WIDESCREEN « Videomaker Community Forums

director958
Member

I would like to produce a widescreen video using the VX2100. I am using Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Encore DVD.

Now, I want the finished product to be on DVD, I want it to have black bars on the top and bottom, and I want it to be able to take up the whole screen of a widescreen TV with the black bars still being on the top and bottom.

How do I go about doing this?

Any help would be appreciated. :)

Posted 5 years ago #
SHEMINI
Member

I can tell you how to do it in Sony Vegas. You may be able to do the same in your program. I am assuming that you have captured in widescreen. When you start the editing program set it for 4:3. Then bring in your widescreen clip. This should appear in widescreen with the black bars. When you burn to DVD do it in the 4:3 aspect. When I do this I then finish up with a widescreen movie with black bars top and bottom. hope this helps.

Posted 5 years ago #
director958
Member

But, uh, will the finished DVD take up the entire screen of a widescreen TV?

Thanks.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

No. If you tell your NLE to do 16:9, it will take up the whole screen on a widescreen. 4:3 TVs will show either letter boxed with black on top and bottom or pinched, depending upon the preference settings in the TV.

Posted 5 years ago #
director958
Member

How could I produce a video on a DVD that takes up the whole screen on a widescreen TV, and the image is not squished and distorted. My camera does not shoot in true widescreen, so what could I do?

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

The only difference that being able to shoot native 16:9 would make is that you'd have better quality because you're using 100% of your CCD area.

How to control whether your image is squished or letterboxed? Easy - just send someone along with each DVD to adjust the viewers' sets! :-)

Seriously, this is like saying, "How do I sell my car and make sure they only use premium gasoline?"

The viewer is in control over how his 4:3 TV displays 16:9 (or the manufacturer - if no options are provided). My brother-in-law has a big, beautiful Hi-def TV but is too cheap to pay for hi-def cable, so he watches stretched football! It's worse than watching on a tiny b&w TV! Even the cheerleaders are all fat!

It's one thing for him to stretch his pennies, but the TV picture? I've tried to persuade him to change his settings so 4:3 will be letterboxed on his widescreen, but he won't touch his menu settings - he fears the manufacturer had some sort of secret reason for wanting him to view chubby cheerleaders.

Posted 5 years ago #
;0)
Member

The available evidence would suggest he's a "Chubby Chaser".
What's wrong with that? Beautiful people come in all shapes and sizes.
but he may not tell you that...(mind you there's a joke we bikers tell about scooters....What do scooters and fat girls have in common? They're both fun to play around with, 'till your friends See you with one...).

Posted 5 years ago #
director958
Member

Seriously, this is like saying, "How do I sell my car and make sure they only use premium gasoline?"

I suppose you're right. I'm just going to continue with my filmmaking, and just make it the way Iwant it. Thanks for all your replies.

Posted 5 years ago #
SHEMINI
Member

I've been away and only just seen your question. On my widescreen TV the DVD picture does fill the whole screen. However, I have to use the "smart" setting on my TV to keep the proper proportions, otherwise the picture is distorted widthwise. However, even after adjusting the screen there are still black bars top and bottom as you wanted.

Posted 5 years ago #
director958
Member

Hmmmm. The solution may have been siitting in front of me all this while.

I'll run a couple of tests next time I come in contact with a widescreen TV. Thanks for all your help, guys.

Posted 5 years ago #
director958
Member

Is there a way to fake widescreen so I do not have to shoot in Widescreen mode. As long as the picture takes up the entire screen of the entire widescreen TV (NO bars, NO nothing) I'm happy. But I need the video to be in the highest quality possible. Should I shoot in widescreen or should I fake it?

Thanks.

Posted 4 years ago #
SHEMINI
Member

As far as I am aware, if you shoot in 4:3 and don't "letterbox" you can view the film on a widescreen TV if you adjust the TV set to "smart." You may lose a little of the top or bottom of your video though. On my TV set I can move the picture up or down slightly if required. Hope this helps. :D

Posted 4 years ago #
director958
Member

That is a good idea but is that the best way to do it?

I have heard of pople taping black bars onto their camcorder's viewfinder so they are to know where their video is going to be cropped.

I once tried taping black bars onto my viewfinder. I shot my video accordingly and when I put it in post, I used guidelines so I would not have anything outside the Widescreen area. After the film was edited I would put it into After Effects and stretch it vertically. I would then export the video as 16:9 footage and it would come out pretty good.

My question is: How much quality am I losing from this? And is this the best method?

Posted 4 years ago #