Exporting to DVD PAL 16:9 in Sony Vegas Problem

[mike20021969]

I've created a new 16:9 project in Sony Vegas. The preview window is widescreen.

I take a widescreen (horizontally compressed 4:3) video and drop it into the timeline. It shows as 4:3 in in 16:9 preview window. So I alter the properties (uncheck Maintain aspect ratio) and the video 'un-squeezes' and fits the 16:9 preview.
It is now showing in 16:9.
So I export as DVD PAL and the resulting video is the original 4:3 video (it isn't even 'within a 16:9 frame' ie 720x576 set to display 16:9).
I exported it twice checking and unchecking 'stretch video to fill output frame size' - this made no difference to the end result.

So next I do exactly as above, but this time also changing the pixel aspect ratio, of the 4:3 (widescreen) video to PAL DV widescreen.
I export it twice again (checking and unchecking stretch video to fill output frame) and I'm still getting a 4:3 DVD PAL video file at the end.

The only way I DO get a widescreen video is by choosing DVD Architect PAL Widescreen Video Stream - but this doesn't export with any audio. This setting states Audio: none. How bizarre is this - why no audio?! Who wants a video which deliberately exports with no audio?????????????

Is there a way in Sony Vegas Platinum 9 to get a DVD PAL video to export as Widescreen with audio included?

On a similar note, I tried a widescreen file from my camcorder. In WMP it displays correctly at 16:9. I drop it into the timeline in Vegas and it displays in the widescreen preview window as 4:3! I go through the process above to until it displays in widescreen in the preview window, export it as DVD PAL again and I finish with a 4:3 (vertically compressed) video of my original widescreen camcorded footage. Why is is so difficult to export 16:9 DVD PAL in Vegas??

Please help. This program is driving me nuts!

PS: In Corel Video Studio X2 and Cyberlink PowerDirector I have no problem converting 4:3 (horizontally compressed widescreen) video into 16:9 DVD PAL video (the properties are 720x576, but it displays at 16:9 as it should).

[guns1inger]

If you project is set to 16:9 and your footage is correctly tagged as 16:9 then it should all appear correctly in Vegas. One of these things cannot be true in your case.

[mike20021969]

The 4:3 file is not tagged to display as 16:9. It doesn't matter the file isnt 16:9 tagged as you can set it to display 16:9 by, amongst other things, altering the pixel aspect ratio. Surely I did it properly otherwise it wouldn't have shown as widescreen in the widescreen preview window?

I capture widescreen in 4:3 (it is horizontally compressed). The file when played back is 720x576 (it plays back in 4:3 in WMP).
After doing what I mentioned in earlier, the 16:9 preview window shows my (horizontally compressed) 4:3 stretched to fit the window - it is now displayed correctly in 16:9. However, when I export the file, it remains in 4:3.

The 4:3 same file, in both Corel and Cyberlink, can be set in similar fashion as Vegas, to fully fill the 16:9 preview window in either program.
Both of these export a DVD PAL (MPEG2) file at 720x576 which plays back this file displaying at 16:9.
But in Vegas, the same 4:3 file - filling the 16:9 preview window, exports a DVD PAL file at 720x574 displaying at 4:3.

The other worry I mentioned was that a 16:9 camcorder file, when dropped into the timeline of a 16:9 project, was squeezed to 4:3 and I could only export this to a compressed 4:3 too even after changing the pixel aspect ratio and/or checking and unchecking 'stretch video to fill output frame size' option.

I launch Vegas>Project>Properties>Pixel Aspect Ratio 1.4568 (PAL DV Widescreen). Then OK it.
So it's a 16:9 project.

Export as DVD PAL, I get a 4:3 result.
Export as DVD Architect PAL Widescreen Video Stream, I get 16:9 without audio (audio for some strange reason is not included with this preset).

(Maybe I should ask part of the question in a different way.
I have a 4:3 video file.
In Corel Video Studio X2 and Cyberlink PowerDirector, I can alter the PAR and export it to a DVD PAL file with audio which then displays it at 16:9 in WMP without any letterboxing at all.

Can Sony Vegas do this?)

[aedipuss]

it looks like you missed a step. each and every file that you import into vegas that doesn't display properly needs to have it's properties changed. in the project media bin right click on the file select properties and change them to the correct widescreen pixel aspect ratio.

[mike20021969]

it looks like you missed a step. each and every file that you import into vegas that doesn't display properly needs to have it's properties changed. in the project media bin right click on the file select properties and change them to the correct widescreen pixel aspect ratio.

