DV looks normal on camera screen, but is squashed to 16:1 when loaded to PC

[marbetu]

Hi I wonder if anyone can help me figure if it is a problem with
the camera
or
the computer.

I have a Panasonic DV camera that is about 7 years old (NV GS70 in Europe).

At first, the movies i have shot seem normal and take up the full screen of the camera (ie 4:3 size), but when i capture them into the computer, and view them on the PC the subjects are somewhat squashed up and there are black bands on top and bottom of screen.

The display on the camera screen says: 16bit, AUTO, AWB, 1/510, F1.8, 12dB (not sure if that is dB or something else).

I hope that the fact the video looks so normal on the camera, means that the issue is with the way the PC is processing the video, and i hope that i can just change the settings somewhere.

I think i am using microsoft silverlight to capture the DV to the PC, otherwise it is just Windows7 that does it. There is nothing specific written on the window that opens when i plug the camera into hte PC. The window appears and the video is easily captured to the HD.

Thanks in advance for any ideas
Marbetu

[edDV]

Are you using the IEEE-1394 cable for capture?

If so, I suggest you capture with WinDV to a DV-AVI file. This will duplicate the exact data on the tape to a file.

You can play this file directly or import it into editing software.

[marbetu]

Ok thanks
yes i have a firewire
i will try that and let you know
regards

(sorry i meant 16:9 and not 16:1 but you figured that)

[edDV]

16:9 DV will look horizontally squashed if viewed as square pixels. You need to use a Wide DV edit project setting and id the imported clip as wide. In most edit programs that is a right click video properties setting.