PLease excuse if stupid question, I'm new at this.
When I put vertical still on the timeline either mixed with video or as a slide show they come out in the video wider than in original. mAKES A TYPICAL ADULT LOOK 20 LB HeAVIER- NOT GOOD!
After the right-click/Match Output Aspect, resize the pan/crop window as desired to see what you want seen. You will get black borders on the left and/or right sides.
Tried matching outpu aspect ratio, matching source aspect ratio, or just putting the picture on the timeline, all gave same result, a subtlely fattened image (wife unhappy), which I really didnt notice until I compared it directly to the same image(s) viewed in Photoshop.
Might this have something to do with pixel shape?
She insists no such problem with Pinnacle Studio 8.521 (which I dread having to go back to; horrid instability with daily reinstallation)...
Not seeing the behavior you're describing. Like jetdv said above, I drop a "vertical" still onto timeline, check "maintain aspect ratio" in properties, and I have a "vertical" still, centered in preview window, with wide black bars on each side. In Properties>Media>pixel aspect ratio, and selecting 0.9091 (NTSC DV) the image will be slightly thinner. Does this work? Can you post screenshot(s) somewhere?
Tried matching outpu aspect ratio, matching source aspect ratio, or just putting the picture on the timeline, all gave same result, a subtlely fattened image (wife unhappy), which I really didnt notice until I compared it directly to the same image(s) viewed in Photoshop.
Might this have something to do with pixel shape?
Yes. Exactly. Just right click in your preview window and select "simulate device aspect ratio" to view with the pixel shape as it will appear when you output to tape/dvd and watch on your TV.
I think the real answer was to simulate device aspect. Setting the image's PAR to 0.9091 will make things look right on the uncorrected preview window but his wife will look skinnier than she really is when the rendered project is played on a TV.