DVCPRO HD to SD 4:3 Letterboxed

We are shooting footage in DVCPRO HD. The final output will be 4:3 letter boxed, however my boss want to be able to put graphics on the letter box. Could some one give me a step by step process on how I should accomplish this? I get a little confused when I have to deal with a format I'm not accustomed to like DVCPRO HD and I've never had to edit HD footage into a SD final product..

The general idea is to make a sequence that is the same format that you shot in (DVCPRO HD). Edit the program leaving out any graphic elements that may lay in the letterbox area. Make a new sequence in the format you want to finish in (i.e. NTSC 4:3 DV) and then place the first sequence inside this new sequence and put any graphics that you want to show in the letterbox area.
Now, Forget everything I just said because the majority of the letterbox area is outside the text safe area and you shouldn't be putting graphics out there anyway.
o| TOnyTOny |o

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Recipe for DVCPRO HD 16x9 convert to MiniDV Letterboxed

Hi everyone,
Can you please help me figure out the recipe to convert DVCPRO HD 16x9 to MiniDV Letterboxed?
I can never get it to look right after many tests.
Also, what's the recipe for converting the same thing to a DV file that I can load into iMovie and still have the 16x9 letterboxed in the 1:33 of my miniDV?
Thanks so much!!!
Kirk

Create a NTSC DV sequence with the same timebase as your DVCProHD sequence (probably 23.98). Nest the DVCProHD sequence. Render.
When you print the DV sequence to tape, FCP will automatically add the pulldown to 29.97 on the way out the firewire.

DVCPro 50 letterboxed opening in my timeline without the letterboxing

Hi
I have a project with DVCPro 50 clips letterboxed and when I open them in my timeline the image fills the entire area becoming anamorphic. Do I have to use the distort option in the clips attributes? Or is there a setting to solve perhaps a different codec.
Thanks

Sounds like your sequence is set to Anamorphic.
In FCPs menu bar: Final Cut Pro > Easy Setup > DVCPro 50 > Setup.
Then, Sequence > Settings > Load Sequence Preset. DVCPro 50 should already be selected, click OK to confirm. Edit your clips into this sequence.

DVCPRO 50 in 16:9 for 4:3 finish

Hello,
Can't figure this out from other posts so I hope ya'll can help.
First of all is 720x405 full res when shot in 16x9 on a SDX900? Second, I want to finish will all the pixels I can so I don't want to pan and scan. I want to just show it letterboxed so the framing is correct. So I need to know how to get that file into a 4:3 sequence. Finally, I also would like to put it in a sequence by itself and this can be 16:9. When I try this now I have to do hours of rendering for a 2 minute clip.
Any thoughts?
DP 2.0 G5 1GB RAM, iBook Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Actually, Anamorphic standard-definition footage - what you're calling 16:9 - is also captured, and logged in FCP, as 720x480 [in NTSC land] just like plain old 4:3 footage. What settings are you using?
If your clip settings are correct - 720x480, Anamorphic box checked - then placing such a clip into a standard DVCPro NTSC 4:3 sequence will, automatically, produce the letterboxing that you're looking for.
As for a 16:9 sequence that doesn't require a render, do the following:
Create a new sequence (Command-N)
Open the Sequence Settings dialog (Command-0 [That's zero])
Click the 'Load Sequence Preset' at the bottom and select DVCPro50 NTSC Anamorphic.
Provided your clips are properly setup, you should be able to drop them in without the need to render.
For what its worth, I would recommend editing your clips into the 16:9 sequence first, then nesting that 16:9 sequence into your 4:3 sequence.

Kona DVCPro HD to HDCAM Cross-Convert Question for Shane Ross

Hi Shane (Or anyone else whose done this)... Shane posted the comment below at Creative Cow Oct'06:
Quoting Shane: "...because with FCP I can capture DVCPRO HD 720p 23.98 and edit at full resolution. When I lock picture I can, with the use of a Kona 3, cross convert to 1080p 23.98 via the hardware and output to HDCAM."
GREAT! I want to mimic this workflow!!! I have a completed project that was edited as above in FCP (based on your creative cow video tutorial). I shot with the HVX200.
1. Are you happy with the cross-converted 960X720 DVCPro HD footage to 1080p 23.98 quality? I'm assuming this is 1920X1080...
1b. Why not 1280X720? The original .mxf. Seems like that would provide better resolution . What am i missing?
2. Any Artifacting/aliasing? How did titles and transitions hold up? Did the reds bleed?
3. Are there any new advances that you've come across that i should look into as well?
4. And, can you be more specific about how you did question # 1. What codec; Does it come with the card or is it in FCP? What VTR do you suggest?
5. Can i do the above with a BlackMagic card? Which one?
6. What am i forgetting to ask?
Big fan, your posts have saved me hours of headaches over the last 5 months. Cheers...
Hayden
Mac Pro 2.66, 2GB ram, 250GB system, 1TB internal raid, ATI x1900xt and NVidia 7300GT Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Mac Pro 2.66, 2GB ram, 250GB system, 1TB internal raid, ATI x1900xt and NVidia 7300GT Mac OS X (10.4.8)

