Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

schalliol · Jun 6, 2003, 03:27 AM

I shot some footage in native 16x9 and would like to edit it in Final Cut Express. I got FCE because Apple says not to use iMovie, but rather either FCE or FCP. However, when I go to the editing options I only see easy setup anamophoric, which doesn't look right and is 720x480, which isn't 16:9. Can I set 16x9?

Mark E · Jun 6, 2003, 06:12 PM

in the "final cut express" tab, go to "easy setup" and select one of the anamorphic modes. 740 x 480 can be anamorphic 16:9.. why do you say it's not? that's what it's been captured as on your camera!

in fact you can edit anamorphic 16:9 in imovie. the only problem you'll have is that any textual effects will look stretched.

schalliol · Jun 6, 2003, 06:22 PM

I guess I don't understand.

The images at the 720x480 are too tall / not wide enough.

You say it's 16:9 at 720x480, but:

720/16=45*9=405 (not 480). What am I missing. I have the anamaphoric setting, but it sill outputs 720x480 and it looks stretched vertically (of course there are no black bars, just video).

Mark E · Jun 6, 2003, 06:41 PM

Originally posted by schalliol:
I guess I don't understand.

The images at the 720x480 are too tall / not wide enough.

You say it's 16:9 at 720x480, but:

720/16=45*9=405 (not 480). What am I missing. I have the anamaphoric setting, but it sill outputs 720x480 and it looks stretched vertically (of course there are no black bars, just video).

the resolution is irrelavant to the aspect ratio though. it looks stretched because that's how FCE views it. when you go to encode it to MPEG-2, you can set a tag in the encoder to tell it to encode in 16:9. once the encoding is complete and you play back the file, it will appear correctly (unstretched).

look:

here's my anamorphic 16:9 video capped in imovie, looking stretched.

encoding it as 16:9..

played back correctly.

schalliol · Jun 6, 2003, 06:45 PM

Wow, THANK YOU for your great explanation and the wonderful example images. I'll try it!

Mark E · Jun 6, 2003, 06:50 PM

no problem.

i don't know what you're planning on doing with your video, but if you create a DVD of it, if you have a widescreen TV, the video will play back as intended, covering the whole screen. if you have a 4:3 TV, your DVD player will automatically add black borders to the top and bottom so it appears in the correct ratio.

the main advantage of anamorphic widescreen over letterbox (IE, when the black borders are "hard coded" into the video stream) is that you get to use all of the available video resolution for the picture, and not waste a good proportion on encoding the black bars.

hope that was helpful!

-Mark

schalliol · Jun 6, 2003, 06:57 PM

Thanks for the further input.

I actually chose 16:9 in this setting because it uses more of the CCD and allowed me to fit more into the picture when zoomed out, as I was very close to the source, which was wide. Most cameras don't do this, so it wouldn't be useful.

I plan to create a DVD as you mention, if I can figure out how to, and also I would like to create a VHS for 4:3 TVs with the black bars. Since you're an expert in this, can you provide me any thoughts on the settings necessary to produce these results? I am eternally greatful!!

I also know we'll be having a 16:9 TV before too long, so I thought, why wait when most of the future we'll have 16:9 native.

Mark E · Jun 6, 2003, 07:07 PM

Originally posted by schalliol:
I plan to create a DVD as you mention, if I can figure out how to, and also I would like to create a VHS for 4:3 TVs with the black bars. Since you're an expert in this, can you provide me any thoughts on the settings necessary to produce these results? I am eternally greatful!!

i think the easiest way to do it is just set your DVD player to 4:3 letterbox mode, and tape the DVD as it plays.

schalliol · Jun 6, 2003, 07:10 PM

Oh wow, I should have thoguht of that! It will be much easier. I guess my experience finding out that I couldn't tape DVDs, when I wanted my wife's first graders to see Fantasia 2000, since she doesn't have a DVD player at school, made me forget the possibility of this.

lgs · Jun 6, 2003, 09:29 PM

Originally posted by schalliol:
I shot some footage in native 16x9 and would like to edit it in Final Cut Express. I got FCE because Apple says not to use iMovie, but rather either FCE or FCP. However, when I go to the editing options I only see easy setup anamophoric, which doesn't look right and is 720x480, which isn't 16:9. Can I set 16x9?

What video camera did you use to shoot in anamorphic 16x9? I'm just getting into this video stuff and have FCE and also iDVD. I've also been wondering about what's needed to do anamorphic widescreen videos. The example from Mark E sure is helpful.

Mark E - would adding text or titles while in editing mode (stretched), then encode in 16x9 and then play back display the text correctly?
TIA.

lgs · Jun 6, 2003, 10:59 PM

Originally posted by lgs:
What video camera did you use to shoot in anamorphic 16x9? I'm just getting into this video stuff and have FCE and also iDVD. I've also been wondering about what's needed to do anamorphic widescreen videos. The example from Mark E sure is helpful.

Mark E - would adding text or titles while in editing mode (stretched), then encode in 16x9 and then play back display the text correctly?
TIA.

Mark - looks like you answered my question about the text in your previous post. Another question - the example you show uses iMovie. That middle part where "encoding it as 16:9" with the MPEG encoder dialog box - how do you get to this dialog box and selections? It doesn't come up for me (iMovie 2.1.2). Thanks.

schalliol · Jun 7, 2003, 01:20 AM

I've yet to finish my export since I've got lots of work to do, but in my latest camera research, unter a grand the only units I've seen that offer full resolution 16x9 recording are Sony's, like my DCR-TRV38. In my unit the 16x9 recording actually uses more of the CCD's wdith, as opposed to just using less of the CCD. Just a thought for you....I'm no editing expert for sure.

nerd · Jun 7, 2003, 11:23 AM

Yea, I don't get the MPEG window either? Do you have the plug-in from DVD Studio Pro? I've never heard of exporting MPEG 1 or 2 without needing a plug-in. ??

Brad

schalliol · Jun 7, 2003, 11:27 AM

I just used iMovie to export, I couldn't seem to figure our how to use the FCE MPEG2 exporter, I didn't see it as an option

Mark E · Jun 7, 2003, 12:10 PM

Originally posted by lgs:
Another question - the example you show uses iMovie. That middle part where "encoding it as 16:9" with the MPEG encoder dialog box - how do you get to this dialog box and selections? It doesn't come up for me (iMovie 2.1.2). Thanks.

sorry, maybe i should have been more detailed with my response here.

i'm using iMovie 3.0.2, and i have the quicktime MPEG-2 encoding plugin (which comes with DVD studio pro), i'm not sure whether this plugin is available seperately or not.

if you don't have the plugin, and if it isn't available seperately, you can get great results with a fantastic (shareware) program called FFMPEGX, which will also allow you to use the 16:9 ratio.

http://homepage.mac.com/major4/

i think in imovie 2 it will require you to export to a full quality DV file before you can encode to MPEG-2, in imovie 3 a tiny 2k quicktime reference file is created which you can use in FFMPEGX to encode.

-Mark