Mixing 4:3 and 16:9 footage

Sonata wrote on 12/10/2008, 5:37 AM
My camcorder records in both 4:3 and 16:9 (pretty typical these days, I guess).

I have been wanting to try something, but I have been scared to waste the moment/footage if it doesn't work out.

What would happen if I mix 4:3 and 16:9 footage?

I would like the result to be so that the 4:3 footage would fill the TV screen ( 4:3 CRT TV) and the 16:9 footage would have black bars on the top and bottom, so that either format would be in proportion. This would be all on the same DVD.

Is this possible to do with Vegas Movie Studio? Can I mix the ratios in the same project?

One idea that I don't think would work would be to have the project properties set for 16:9, but then the 4:3 footage would have bars on the sides, and then playing the DVD on my TV would have black bars on the sides AND top and bottom for the 4:3 footage with black bars just on the top and bottom but not on the sides for 16:9 footage(?).

Any ideas, or am I getting too creative for my own good?

EDIT: I think I answered my own question. I would just do the entire project with the project properties in 4:3, correct? If properties of 16:9 result in bars on the sides for 4:3 material, then properties of 4:3 would result in black bars on the top and bottom for 16:9 material, eh? Then, using properties of 4:3 for the entire project would mean that the DVD would play the way I would like on a 4:3 TV!

Right? I guess I am still concerned, though, as the widescreen footage playing from the camcorder tries to fill the 4:3 screen anyway (and squishes it), and I am afraid it would do the same thing in my project.

Comments

bee.r wrote on 12/10/2008, 6:13 AM
In the pan/crop window you can maintain or change the aspect ratio by right clicking on the picture. The options are something like maintain source ratio and match output ratio. Also in the movie clip's properties and the movie rendering options are extra options to alter/ retain the aspect ratios of the clips you're working with. If it's looking how you want it in your preview pane them it should be OK when you make your movie
Chienworks wrote on 12/10/2008, 9:24 AM
First of all ... go shoot some 4:3 and 16:9 scenes of the pretty trees in the back yard, or christmas decorations, or clouds, or the dog barfing up his breakfast, or your foot ... and play with these. There's no excuse to avoid experimenting!

Secondly, if your desire is to have the 16:9 material play back undistorted in a 16:9 frame with letterboxing then all you have to do is create a 4:3 project and dump the 16:9 material in it. No adjustments are necessary.