I wasn't using the bin before (previously, I did it by right clicking on the video in the timeline instead).
I did change the pixel aspect ratio of the file in this was as you suggested.
The result is slightly different - it is now is a 16:9 video but letterboxed 4:3 format.

[edDV]

Let's start with the 720x576 16:9 camcorder file (appears horizontally squeezed when viewed square pixel).

First you need a 16:9 project setting (PAL DV Widescreen) and the clip properties need to show 16:9 1.4568 PAR. That results in a 16:9 preview window. Next when you export encode to 720x576 DVD Mpeg2, you set aspect ratio to "16:9 display" and you get a wide DV format MPeg2 ready to be imported as a asset into DVD Architect.

[edDV]

If your source file is letterboxed 4:3, you need to process the clip to wide spec by stetching vertically to fill the frame, then change properties to reflect the new 1.4568 PAR (PAL DV Widescreen)

The checkerboard test pattern is useful to view PAR. The boxes should appear square.

[mike20021969]

Let's start with the 720x576 16:9 camcorder file (appears horizontally squeezed when viewed square pixel).

First you need a 16:9 project setting (PAL DV Widescreen) and the clip properties need to show 16:9 1.4568 PAR. That results in a 16:9 preview window. Next when you export encode to 720x576 DVD Mpeg2, you set aspect ratio to "16:9 display" and you get a wide DV format MPeg2 ready to be imported as a asset into DVD Architect.

There isn't a setting for aspect ratio to "16:9 display". There is a drop down box with preset (inc. DVD PAL and DVD Architect PAL Widescreen Video Stream).
Although the preview shows the video in 16:9, the end file is:
DVD PAL = 4:3 with audio.
DVD Architect PAL Widescreen Video Steam = 16:9 with no audio.

(DVD PAL in Corel and Cyberlink produce 720x576 correctly displaying 16:9).

[mike20021969]

If your source file is letterboxed 4:3

The source file is full screen 4:3 which contains a horizontally compressed widescreen video (people would look tall and thin).

[edDV]

My test project setting



Render As



Defaults for DVD Architect PAL Widescreen

[mike20021969]

I've tried those very settings in your screenshots. It creates what I'm after. There's one problem though...
The DVD Architect PAL Widescreen video stream doesn't contain an audio track.

Description:
Audio: None
Video: 25 fps, 720x576
Use this setting to create a PAL Widescreen video-only MPEG-2 file compatible with DVD Architect.

I really do appreciate your helping on this problem.

[edDV]

To include audio, create a custom template with "include audio" checked.

[mike20021969]

I think I'm nearly though now. I've gone into Advanced Render.
The only problem is I cant choose 'custom' for the DVD Architect PAL Widescreen video stream.

[edDV]

Which version of Vegas is this?

(edit) I see you said Platimum. Mine is Pro 9. Maybe custom templates are not allowed in Platinum.

You can encode audio as a separate asset.

[mike20021969]

Which version of Vegas is this?

(edit) I see you said Platimum. Mine is Pro 9. Maybe custom templates are not allowed in Platinum.

You can encode audio as a separate asset.

Oh right.
If the audio has be done separately, then that is really no use to me. I need the audio and video in one file.
As Corel and Cyberlink can do it without all this convoluted palava, I'll stick to those programs.
As Vegas Platinum 9 cant even recognise a genuine 16:9 file when dropped into a 16:9 project (I don't think I should have to start altering the properties for it when I don't have to in other programs), then it does seem to be severley flawed.

I was really wanting to do some videos using Sony's different video transitions, I'm not gonna upgrade as I've only recently bought this updated version.

I see Pro 9 is hundreds of pounds - yet Corel does the DVD PAL file what I want (720x576 16:9) for less than £60.

Thanks for the help.

[edDV]

My custom template result.



Stretch video is not checked on mine using defaults. From help...

[edDV]

Which version of Vegas is this?

(edit) I see you said Platimum. Mine is Pro 9. Maybe custom templates are not allowed in Platinum.

You can encode audio as a separate asset.

Oh right.
If the audio has be done separately, then that is really no use to me. I need the audio and video in one file.
As Corel and Cyberlink can do it without all this convoluted palava, I'll stick to those programs.
As Vegas Platinum 9 cant even recognise a genuine 16:9 file when dropped into a 16:9 project (I don't think I should have to start altering the properties for it when I don't have to in other programs), then it does seem to be severley flawed.

I was really wanting to do some videos using Sony's different video transitions, I'm not gonna upgrade as I've only recently bought this updated version.

