Generally, the project properties pertain to your source material and they should match. When you render your project, the format and template you choose specifies the properties of your output. The properties of the rendered output are independent of the source material properties, though the quality of the rendered output will depend on the source material properties and whether they are compatible. (For example, if you recorded your video at 25 frames per second but render your output at 24 frames per second your source and output aren't compatible though you can still do it.) Some of the render formats and templates allow you to customize them by adjusting various parameters for your output. None of this stuff has anything to do with the resolution of the monitor that you view your work on.

Pixel aspect ratio, as set on the Project Properties window, should specify how you recorded your source video: for instance, if you recorded your widescreen HD video in 1920x1080 resolution, then your pixels are square, but if you recorded your widescreen HD video in 1440x1080 resolution then your pixels are non-square rectangles.

Field order is only an issue if you recorded your video in interlaced mode rather than in progressive mode. (You have to set this correctly in any case.) By the way, if you have this set wrong, your video will look bad, in which case just set it the other way. There's no problem with changing this after you've started your project if you had it wrong initially. But this should be set automatically when you "match Media settings."

As far as the field order and where your end product will be viewed, choose an appropriate format and template when you render your output for the device you want it shown on. If you want to show your video on more than one type of device, then render it multiple times, each with the format and template appropriate for that particular display device.

Vegas is interactive and non-destructive, so you can just try various settings and see what the effect is. Don't be afraid to experiment with short clips to learn what you need. If something looks wrong, then try to find the relevant parameter to change to make it look right. If it looks right, then you're all set.

The three-sentence explanation is this:

Project Properties affect the Preview, Render Properties afftect the output.
For best preview, match your project properties to your source media by clicking on the yellow "folder" icon in the top right of the Project Properties dialog, then click on one of your source files. Then click "Apply" and "OK."

Done.

Thanks for the rescue!!!
I will study your answers. diligently ...

I use a Sony HDR- HC9 camcorder NTSC, HDV, Mini HD tapes, widescreen, surround sound
Video signal1080/60 i
the i means interpolate?

. but here are the specs
Sony HDR-HC9 MiniDV HD Handycam Camcorder
Progressive Shutter System
A mechanical shutter system that provides progressive scan performance while utilizing an interlaced scanning system. Digital still images will be sharp and clear with excellent definition.
I have a blonde moment... but in the same sentence... I read progressive and interlaced.... So, what is my field order>>>>>

My head is slightly getting above water.... !!!

If you are using more than a very occasional bit of generated media then you should have project properties match the intended output format. If the intended output format is substantially different in shape from the source format then you should also have project properties match the output format.

Why? Because this assures that what you see in the preview will be useful and representative of the finished project. If you match the source and then render to a different format then you'll find all sorts of surprises in the output such as black borders and field order problems, that you never noticed while editing.

Personally i never match source. I always match the output.

I think the poster needs help getting through the basics of a first project. One can deal with the "fine print" of the settings later (much later). If one matches the properties to the media, everything else can be left alone.

Now, on to editing!

(There is a danger of giving way too much advice too soon, especially in this forum. One can always learn what the individual settings mean, one at a time, and when they are needed. OTOH, mucking with the default video settings can mess up the preview and a couple of second-tier functions, creating a bad experience for the new user. Too much information creates an overload. Just my thoughts.)

I agree with your comments, musicvid. On the other hand, Nel' asked a lot of questions, and ignoring many of them doesn't really help, either.

Since there have already been completely contradictory advices given here, rendering all the advice questionable, I'll restate maybe my most important advice:

Experiment! Try a very simple and very short video, from start to finish, and see how it turns out. Once you've been through the whole process once and got it working, you'll start to see how the workflow is organized and what parameters affect what. When you find settings for your test video that work with your source video and your desired output format, then you can proceed with the same settings with confidence on your real project. There are sometimes more than one way of getting any given result.

To answer Nel's new question about what the "i" in "Video signal1080/60 i" means, it means interlaced. But as you noted later, interlaced and progressive were both in the same description of your video source... my guess is that your video may have been shot in progressive mode, but then each frame split and stored in an interlaced fashion, i.e., as two fields even though both were actually photographed at the same moment in time. If so, then the field order shouldn't matter. You could even try setting your field order to "None (progressive scan)" and see how your test video renders.

One thing should already be clear: the project properties dialog is confusing! Sony really should describe each parameter's purpose better.

AFAIK, Vegas does not misreport the field order type for the HDR-HC9 when "Match Media Properties" is used. Nor does this alone have any direct effect on the render. OTOH, if one deliberately changes the Field Order type to Progressive for interlaced material (for instance), the effect on Preview playback rate can deteriorate as much as 50% for HD media, depending on the machine used, which is a negative impact. Changing other project properties from the media will have similar, nontrivial effects.

That is why I strongly suggest not changing them from the Matched Media Properties!

Once done, all the other Video Project Properties can be left at their defaults. It is not necessary to understand the function of every single one in order for this to be effective, especially for one who is just learning. Generated media can always have their properties changed to match the output, so just having them in a project does not automatically constitute an exception. The only exception I make is to default the rendering quality to Best, which would come into play if there is pan/crop or other effects in the project (this can also be set at the Render step so it's not requisite).

Hope this addresses any lingering questions. Although understanding the ins and outs of each individual project setting can be confusing, setting them for optimal performance is simple as pie. Or, as you said, the user can experiment with each parameter and compare the results to their heart's content. It's an individual choice.

Addendum:

Here are the Preview framerate results on my Sony laptop using HDV source from a Sony camcorder (don't know the model):

** Best, Full, Simulate Device Aspect "Off," Scale to Fit Window "Off" **

Project Default (Match Media Properties, UFF)
-- 29.970 fps (solid)

LFF
-- 14.250 fps (average)

None (Progressive)
-- 9.100 fps (average)

YMMV

Thank you all for your input.... I will "experiment" with the "matches the properties to the media" and the deinterlacing ....
Chienworks having a totally different approach , which was close to my doing... without knowing it...., in my case what would be your "projects properties" to match the output, for my DVDs to be watched on TV. I have to convert HD to SD, I use DVD arch studio 4.5 .
I really appreciate your help... and support...

Depending on where you live, choose either the NTSC widescreen or PAL widescreen template. The only change i would make is to match the field order of your source material. Render as widescreen and then be sure to set up the DVDA project as widescreen too.

This is definitely a case where matching the source properties will slow you down.