View Full Version : getting black sidebars when exporting in Mpeg DVD in 16:9 ??? Need help asap :(


Jordan Hamelin
October 6th, 2010, 10:28 PM
Hi guys !

Im currently exporting a project that is in 1080x720 in Mpeg DVD (720x480) when I import the rendered file on Encore I get some small black sidebars each side of the video... Can anyone help me with this ? everything is in 16:9 I belive.


export setting :

NTSC, 720X480, 29.97, Non Drop-Frame (fps), progressive, quality 5, pixel aspect ratio : 16:9 (widescreen)



Thanks for answering ! I need to render this dvd tomorow


EDIT : I just discovered that when i export my file on premiere that i can choose a crop setting and in any cases I have thoes sidebars...

Bill Engeler
October 7th, 2010, 12:30 AM
The pillars are normal. The SD frame is not exactly 4:3 or 16:9; it's a little wider, so that when you convert, you will get pillars of 8 pixels on each side. In the past, most software fudged the difference, at the cost of slightly distorting the image. Now Adobe and Apple and others are applying the correct geometry. The pillars will most likely be covered up by overscan in a monitor in any case.

Her's a more technical explanation:

BBC - Commissioning - A Guide to Picture Size (http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/tvbranding/picturesize.shtml)

Jordan Hamelin
October 7th, 2010, 06:46 AM
Thats what I thought... If i manually scale down my footage to 720x480 (ill scale it down until i dont have black bars, the top will be cutted a little bit). If I do it this way, will I lose some quality ?


my camera shoot in 1920 x 1080, i scale it down to 1080x720. But if I keep it in 1920x1080 and then render it in 720x480, will I have a true 16:9 ? Will I keep a good quality ?


sorry for my bad english, thanks you for answering, i really want to get rid of the bars but keeping a good quality

Seth Bloombaum
October 7th, 2010, 09:17 AM
If it is true that you're scaling to 1080x720 in some intermediate render, that's not a 16:9 format.

1280x720 would be what you want for an intermediate that preserves 16:9, 1080 is not wide enough, and in most cases in a render to 720x480 would tend to produce sider pillars that are bigger than they should be.

Jordan Hamelin
October 7th, 2010, 09:40 AM
sorry guys, My comp is in 720p (1280x720) not in 1080x720. I scall down my footage in 720p then render it out in mpeg dvd 720x48016:9 and get the small blackbars on the side


now if I make my comp in 1920x1080 and render it in in mpeg dvd, will i still have the blackbars ? will I lose some quality because of the hudge scale down during the rendering



How should I do to get my dvd in a perfect 16:9 format ???