I see Pro 9 is hundreds of pounds - yet Corel does the DVD PAL file what I want (720x576 16:9) for less than £60.

Thanks for the help.

If the import file is not recognized as 16:9, it wasn't flagged properly. The programs don't know and can't know if a 720x576 file is 16:9 unless flagged in the header as 16:9. Default is 4:3. Camcorder files usually are properly flagged (when imported over IEEE-1394).

Architect has no problem with audio as a separate file.

[mike20021969]

If the import file is not recognized as 16:9, it wasn't flagged properly. The programs don't know and can't know if a 720x576 file is 16:9 unless flagged in the header as 16:9. Default is 4:3. Camcorder files usually are properly flagged (when imported over IEEE-1394).

Architect has no problem with audio as a separate file.

Every program I use (and every media player) recognises the 16:9 files from the camcorder - except Vegas platinum.
Also, I don't want separate audio - I want a single file which contains both.

Out of the video editing programs I currently use (and those in the past), this is the first one that feels the need to do audio separately, if a widescreen video file is the end result. Bonkers or what.
As far as I'm aware, YouTube doesn't accept Video and Audio separately

I mentioned Corel did what I wanted for less than £60 - I forgot to mention Cyberlink does it for less than £37.

I appreciate everyone's input. Thanks.

[edDV]

I don't have Platinum so can't figure out how it's done in that version.

My Vegas recognizes 16:9 camcorder files (DV or HDV) but not files captured with ADVC/WinDV (defaults to 4:3 and needs override).

[poisondeathray]

If you want to multiplex it , you could use imagompeg-muxer, or muxman.

But if your rationale for multiplexing was for "youtube", it won't work very well. You should use square pixel format for web delivery. Every DVD authoring program accepts elementary streams.

[aedipuss]

christ if this whole thread is about making a file to upload to youtube you aren't even creating the right format. youtube wants mpeg-4.

[mike20021969]

christ if this whole thread is about making a file to upload to youtube you aren't even creating the right format. youtube wants mpeg-4.

On the contrary, it has nothing to do with YouTube - my point was who wants separate audio and video files? (when trying to make a widescreen video in Vegas Platinum).

No other program I've used does this when creating DVD PAL 16:9 files.

[edDV]

christ if this whole thread is about making a file to upload to youtube you aren't even creating the right format. youtube wants mpeg-4.

On the contrary, it has nothing to do with YouTube - my point was who wants separate audio and video files? (when trying to make a widescreen video in Vegas Platinum).

No other program I've used does this when creating DVD PAL 16:9 files.

Separate files are normal.

The issue is creating a template that includes audio in Vegas Platinum. There is probably a way to do it.

[edDV]

According to P-46 of the Vegas Platinum Manual, you press the Custom button to create a new template as I did.

Try to figure out why yours is greyed out. Is this the demo version?

[aedipuss]

anyone with moderate video knowledge creates separate audio and video files for creating dvds.

[mike20021969]

Is this the demo version?

No. It's the paid version. I can customise other some of the other profiles (e.g. wmv), but not the MPEG2.

anyone with moderate video knowledge creates separate audio and video files for creating dvds.

I am also not making a DVD. Corel and Cyberlink don't feel the need to create separate files, so why does Vegas Platinum?

Having to create a custom MPEG2 profile seems the only way to go - but it seems only Pro Vegas allows this. It seems this 'luxury' that cannot be given away with the cheaper Platinum.

Glad those other 2 programs don't have these screwy notions.

[manono]

I am also not making a DVD.

And the name of this thread is ...

Exporting to DVD PAL 16:9 in Sony Vegas Problem

I also don't understand why keeping the assets muxed together is such a big deal.

[mike20021969]

I am also not making a DVD.

And the name of this thread is ...
.

I know what the name of the thread is. The MPEG2 file format in Vegas Platinum is listed as "DVD PAL".
WMP will not play back separate video and audio files.

[aedipuss]

if you don't want to make dvds, there should be other templates you can use to create mpeg-2 with audio. vegas pro has these, platinum should have some of them. choose dvd pal or default and see if the custom button is active.

[mike20021969]

As I mentioned in #26, custom profiles for DVD PAL (MPEG2) cannot be done in Sony Vegas Platinum.
Only the expensive PRO has this custom option for DVD PAL (Widescreen or otherwise).

It cant be done so this thread can now go no further. I will stick with the vastly cheaper Corel and Cyberlink which can do what I want (without Sony's extensive range of transitions).
Thanks for all the replies.