I am looking for a capture device that will capture widescreen format

[zinctrumpet]

I am looking for a capture device that will capture widescreen format AND export the captured content in the same format. I know capturing HD is virtually impossible so I am happy with SD. It's the 16:9 aspect ratio I want to preserve, is there any way of doing this?? I have a mac and premiere pro captures media from my TV but only at 4:4

[usually_quiet]

I am looking for a capture device that will capture widescreen format AND export the captured content in the same format. I know capturing HD is virtually impossible so I am happy with SD. It's the 16:9 aspect ratio I want to preserve, is there any way of doing this?? I have a mac and premiere pro captures media from my TV but only at 4:4

I asked a moderator to move your post to the Mac forum, since other Mac users may be better equipped to help you solve your problem.

[Baldrick]

I have moved you to our mac section.

What do you want to capture?

[zinctrumpet]

I am trying to capture directly fro my TV and edit adverts and other none required bits.I just want to retain the viewing aspect.

[usually_quiet]

In case nobody replies with better ideas, I looked at the manufacturer's product page for elgato's Video Capture a few days ago for a Windows/Linux user in another thread. This capture product also includes drivers and software for OSX. The bundled OSX software supports capturing PAL input at 640x360 resolution (16:9 aspect ratio, using square pixels) as H.264 video at 1.4 MBit/sec, with AAC stereo audio. According to the website, this product includes a SCART to composite adapter. Note that 640x360 resolution captures may or may not be available using the included device with Premiere Pro.

[jagabo]

The only difference between 16:9, 14:9, and 4:3 standard definition PAL analog video signals is a flag on line 23 (normally not visible onTV) that tells the TV how to display the picture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widescreen_signaling#PAL_and_SECAM_Systems

So all analog PAL capture devices can capture widescreen because the format of the signal is exactly the same. Some recognize the aspect ratio flag and flag the captured file appropriately. Some do not. For those that do not, all you need to do is flag the file yourself.

And the device putting out the signal must be sending it as widescreen. Many devices send the widescreen video out letterboxed in a 4:3 frame -- in which case, you're out of luck.

[theewizard]

you want to capture OTA television broadcasts ?

then get one of the stand alone PVR devices with built in digital tuner
they record to usb thumb drive or HDD and record hi-def 720 or 1080 16;9 broadcasts mts streams

must use antenna Rf astc input, does not have hdmi input, only hdmi output

but they make great recordings, very happy with my Homeworx PVR

[usually_quiet]

The only difference between 16:9, 14:9, and 4:3 standard definition PAL analog video signals is a flag on line 23 (normally not visible onTV) that tells the TV how to display the picture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widescreen_signaling#PAL_and_SECAM_Systems

So all analog PAL capture devices can capture widescreen because the format of the signal is exactly the same. Some recognize the aspect ratio flag and flag the captured file appropriately. Some do not. For those that do not, all you need to do is flag the file yourself.

All true. NTSC doesn't even have aspect ratio flagging in the signal, so I have captured widescreen video for DVD using 720x480 resolution (non-square pixels) which was flagged to display as 4:3. Setting the video file's display aspect ratio flag to 16:9 after capture was all that was needed to make the video display correctly.

If there is a way to set the 16:9 display aspect ratio inside or outside of Premiere Pro and the OP is OK with the capture resolution Premiere Pro uses, that would be a fine solution indeed. However, I have the impression that square pixels are preferred in the Apple community, in which case the capture made using Premiere Pro would need to be re-encoded.

I don't think that I have run into an SD capture device other than the elgato Video Capture where the drivers or software support capture 640x360 or any other resolution that is 16:9 with square pixels.

[usually_quiet]

you want to capture OTA television broadcasts ?

then get one of the stand alone PVR devices with built in digital tuner
they record to usb thumb drive or HDD and record hi-def 720 or 1080 16;9 broadcasts mts streams

must use antenna Rf astc input, does not have hdmi input, only hdmi output

but they make great recordings, very happy with my Homeworx PVR

The OP is in the UK not the USA.

[zinctrumpet]

thanks for the info. I am also outside the USA all I want to do is maintain the capture aspect ratio. It looks like the Elgato Video will do the job. Its a shame it is USB and not firewire I will not be able to capture directly onto Premiere Pro, but it's a start.

[usually_quiet]

thanks for the info. I am also outside the USA all I want to do is maintain the capture aspect ratio. It looks like the Elgato Video will do the job. Its a shame it is USB and not firewire I will not be able to capture directly onto Premiere Pro, but it's a start.

If you are capturing with firewire, then the file format is probably DV AVI, so you probably re-encode it. If the video is anamorphic widescreen (no letterbox bars, but people look overly thin/stretched vertically) you might try re-encoding/exporting as 16:9 aspect ratio, either using DVD standards (720x576 with the display aspect ratio flag set to 16:9) or H.264 using square pixels at 1024x576 resolution.

If the capture file is letterboxed (black bars at the top and bottom of the frame) 16:9 video in a 4:3 frame, then the video output from the source device really is 4:3, and you won't do any better with a different capture device.