Black bars alongside video+squished aspect ratio on export

I'm trying to get my import/export settings right--I keep getting black bars and a squished or stretched image when my videos export. Since Elements doesn't read MOD I've been using miro to convert, which doesn't like to export to mp4 all that well to begin with (which furthers my diagnosis problems.) I don't know anything about video image->pixel size (nor can I find anything online that makes sense to me) and canon's website doesn't tell me what my camera is shooting in in those terms, but I've been using the widescreen format--what is that size?? I'm not sure if this problem is because of defaulting project settings on import (Elements not picking up on the proper format and defaulting to something else), an exporting problem (I've tried all the different settings under publish+share>computer>mpeg4 and quicktime>NTSC DVD standard and widescreen, as well as every other export option I can think of), or a conversion problem (why doesn't Elements accept MOD to begin with? Final Cut 7 does no problem!) Everything looks good in the editing process, plays fine etc.
Is this a simple fix? The videos play fine in quicktime, but VLC catches the bars, which makes me think it's a simple solution to a complex diagnosis. Please help, thanks.
CAMERA:
canon FS200
MOD file format (raw file image/pixel size is not shown, can't find it)
mac OS.10.8.3
Elements 11.0
Miro converter 3.0

stockdizzle66
Thanks for the update.
Let us look into the following next, one problem down (the aspect ratio), next the quality of playback of your Timeline as seen in the Edit Mode Monitor.
1. Given that you are working with .mod widescreen 16:9.
a. Open a new Premiere Elements 11 Mac project. Go to File Menu/New/Project and set the project preset yourself in the new project dialog. You want NTSC DV Widescreen. Make sure that you have a check mark next to "Force Selected Project Setting on this Project" before you exit the new project dialog.
b. Once back in the Premiere Elements workspace, go to Add Media/Files and Folders and import your mod.widescreen into Project Assets.
c. Right click the .mod widescreen file in Project Assets, select Interpret Footage, and, in the Interpret Footage dialog, dot the Conform to: and set that to DV/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2121).
d. Drag your .mod widescreen to the Timeline from Project Assets. Do you see no colored line over the content, an orange line, or a green line? If an orange line, render the Timeline with the Render button or pressing the Enter Key of the computer main keyboard. Is the .mod widescreen now display the same, worse, or better than before we started all this?
Also, right click the monitor, select Playback Quality, and see if there is any difference in what you are seeing if you use Highest instead of Automatic as the set. Also check to see if Magnification there is "Fit" rather than other.
Is your video card driver up to date according to the web site of the manufacturer of the video card?
Please review the above and let us know the outcome.
Thanks.
ATR
Although conversion .mod widescreen to another format is always a consideration, it has not been found to be necessary in essentially most cases. Classically, if an import problem with this type of file, the renaming of the .mod file extension to .mpg prior to import took care that while Interpret Footage took care of the aspect ratio issue.
I just saw your note about MPEG Streamclip. That works great for Windows for conversion to DV AVI. Never tried it for a .mov export for Mac. But remember there is an option for 4:3 or 16:9 in that dialog (or there should be...I will take a look if you do not find it). So no distortion expected since MPEG Streamclip should be supplying that problematic 16:9 flag.

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Can you alter your recording settings so the your recording is either 4:3 or 16:9 video?
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Hi folks I have searched around quite a bit but I need more specific advice based my situation...I am editing a docu about Japanese biker gangs shot on several different SD cameras:
MY FOOTAGE
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2.Canon Xl2 shot in 16:9 mode
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ARCHIVAL/ACQUIRED FOOTAGE
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2.Contributor's camera SD 16:9 aspect ratio
3. Transferred from VHS into SD 4:3 aspect ratio
I would like to standardize the aspect ratio for the project but I am getting confused as sometimes the footage shot on the sony (which should be true 16:9) appears elongated vertically at times.
Are my settings off?
Also, I have "title safe" wireframe on in the Canvas and the images all exceed the outer box. I don't have a TV so it's hard to check what (if anything) gets
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Do I have to worry about that? Which box should I crop to if I letterbox? The out or inner? Or the outside of the screen? Should I just letterbox the whole project?
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Sorry to butt in, haven't read the entire thread.
Suggest you plan from the beginning to create one timeline but encode for two separate output formats.
Standard procedure for bringing multiple formats is to convert them to a single format as they are ingested. Decide early what the timeline format will be and transcode everything to that codec before anything is brought into the timeline.
When your project goesgolden, export a single self-contained movie and take that to Compressor to create release movies that will be played on Blu-ray, SD DVD, online, or in Power Point, whatever you need.
bogiesan
Message was edited by: David Bogie Chq-1

