Widescreen question

Widetrack wrote on 12/29/2001, 3:05 PM
I'm doing an NTSC widescreen project using stills. I'm using Vegas' widescreen project properties setting and have set each clip to Match Output Aspect.

My external monitor is a standazrd professional Sony NTSC video monitor (with no controls applicable to widescreen, letterbox etc).

Sometimes the video appears on the monitor in a "letterbox" format--with black bars above and below--and sometimes it doesn't. I cannot get any particular consistent repeatability. When I set the Vegas preview window to display square pixels the playback image looks perfect (though I'm not sure exactly why).

I'm monitoring through a Sony VHX-1000 DV camcorder.

Anybody know what's going on? Will it affect my output?

Comments

Widetrack wrote on 1/1/2002, 5:42 PM
Derg:

thanks for the reply. Am I reading you correctly that you're saying that the squeezed effect is normal and desirable on on external monitor? Don;t I want to see my work in the aspect ratio in which it will be viewed: i.e. 16:9?

also, is the 1.2121 the aspect ratio of widescreen pixels? And if so, must I render the project with that ratio to wrk right in DVD?

thanks again.

WT
AtomStream wrote on 1/2/2002, 10:25 AM
And may I tack on a related question?

I can shoot 16:9 format video using a Century 16:9 widescreen lens adapter. The result of using that is "squeezed" video on the CCD, and hence on the monitor.

I WANT to letterbox this stuff for display on normal TVs. I have used Track Motion to "unsqueeze" the video. Is that the best method? It looks crappy to me...lots of interlacing problems on the resulting video.

Sounds like the suggested method of using a different pixel aspect ratio could be better, but I am really just casting about blindly in hope of producing an answer.

And I am going to the beautiful Nevada desert for a video shoot in late january, and that, of course, is perfect for 16:9 format.
Widetrack wrote on 1/4/2002, 3:21 PM
Letterboxing SHOULD happen automatically...and it does for me after rendering. The problem is monitoring during production. you can't cut widescreen video by watching it in "Squeezed" mode.

Yes, using Track Motion to "unsqueeze" is unacceptable.

right-clicking on the preview window and choosing "Square Pixels" works, but doesn't he;p for external NTSC monitor.

I'd continue shooting as planned and hope/trust that SF will fix this. I know they know about it.
dvstudio wrote on 1/5/2002, 1:04 AM
You MUST have a 16:9 capable TV monitor to see an unsqueezed output. Vegas can work with 16:9 captured footage and output the job when done, but the final show will always look squeezed on anything other than a true 16:9 monitor.

Why are you doing your show in widescreen? Do you have to see the final output on a true 16:9 system?

I would do your show in standard DV and place "letterbox" bars top and bottom for the widescreen effect. This way your show will be viewable on any regular TV.