Pixel Aspect Ratio and Is DVD and DV video 4:3

1. nate3po
   Member

   
   I used to think that if a video didn't have square pixels that what ever you played it with (TV, media player on computer, etc.) needed to convert the video's pixel to square in order for it to display correctly. I assumed this because my capture program had the option to view my video as square pixels. Since displaying my DV video as 655x480 instead of 720x480 on my preview window for my capture program looked more like it was suppose to be I assume that I was viewing as it was suppose to be (obviously!). But of course my monitor is 4:3 and when I play my DV file with a media player that can recognize that it's DV footage it displays the image as 4:3. 655x480 is obviously not 4:3. I had also come to assume that anamoprhic widescreen DV footage was actually 1.82:1 as oppose to 16:9 and also assume that we didn't see any letterboxing on widescreen TVs because of the overscan.
   Really I just want you guys to confirm what I think I've come to realize is actually true. When I shoot DV footage on my camcorder (Digital 8 in my case) is the video actually 4:3 footage? Or in the case of shooting anamorphic widescreen footage is the video actually 16:9 and not 1.82:1?
   Also related this issue: When I bring in 4:3 digital stills into my editing program I get letterboxing on the sides. This is obviously because the editing program is basically displaying 640x480 image (for example) on a 655x480 plane (for lack of a better word). But if DV footage really is 4:3 then does that mean I should stretch my still image to fill the entire frame so that it will display probably when I play back the finished video on TV or where ever else?
   I hope my questions make sense and that this subject has been discussed to death already. I'm new to the forum and did try to do a search but had trouble finding any topics to answer my questions.

   Posted 5 years ago #

2. compusolver
   Member

   
   Not all pixels are created equal! 4:3 refers to the viewed screen size, not necessarily the pixel ratio.
   Video captured via firewire from a camcorder comes into your computer as 720x480 pixel images. It doesn't make a difference if you shot the footage at the standard 4:3 aspect ratio or widescreen 16:9... it's all 720x480.
   
   For a detailed, yet simplified explanation, check out this link:
   http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/PapaJohn/40/Pixels.aspx
   
   You especially find what you're looking for near the middle (vertically) of that page.

   Posted 5 years ago #

3. nate3po
   Member

   
   Thanks. That website helped. I actually did know that 4:3 refers to video aspect ratio and not to pixel aspect ratio.

   Posted 5 years ago #

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