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Newbie - forgive me but have been struggling with this one for days.
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I need to have this project outputted onto DVD.
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Taht's really puzzzling. Could you export a short section of your video as a Master File and open in QuickTime – and post a screen shot of the Movie Inspector Report?
Here are some screen shots of a 1080 PAL video. I have chosen a slide show with 3:2 images to emphasize the circle shape and the rectangle that extends to nearly the width of the frame.
I then export as Share>DVD. Note the 720X576 frame size bottom left.
Here, I have opened the VOB file after export in VLC (DVD PLayer will not support a screen shot).
As you can see the circle shape is not distorted (so the anamorphic data was read correctly). Nor is anything cropped in display – since the entire rectangle is shown and the width of the black bars is unchanged.
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I did not create this so I can't answer any questions about software or settings used to create it beyond what you see above.
I'm trying to see if I can turn it into a DVD which will play on a normal DVD player. ( Mostly as an exercise to teach myself how...)
I drag and drop the file into my Assets window and am told in another small window that it's 720x480 NOT 640x272... If I drag it onto the time line I get a squished 4:3 image (vertically stretched)
If I double click on the file in the asset box it pops up in its correct format...
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My goal? To produce a DVD which will play letterboxed on a 4:3 TV and 16:9 or 1:85 on a HD TV... Worse case scenario for now I'd settle for the letterboxed version.
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HELP??????
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Your best bet here is to get that file into a DVD legal size before you get it into DVDSP. I would also convert the audio as well - you need to use an uncompressed format at 48Khz, or convert it to Dolby Digital (AC3).
If you import these assets in to DVDSP it will do the best it can to convert them when the disc is built, but I wouldn't like to count on the resulting quality!
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Changing aspect ratio when exporting

I want to chamg the aspect ratio to 16:9. How do you do this in PRL 7?

What do you want to change?
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- Or a 4:3 project you are already working on in PE?
When you start a new PE project, you should specify the format: 4:3 or 16:9 (widescreen).
You cannot change these project settings inbetween. As a workaround: save your video on the timeline as an .avi; start a new project with the required different settings and import this .avi in the new project.
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Great. Now, I need to export the footage to QTs that are a random 620x349, and the client doesn't want the images letterboxed or with bars on the side... they'd prefer that I just crop the images to that aspect ratio. It's for the web.
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That's DEFINITELY not DVCPro HD settings are you SURE they match the clips? AND 1920x1080 is NOT anamorphic.
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Best aspect ratio to export

I am attempting to export my 83 min. documentary to Without A Box.
They Reccommend a 480X360 aspect ratio yet my film is 16X9 and it looks squeezed and distorted at 4X3.
They indicate that a 16X9 film can be uploaded yet will be letterboxed.
So, does that mean that they will crop the sides? or the top?
If they crop the top and bottom it would cut heads off. I would rather cut the sides.
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Also not sure how to keep the file size below 2GB. My 83 min. film is over 3 GB which they will not accpet.
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Best way:
Export a selfcontained quicktime from within fcp. Bring this file into compressor, apply one of these presets
apple: other workflows: Web: Download: h.264 lan or h264 800kbps. For the best quality, you might want to enable frame controls in the frame controls panel and set the resizing filter to "best." Make sure that the output pixel dimensions are 854x480. Sometimes, depending on your source pixel dimensions, compressor will make it 853x480 which can cause problems.
You can also send to compressor from within fcp, but I prefer exporting a selfcontained qt which creates a file with all effects, titles, etc "baked" in which you can use as a source for dvd's or other compression formats.
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