crash,

Cropping and/or letter boxing are unavoidable because, as you know, the shape of a 16:9 rectangle is not the ...

Hope this helps; others will no doubt have more to add.

Regard

Carl

Thanks Carl, but I don't think this is an option for me for broadcasting.

One option I have looked at is to import the RAW footage, then set that file properties to 4:3, this then engages MEP to resize the project to 4:3.... off course this stretches the image. But at least I get a clean export.

The problem then might be the vertical screen stretch for graphics etc.... I tried this only a few moments ago, I 'll run some tests.

Hopefully we'll get more input on the topic.

Thanks

Hi,

I'm finding it difficult to envisage what you currently get and what you want to see. A couple of screenshots would help.

But unless I've grossly misunderstood, you must either crop your 16:9 input or end up with all of it crammed into a 4:3 screen with top and bottom bars, used for titles, etc.

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Hi

. . . . One option I have looked at is to import the RAW footage, then set that file properties to 4:3, this then engages MEP to resize the project to 4:3.... off course this stretches the image. But at least I get a clean export. . . . .

That does not fix the problem - circles now become ovals, people appear taller and thinner - everything is distorted.

Carl is correct for 4:3 output you must set the project to 4:3 before import otherwise your titling etc are all displaced on output.

When you import 16:9 this will be letterboxed, as shown below

You then adjust the height setting to match the height of the 4:3 output (PAL - 576px; NTSC 480 px) and then use the left position adjustment to display the section of the image required - this will crop the sides as shown below

When shooting video you have to take this cropping into consideration and allow for it..

John

Hi Crash, I just googled the 16:9 to 4:3 conversion topic and came up with this

http://videoguides.avs4you.com/How-to-convert-video-with-aspect-ratio-16:9to-4-3.aspx

have no idea if it works but the video says it does.  If your client needs it in 4:3 it may be worth a try.  Another thought is to just use size and positon (size set to keep aspect ratio) and force the footage into a different size.  You will wind up with something like 4:2.25, not ideal but it will still work in the 4:3 format with a somewhat smaller frame size.

George

Hi

In the period of change from 4x3 sets to 16x9 ratio sets, some of the broadcasters have transmitted in 14x9  on some analogue channels, as a compromise for both types of sets. So one solution would be for you to zoom in on your 16x9 frame in a 4x3 project, using the size/position effect as the guys have suggested, to the point that there is some what less cut off the sides but some residual letterboxing top and bottom ie a 14x9 ratio. This works quite well and some of the letterboxing is hidden by the cutoff (overscanning) on most sets.

George - I couldn't get that link to work.

Ss  

http://videoguides.avs4you.com/How-to-convert-video-with-aspect-ratio-16-9-to-4-3.aspx seems OK -- needed a '-' between '9' and 'to'.

Hi

@George - Unfortunately the link you pointed to showing the video being converted is not what is required here - the method shown prduces letterboxed 16:9 in a 4:3 AR window. (I have the full AVS software package)

To do a proper conversion the Crop factor slider has to be adjusted to get a full frame 4:3 (this was not done in the video) with the consequent loss of some of the sides. 

There is no way of converting 16:9 to 4:3 without either cropping, distortion or both - it is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole - the peg must be small enough to fit in the hole (= letterboxing) or the peg must have material shaved off the corners ( = cropping).

This brings us back to point I made that when videoing you must take in to account the cropping when framing the subject.  Similarly you must also do this when taking still images, with a digital camera, for use in video.

John