Total rookie question, I'm sure...but why is it that when I select Standard 48hz DV-NTSC 720x480 settings for a new project in Premiere, the screensize is actually 648x480? Screenshots below:

http://www.unprofound.com/premiere1.jpg
and
http://www.unprofound.com/premiere2.jpg

When I'm making segments in After Effects @ 720x480 and bringing them into Premiere, the left and ride sides are being cut off and I'm forced to scale the width down to 648, distorting the proportions.

The source video is all from a Sony VX2000 and the raw clips are all 720x480 when viewed in other programs.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Because the pixel aspect ratio is 0.9. Which means the pixel is 1 until tall by 0.9 units wide, making it a rectangle. If u multiply 720 by 0.9 you will get 648. Its just converting non square pixels to square ones. All SD Mini DV and DVDs store data at 720X480, even if it is wide screen. Full screen the pixel aspect is 0.9 and widescreen the aspect is 1.2. In after effects there is a setting for called NTSC DV. That’s the setting to use. When you export your comp, export it using the DV/DVCPRO NTSC compressor. Then when u import that back into premiere it will treat it as a normal DV video. Always try to use the same compressors when u edit and when you composite. Hope that helps.

That absolutely helps, thank you. AE was set to Square Pixel 1.0.

One more question - I've noticed when I take these same video settings in Peremiere and burn it to DVD (tried both Premiere Pro 2 and Encore DVD) - the picture is zoomed in a bit on my television, causing some crop all on 4 sides. I've followed a few different tutorials on this and the end result is always the same.

If Premiere is set to NTSC DV 720x480 with the proper 0.9 aspect, why would the picture not be the same as any other DVD? I've tried every "format" option on my television and none of them show the proper display.

That absolutely helps, thank you. AE was set to Square Pixel 1.0.

One more question - I've noticed when I take these same video settings in Peremiere and burn it to DVD (tried both Premiere Pro 2 and Encore DVD) - the picture is zoomed in a bit on my television, causing some crop all on 4 sides. I've followed a few different tutorials on this and the end result is always the same.

If Premiere is set to NTSC DV 720x480 with the proper 0.9 aspect, why would the picture not be the same as any other DVD? I've tried every "format" option on my television and none of them show the proper display.

Usually it is like that. There are the rectangular boxes around the frame in Premiere, showing you the safe guidelines for text. Usually TV's will cut off that much of the picture.

It's called overscan. All TVs will crop of the edges of the footage. Your editor can provide a frame so you can see what will be visible and what won't (you'll need to configure the frame for your tv and dvd combination).

My DVD players allows me to shrink the image so I can see all of the image.

If you want all footage, then you'll need to shrink the footage a bit before burning.

If you shrink your footage in your editor you will lose resolution, so if you were to ever play it back on a computer you would have the a big black section around your video. Also you can only shrink progressive video. So if you are using interlaced video be sure to deinterlace it before shrinking it. I find its best to just use the title safe markers and be sure any words are within those areas.

I've never done it myself and yes, you are correct in that you will lose some resolution (but not very much).

However, why do you need to deinterlace before shrinking?

It's called overscan.

Ooooh yeah. Okay thanks for refreshing my memory. The word completely went out of my mind when I wrote my last post.