HELP! DVCPRO50 853x480 clips edit in Final Cut Pro?

[nato17]

Hello,
I am a bit amateur when it comes to video editing and I have been asked to edit a video for a friend. The clips I have (that are supposed to be HD?) open in quicktime which tells me the video is : DVCPRO50 720x480 (853 x 480) millions. Data Rate 57.55mbits/s Actual size 853 x 480.

I have always worked in 720x480 DV so this is new to me and I want to know which Final Cut Pro sequence preference to use while editing so things are not distorted when I export. Also why is it set to 853 x 480? Should it not be either a 4:3 ratio or a 16:9? 853 seems like such a random number.

The final output of these videos will be compressed down for the web and burnt to a dvd for tv viewing. I want to make sure I set my preferences correctly from the start of this project so that I dont end up at the end with a product I cant use. I am really hoping someone can shed some light on this for me.

[nato17]

I guess what I really need to know is if 853 x 480 should be set to a preset of 720 x 480 (4:3) or 720 x 480 (16:9) or something totally different. Any advice is welcomed and much appreciated.

[guns1inger]

it is the square pixel representation of 720 x 480 16:9

[nato17]

Where is this commonly used? Why wouldnt someone either shoot in wide screen or 720 x 480 4:3? If I am to use these clips for editing would I set my file up as 720 x 480 anamorphic? Using Square pixels?

[guns1inger]

Your project would be 720 x 480 Anamorphic (16:9). Don't way about the 853 x 480 reference. That is how it will appear on playback only. You have standard definition footage. It may have come from a pro level camera, but it is definitely SD.

[nato17]

Could it have been shot in HD and captured in DVCPRO50 format? Or would logic dictate that it was shot and then captured as DVCPRO50 clips.

[guns1inger]

Could have been. Quite a few HD cameras will output SD DV over firewire. The original footage may have been HD.

[nato17]

To correct this would the footage have to been captured using some kind of HD preset? How does one go about making sure HD footage is transfered properly?

[aedipuss]

there's a firewire setting in the cam to export HD or SD.