I am hoping to start video blogging using my Cannon FS10 standard def camera. It has an option to record in 16:9, but when I open the file in Vegas movie studio platinum 9 (the free eval version from their site) the video is squeezed into 4:3 and pillarboxed to fir 16:9. Kinda frustrating. VLC player and Windows media player both play the files in 16:9, so I cant figure out why it won'y work in Vegas.

Is there a Codec I need to install? Is it a function of being a "trial" installation? Or is this just a limitation of the camera/file? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Go to File - Properties and set the project properties appropriately.

Then after adding the clip to the timeline, right-click that event and make sure the PAR is set correctly.

I haven't been able to identify a widescreen project property which renders it properly, even NTSC DV widescreen, which I believe the video was recorded in.

If it helps, a sample file looks like this:

General
Name: Randy.mpg
Folder: C:\Documents and Settings\Chris\My Documents\My Videos\IMxLibrary\CANON\20091205
Type: MainConcept MPEG-2
Size: 49.59 MB (50,784,256 bytes)
Created: Saturday, December 05, 2009, 11:18:53 AM
Modified: Saturday, December 05, 2009, 11:18:53 AM
Accessed: Tuesday, January 05, 2010, 3:44:21 PM
Attributes: Archive

Streams
Video: 00:00:43.543, 29.970 fps interlaced, 720x480x32, MPEG-2
Audio: 00:00:43.552, 48,000 Hz, Stereo, MPEG

ACID information
ACID chunk: no
Stretch chunk: no
Stretch list: no
Stretch info2: no
Beat markers: no
Detected beats: no

Other metadata
Regions/markers: no
Command markers: no

Media manager
Media tags: no

Plug-In
Name: mcplug.dll
Folder: C:\Program Files\Sony\Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9.0\FileIO Plug-Ins\mcplug
Format: MainConcept MPEG-2
Version: Version 2.0 (Build 5631)
Company: Sony Creative Software Inc.

Ok, got it. You were right, it was the PAR setting. Thank you. I feel a bit smarter today.

:)