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User profile for user: Ian R. Brown
Ian R. Brown Author
User level: Level 7
23,068 points

DV PAL video shows black screen but exports OK?

I imported some previously captured DV PAL footage into iMovie 10.1.14


If I skim over it in the Browser or Timeline the image in the Viewer remains BLACK!


If I then export the footage, I get the images in a 16:9 aspect ratio though the picture is not distorted . . . just cropped.


So is there any way of viewing the video in the Viewer and exporting it with the correct 4:3 aspect ratio or is iMovie just not able to cope correctly with DV footage?


iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 10.15

Posted on Aug 4, 2020 2:34 AM

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User profile for user: Rich839
Rich839
User level: Level 8
48,036 points

Posted on Aug 4, 2020 8:31 AM

If you use the Crop to Fit setting you will get 4:3 but with black bars on each side to make the image fit iMovie's 16:9 screen. When you export, it will be 4:3 but still have the black bars. You can play the movie and use the Command-Shift-5 feature to crop out the black bars. In other words, make a screen recording of the video with just the image part drag-selected, thus eliminating the black bars.


-- Rich

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User profile for user: Rich839
Rich839
User level: Level 8
48,036 points

Aug 4, 2020 8:31 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

If you use the Crop to Fit setting you will get 4:3 but with black bars on each side to make the image fit iMovie's 16:9 screen. When you export, it will be 4:3 but still have the black bars. You can play the movie and use the Command-Shift-5 feature to crop out the black bars. In other words, make a screen recording of the video with just the image part drag-selected, thus eliminating the black bars.


-- Rich

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User profile for user: Ian R. Brown
Ian R. Brown Author
User level: Level 7
23,068 points

Aug 4, 2020 5:12 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Well, I'll be beggared!


I was having this problem with FCP X as well.


I had both apps open simultaneously.


I simply closed each app, restarted them and reimported the footage.


Problem solved and didn't even need to trash the preferences!


However, iMovie still exports the video as 16:9


Any way I can export it as 4:3?

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DV PAL video shows black screen but exports OK?

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