Derek that first made me aware that there is 16:9 flat and 16:9 anamorphic. And 16:9 Anamorphic is really 4:3 (720x480) squeezed.

Now, I don't know of any SD camera that shoots 16:9 flat. In fact, I don't think there are any. So a 16:9 flat image is always framed inside black bars on top and bottom (in other words, Letterboxed.)

I was under the wrong impression that by shooting 16:9 anamorphic with my Canon Optura was the same as shooting HDV 16:9. This I was shock was not the case. My Sony Z1U shoots 1440x1080, which is 4:3 squeezed also, but when uncompressed it comes out as 1920x1080, which is a lot better quality than the 720x405 uncompressed I get out of my Canon Optura camera shooting 16:9 anamorphic.

I hope one of the experts on LAFCPUG comes out and explains this a bit further. I hope I didn't make any major mistakes in my observations.

As for Motion. You will need to tell it that the images you have need to be stretched out to 16x9. Start a with standard SD project. Once it is ready to go hit (Command) J to get to your project settings. About half way down is a Pixel Aspect ratio setting. Use the drop down to select "NTSC D1/DV Anamorphic".


-Vance

Quote
Shelly
when I go to export

what is the purpose of the export?
this determines what you do to adjust the image.

is it's for a DVD Studio Pro, leave it the way it is,
and tell DVDSP you are making an 16/9 disk.


MOTION
this is a cut & paste from the motion help file:

Motion 3: 16:9 DV clips sent from Final Cut Pro may appear as 4:3

Symptoms

Anamorphic DV format clips that are intended to be viewed in the 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio may appear in the 4:3 aspect ratio (SD fullscreen) if you use the Send to Motion Project feature in Final Cut Pro. Specifically, this can happen if you send a DV clip to Motion from Final Cut Pro's Browser.

Resolution

Since this issue occurs with DV clips that are sent directly from the Browser, you can work around this behavior by following these steps in Final Cut Pro:

Add the clip to a sequence.
Do one of the following:
Select the clip in the Timeline to send just that clip.
or
Select the sequence in the Browser to send all items in the sequence.
Choose File > Send To > Motion Project.
This document will be updated as more information becomes available.

Ration? Are we rationing? I wonder if I can get a ration of bacon?

Your ration of bacon is limited to one rasher per week. You poor sod.

You can never really appreciate good bacon until you're faced with "Beef Bacon" ... such a cruel joke.

Hi Shelley,

Quote
Shelley
I'm working in 16:9 standard def. When I bring my 16:9 source material into my timeline it looks fine, but when I go to export to uncompressed QT the aspect ratio changes to 3:4.

Nick answered your second question well. But I wanted to add regarded the first issue you raised another point. Maybe Nick can explain this further, because I find it still a bit unclear.

Yes, if you're only exporting for DVD and using DVD SP, you don't need to do anything about the anamorphic footage, because as Nick says, all you have to do is flag it and the software adjusts automatically for it, so you end up with a 16:9 stretched out image on the plasma and lcd monitors.

But if you're like me and would like to work with uncompressed images, then you should export an uncompressed version of your movie and bring it back into an NTSC 4:3 project or sequence and render it out as an 16:9 flat image inside of the 720x480 frame. So the size of the image will actually be 720x405 inside of the flat 720x480 frame.

This will also help you when you want to export a version of the movie for the web. As far as I'm concerned, it's best to stay away from anamorphic because it's not a natural ratio for video -- imho

By the way, I'm vegetarian. I think eating meat, especially bacon is gross. We shouldn't kill animals and eat them. But, hey, that's just me. I'm not prejudiced....

"I think eating meat, especially bacon is gross ..."

No question that your viewpoint is valid and one to which you are rightfully entitled ... but your statement does beg the question why "especially" bacon, Vic?

vic,

there is very, very little useful information in what you have posted.
mostly it is confusing, i'm afraid to say.
without being mean about it, i'd respectfully ask you to bow out of this one for a while.
you are a creative person, after all, not a technical one!

for a simple subject, this thread is really getting off track.


shelly,

Standard Definition video works with a 4/3 frame size.
it can be 16/9 by using an ANAMORPHIC process.

anamorphic in this case basically means a 16/9 image is "Squished" (my techniacl term) to fit into the 4/3 frame size during filming,
and is ten Stretched back out when displayed.

the display device has to know the image is anamorphic to do it's job properly.
in FCP you can label a clip or sequence as anamorphic.
as i said you tell DVDSP if you are making a 16/9 disk.
you set your TV the zoom setting of your choice,
etc. etc.

you can easily change the display settings in QuickTime.
but rather than bang on, it would help to know what yo intend to do with your export.


thanks all,
nick

Thanks for all the input.

Where I find I have the most trouble with this is when I'm trying to mix 4:3 with 16:9 footage in the same timeline. I have been enlarging and stretching the the 4:3 manually to fit in the 16:9 AR to match the 16:9 clips. I know this is a complete hack way of doing it -- but when I put the anamorphic squeeze filter on 4:3 it looks even worse. I don't have any problem when I send clips from the timeline to Motion - it retains the timeline proportions.

The problem occurs when I export the sequence as and uncompressed QT. I use this file to make email approval files to send to my clients. I use QT application to do this by opening the QT application, the open the file and hitting "share." This compresses the file to a size under 10mb so it can be sent through email. But when I do method with at 16:9, it reverts to 4:3.

The other way I use the uncompressed QT is for making a file for YouTube. I use compressor to create this file. I bring the uncompressed QT into compressor and use the H.264 Webcasting preset for the YouTube files. This preset has worked great for me for YouTube in the past on 4:3 sequences. If the sequence is 10 minutes or so I usually get a file size about 75 - 80 mb. BUT, when I'm mixing formats - everything gets jacked up and it looks like crap. Even when I'm working in all 16:9 and use the QT file in compressor to make the YouTube file it reverts to 4:3.

Any advice on how to work around this or a better way to do things is appreciated.

Thanks,
Shelley

Shelley
MacBoo Pro 2015
16 GB Ram
OS X 10.13
Premiere Pro CC