Export as Widescreen not 4:3 using Mixed DV

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Level 1

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Export as Widescreen not 4:3 using Mixed DV

Hello!

Im having difficulty in final cut pro, My captured footage looks absolutely terrible on the timeline and when its exported it’s in 4:3 and looks squished, What is the BEST outcome I can setup with this footage, Im a tad naive when it comes to codec’s etc, I literally have two days to get this project completely done and im really struggling on what settings I need as my two source materials are different size’s codecs etc.

I have two sources of captured footage that Im editing between. the first is in:

DV - PAL, 720 × 576, 4:3, 25 fps, 28.80 Mbps - Audio: DV stereo, 32 kHz, 28.80 Mbps

The second camera’s footage is in:

.mov Apple Intermediate Codec, 960 × 540, 25 fps, 29.43 Mbps - Audio: 16-bit Big Endian stereo, 48 kHz, 1.54 Mbps

The sequence settings are set to:

720x576, CCIR 601 / DVPAL (5:4)

Pixel aspect ratio: PAL - CCIR 601 (720 x 576)

Field Dominance: Lower

Anamorphic 16:9: off (Tried exporting with this on and off)

Compressor: Apple ProRes 422 (Was defaulted to DV PAL)

I use Final Cut Pro 6.06 on an Old Macbook running OSX 10.5.8

I have my mac plugged into an external TV as a monitor at 1920 x 1080

The footage is being used on a projector for an audience, Either as a DVD or File, It may be used on the web later.

Here is a screen grab of the DV footage in the timeline in final cut pro and opened up the source footage in quicktime side by side.

http://i.imgur.com/fs6D7.jpg

Posted on Aug 27, 2012 12:11 PM

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Answer 1

Jim Cookman

Level 7

23,435 points

Aug 27, 2012 12:21 PM in response to Tom Lewis

Looks like anamorphic to me. Scroll over in the browser and click in the anamorphic column and see if your footage doesn't look better. Also make your sequence settings anamorphic.

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Answer 2

Tom Lewis Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 27, 2012 1:09 PM in response to Jim Cookman

Hey Jim, I can now see what anamorphic does, The anamorphic box is already ticked in my DV footage and set in my sequence settings, that explains why why it look's widescreen in edit but really really terrible quality, When I export the Quality looks fine, but its stuck in 4:3, how can I keep this anamorphic widescreen when exporting?

I can live with editing the footage in terrible quality if I can get a decent export.

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Answer 3

Jim Cookman

Level 7

23,435 points

Aug 27, 2012 2:11 PM in response to Tom Lewis

Two things--

The canvas is a terrible way to judge your footage. Try setting the canvas to 100% (instead of fit to window.) It'll look as good as you'll get inside fcp.

When you export, check the anamorphic flag there too, or conversely you can export as 854x 480. But that will only work projected as a file.

Watching DV on a 1920 display must be extremely painful.

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Answer 4

Tom Lewis Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 28, 2012 12:03 PM in response to Jim Cookman

Yeah you're right, I think I figured it out by exporting "using quicktime conversion" and these steps:

http://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=F%26 section=8%26tasks=true

I managed to get 16:9 in a decent format with decent quality footage, although I forgot to select to de-interlace, which shouldnt be a problem!

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