4X3 capture to 16X9 export? (minidv)

[bufalo]

Wrapping up my feature film and it was shot in minidv 4X3. I want to export it as 16X9 or widescreen but am having trouble doing so.

I can put the 16X9 mask on top of the image, but when projected won't look right. So someone said to use a zoom filter and zoom the vertical by 125%, then export, and when I burn, tell the software it is a16X9 image. It almost worked fine. Problem is the DVD image ends up 16X9 but centered on the screen So there are also black spaces on the sides.

Any help on what we might be doing wrong???

thanks!

[manono]

Columbia is NTSC, right? So, crop 60 pixels from both the top and bottom, resize to 720x480, and encode for 16:9.

[edDV]

Wrapping up my feature film and it was shot in minidv 4X3. I want to export it as 16X9 or widescreen but am having trouble doing so.

I can put the 16X9 mask on top of the image, but when projected won't look right. So someone said to use a zoom filter and zoom the vertical by 125%, then export, and when I burn, tell the software it is a16X9 image. It almost worked fine. Problem is the DVD image ends up 16X9 but centered on the screen So there are also black spaces on the sides.

Any help on what we might be doing wrong???

thanks!

You aren't doing anything wrong. That's the way it is. 4:3 video displayed to 16:9 will have side pillars. Most wide TV sets and DVD players have a mode that stretches the video horizontally but that makes everyone look fat. If you crop off the top and bottom, you chop off heads and legs.

If you want 16:9, shoot for 16:9.

[bufalo]

shooting for 16X9 would've been peachy but my camera can't handle that (VX-2000 isn't really 16X9). I put a mask on my monitor and shot what I wanted to that way. Anyone try the 125% verticle zoom?

Funny, but the DVD menu came out fine, but the scene didn't.

[edDV]

shooting for 16X9 would've been peachy but my camera can't handle that (VX-2000 isn't really 16X9). I put a mask on my monitor and shot what I wanted to that way. Anyone try the 125% verticle zoom?

Funny, but the DVD menu came out fine, but the scene didn't.

The VX-2000 has a 16:9 mode but it uses the earlier masked CCD approach*. DV output should be full vertical but horizontally squeezed. http://bealecorner.com/dvx100/DVX-compare1.html

You can do 16:9 mode correctly with an external anamorphic lens. In that case the lens horizontally squeezes the 16:9 scene to fit 4:3 mode leaving full vertical resolution. In that case, the viewfider image will look vertically squeezed. http://www.acephotodigital.com/sc/review-product-information.asp?id=964590186&rf=froog...fdate=6_6_2008


* The VX-2000 has three 1/3" 380Kpixel sensors similar to the left drawing below.

[edDV]

In VX-2000 "Wide" mode, DV viewed as 720x480i will look horizontally squeezed.

A wide shot like this


should look like this at DV output


although the viewfinder will look letterboxed like this

[bufalo]

So since I didn't use an anamorphic lens, there's no way to have a 16X9 image on a TV without having bars on the sides as well?

[edDV]

So since I didn't use an anamorphic lens, there's no way to have a 16X9 image on a TV without having bars on the sides as well?

Is the 4x3 image showing the horizontal squeeze? In that case change clip properties to wide in your editor.l

[bufalo]

no the 4X3 is just fine as it looks.

[edDV]

no the 4X3 is just fine as it looks.

Then you didn't have the cam in wide mode. Only option now is to chop heads and feet. and then vert expand.

If you masked the viewfinder for 16:9, chopping the top and bottom will only chop the material being masked.

[manono]

So since I didn't use an anamorphic lens, there's no way to have a 16X9 image on a TV without having bars on the sides as well?

I already explained how in my earlier post. Did you not understand what I was saying? As edDV says, though, unless you allowed plenty of head and leg room, you may wind up losing stuff you want to keep. The easiest way is via AviSynth:

Crop(0,60,0,-60)
Lanczos4Resize(720,480)

This assumes it's progressive. If interlaced the script changes slightly. Then encode as 16:9.

[vhelp]

Actually..

I put a mask on my monitor and shot what I wanted to that way.

So, he already knows what is suppose to be in his shoots. Cutting/cropping is not really going to
matter all that much in any case. This would mean that "coneheads" and the like will not be a
problem.

bufalo, I don't know what software you are using for the 4:3->16:9 conversion, but in addition
to the method using AVIsynth scripts that manono described, you can also do it in virtualDub
by heading over the menu bar and performing these steps:

A -- \menu\Video\Filters\
B -- click Add.. button -- this is where you select all your filters
C -- scroll down and select null transform -- an aid for cropping the video
D -- then click on the Cropping.. button, and enter '60' in the [Y1] and [Y2] fields, and OK.
.
E -- next, click on Add.. button again, and scroll down and select Resize
F -- now, enter in the dimensions: 720, and 480 -- this will basically set it up for 16:9 Anamorphic
G -- dont' forget to select Filter Mode to: Lanczos3, and hit OK, and OK again.
.
H -- now, in the "edited" window, right-click it and select 16x9 frame mode -- this will give you the actual presentation view



* BEFORE: original 720x480 4:3 dimension



* AFTER: converted 4x3 to 16x9 through 60T/60B cropping and resizing -- 16:9 Anamorphic



* AFTER: now portrayed as 16:9 Anamorphic stretched out as intended 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio presentation


From here on out, you framesever this into your prefered MPEG encoder.

The next step in this process is to properly set up the MPEG encoder parameters for your given
video's final presentation view. But, since I don't know what encoder you are using for this project,
I can't help you further. I only know TMPGenc. Everything (mpeg encoder software) else, and you'll
have to consort with the other gurus on those particulars.

Again, since you inidicated you already shot your footage through a "masked" viewfinder, you
only have to follow the above routine(s) and encode your video as you intended them to be
presented given your crude route. Personally, I find nothing wrong with your 16:9 method, as
long as your viewers don't know, then the everything else is good to go

-vhelp 4712

[bufalo]

Thanks all, I'll be running several test burns to see what comes out. I'll let you know how it does. I do have Tmpeg, but I was hoping to use adobe. I will use whatever works though. and thanks for the steps to follow!