4:3 to 16:9 in Vegas 5 + DVD at DVinfo.net

Chris Thomas · August 1st, 2005, 11:54 PM

I just finished filming for a client, shot it in 4:3. They have asked if I can make their DVD optimized for their 16:9 TV. What is the best method? I have leterboxed 4:3 in the past, but the final project has always been rendered and displayed as 4:3 leterboxed.

I know the widescreen TV would have a zoom function, but I would prefer an output so they do not need to use it.

If I want to make a DVD that will play full screen 16:9, and letterboxed when played on a 4:3, what steps do I need to take during the edit/render/authoring?

Guy Bruner · August 2nd, 2005, 07:58 AM

Chris,
Pan/crop has a 16:9 preset you can use to crop your 4:3 to 16:9. You then render it out as widescreen (pixel aspect ratio of 1.2121) either in DV or directly to MPEG2 for authoring. Make sure "stretch video to fill the screen" is checked. When you author it to DVD, use widescreen PAR and the authoring software will make the DVD playable as letterboxed on a 4:3 set or widescreen on a widescreen set.

If you didn't frame your 4:3 video for 16:9, you may have to keyframe the cropping in pan/crop.

Peter Jefferson · August 2nd, 2005, 08:20 AM

oh and remember that if ur using a DVX100 in squeeze mode DONT crop it..

Chris Thomas · August 2nd, 2005, 09:42 AM

When I capture and edit, should project settings be 4:3 or 16:9?

I tried a test with the crop, and rendering to Widescreen DVD Mpeg-2, selected stretch to fill video output, and it appeared to further squish the frame when I reviewed it, ie. the output was 16:9 but my frame was letterboxed within it.

Guy Bruner · August 2nd, 2005, 07:28 PM

In Pan/Crop, under Source: set Maintain Aspect Ratio to NO. Set File/Properties to NTSC Widescreen 1.2121 and your event should look right with no black bars in preview. When you render out, select a widescreen template...for example NTSC DV Widescreen. Make sure that "stretch video to fill output frame size (do not letterbox" is checked.

Chris Thomas · August 2nd, 2005, 09:59 PM

Worked great, thanks!

Peter Jefferson · August 3rd, 2005, 12:06 AM

dont forget to make sure that you have your deinterlacing method set to interpolate. Reason being is that youre changing the aspect itself, so some interlacing artefacts may be visible. Not always... but its safer this way.. also if ur upscaling to HD, do the same trick... ;)

Chris Thomas · August 3rd, 2005, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Jefferson

dont forget to make sure that you have your deinterlacing method set to interpolate. Reason being is that youre changing the aspect itself, so some interlacing artefacts may be visible. Not always... but its safer this way.. also if ur upscaling to HD, do the same trick... ;)

Am I deinterlacing? Should I also change the field order from Lower to None or leave it at Lower?

Peter Jefferson · August 3rd, 2005, 10:58 PM

keep the field order as is, but sometimes when upscaling if u dont interpolate, your actual field lines are also upscaled..being that youll get big fat chunky horizontal bars or that ugly combing effect...
this way when interpolating, field size remains a constant

Steven Davis · October 18th, 2005, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guy Bruner

Chris,
Pan/crop has a 16:9 preset you can use to crop your 4:3 to 16:9. You then render it out as widescreen (pixel aspect ratio of 1.2121) either in DV or directly to MPEG2 for authoring. Make sure "stretch video to fill the screen" is checked. When you author it to DVD, use widescreen PAR and the authoring software will make the DVD playable as letterboxed on a 4:3 set or widescreen on a widescreen set.

If you didn't frame your 4:3 video for 16:9, you may have to keyframe the cropping in pan/crop.

Guy,

So if I have multiple video channels, I have to do this to each channel? I'm a little lost.

Guy Bruner · October 18th, 2005, 06:19 PM

I presume you mean you have multiple video tracks. Yes, you have to crop all the tracks to 16:9 in order for the wide format to be maintained in your final render.

August 1st, 2005, 11:54 PM	#1
Chris Thomas Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Burlington ON, Canada Posts: 118	4:3 to 16:9 in Vegas 5 + DVD I just finished filming for a client, shot it in 4:3. They have asked if I can make their DVD optimized for their 16:9 TV. What is the best method? I have leterboxed 4:3 in the past, but the final project has always been rendered and displayed as 4:3 leterboxed. I know the widescreen TV would have a zoom function, but I would prefer an output so they do not need to use it. If I want to make a DVD that will play full screen 16:9, and letterboxed when played on a 4:3, what steps do I need to take during the edit/render/authoring?

August 2nd, 2005, 07:58 AM	#2
Guy Bruner Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ashford, AL Posts: 937	Chris, Pan/crop has a 16:9 preset you can use to crop your 4:3 to 16:9. You then render it out as widescreen (pixel aspect ratio of 1.2121) either in DV or directly to MPEG2 for authoring. Make sure "stretch video to fill the screen" is checked. When you author it to DVD, use widescreen PAR and the authoring software will make the DVD playable as letterboxed on a 4:3 set or widescreen on a widescreen set. If you didn't frame your 4:3 video for 16:9, you may have to keyframe the cropping in pan/crop.

August 2nd, 2005, 08:20 AM	#3
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	oh and remember that if ur using a DVX100 in squeeze mode DONT crop it..

August 2nd, 2005, 09:42 AM	#4
Chris Thomas Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Burlington ON, Canada Posts: 118	When I capture and edit, should project settings be 4:3 or 16:9? I tried a test with the crop, and rendering to Widescreen DVD Mpeg-2, selected stretch to fill video output, and it appeared to further squish the frame when I reviewed it, ie. the output was 16:9 but my frame was letterboxed within it.

August 2nd, 2005, 07:28 PM	#5
Guy Bruner Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ashford, AL Posts: 937	In Pan/Crop, under Source: set Maintain Aspect Ratio to NO. Set File/Properties to NTSC Widescreen 1.2121 and your event should look right with no black bars in preview. When you render out, select a widescreen template...for example NTSC DV Widescreen. Make sure that "stretch video to fill output frame size (do not letterbox" is checked.

August 2nd, 2005, 09:59 PM	#6
Chris Thomas Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Burlington ON, Canada Posts: 118	Worked great, thanks!

August 3rd, 2005, 12:06 AM	#7
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	dont forget to make sure that you have your deinterlacing method set to interpolate. Reason being is that youre changing the aspect itself, so some interlacing artefacts may be visible. Not always... but its safer this way.. also if ur upscaling to HD, do the same trick... ;)

August 3rd, 2005, 10:58 PM	#9
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	keep the field order as is, but sometimes when upscaling if u dont interpolate, your actual field lines are also upscaled..being that youll get big fat chunky horizontal bars or that ugly combing effect... this way when interpolating, field size remains a constant

October 18th, 2005, 06:19 PM	#11
Guy Bruner Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ashford, AL Posts: 937	I presume you mean you have multiple video tracks. Yes, you have to crop all the tracks to 16:9 in order for the wide format to be maintained in your final render.