1. Are you happy with the cross-converted 960X720 DVCPro HD footage to 1080p 23.98 quality? I'm assuming this is 1920X1080...
Absolutely. It looks great. But, this is HDCAM, so it is anamorphic HD...1440x1080. Since DVCPRO HD is anamorphic as well...it all works out.
1b. Why not 1280X720? The original .mxf. Seems like that would provide better resolution . What am i missing?
The network delivery specs require a 1080p 23.98 master on HDCAM or D5. They chose that because you can convert that into anything.
2. Any Artifacting/aliasing? How did titles and transitions hold up? Did the reds bleed?
No artifacting or aliasing whatsoever. Titles and transitions all held up. No bleeding in the reds.
3. Are there any new advances that you've come across that i should look into as well?
ProRES...that will come with FCP 6. I'll be playing with that codec when I get my hands on it.
4. And, can you be more specific about how you did question # 1. What codec; Does it come with the card or is it in FCP? What VTR do you suggest?
It was really VERY simple. The Kona 3 has an option in the Kona control panel to cross convert 720p to 1080p. We chose that. Then we blacked the first 3 min of the tape, then used EDIT TO TAPE to output. The card did everything. Not sure about the model of the VTR...it was the Sony HDCAM deck (not HDCAM SR).
5. Can i do the above with a BlackMagic card? Which one?
I don't know if any of the Blackmagic cards can cross convert. You'll have to ask them.
6. What am i forgetting to ask?
Where you can send the check for all the workflow advice I am giving to you (and everyone)
Also, how did we deal with our downconverted masters we were also required to deliver. While the network wants an HD master, they don't air HD. They air in SD from a digitbeta master. We had to do a separate output to digibeta with all the graphics properly sized for letterbox output.
Shane

Exporting .mov as DV - NTSC Creates Letterbox Effect

Hi,
I've been trying to export a video and I'm getting some weird output.
I want an uncompressed .mov file, so when I'm exporting I pick to export as .mov, then create a new preset, choose the "Apple DV/DVCPRO - NTSC" codec, and set it to 16:9 (because my project is widescreen, and I want widescreen output).
However, the outputted video is having a letterbox effect added to it, with black bars above and below the actual video.
Is there some option I'm missing that's forcing my video into 4:3 letterbox? What do I have to change?
It doesn't seem to matter what I do. I've played with the pixel ratios with no effect, and it won't let me manually set a resolution: I can click where it says "720" and input a new width, but it just immediately reverts to 720.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

My guess would be that there is one more setting in the Share route that is not being made. Similar can occur in PrPro (before CS4), where one could do the Export, either via Export>Movie, or Export>AME (Adobe Media Encoder). With the former, most settings were acquired from the Project info. With the latter, one had many more controls, but these did not directly come over from the Project. With the additional screens to adjust the Export, it was easy to miss something.
Now, with PrE, there could be something else coming into play too.
Good luck,
Hunt

Post dvcpro hd 1080i60 clip to internet???

I want to post a short 6 minute piece that i've edited in dvcpro hd 1080i60 ( 1280x1080 frame size) clip to the internet. When I use the H.264 compressor (the setting i usually use with DV pieces) it comes out as a square...even when i tell it keep the dimensions with letterbox.
How can I get this piece up on the internet with the right dimensions and a managable file size?

bump.

DVCPRO HD format question

Hello all Finalcutters,
So I've been cutting a lot of DVCPRO HD footage, usually for finishing in standard definition NTSC. I'm enjoying great success, but I note that when I edit DVCPRO HD footage onto an NTSC timeline, two things:
1. The clip defaults to resize itself to letterbox on the screen. This is great when I want that, but for this project I'd rather the footage just stay at 100% size and fill the screen. Can't find a way to make this happen automatically, and I'm a little tired of manually resizing everything just to get it to fill out a 4 x 3 aspect ratio.
2. I'm puzzled - when I cut a DVCPRO HD clip at 100% on an NTSC timeline, I actually have to size it to 102% to fill the screen from top to bottom. Where'd those extra 195 lines of vertical resolution go? I notice that the distortion tab is set to -50.
Any clues?

I realize I have to resize my footage in the workflow I've chosen, I'm fine with that, and my system is fast enough to handle it efficiently.
My spot is NTSC, always will be, so I feel it's appropriate for me to edit in that format, so we can all see the 4 x 3 aspect ratio and compose scenes accordingly.
I'm not puzzled by resizing - what bothers me is why does a 100% size 960 x 720 pixel DVCPRO HD frame just barely fill (vertically) a 720x486 pixel NTSC frame, when, counting pixels, it should be somewhat taller?
My material looks correct in every other way, seems correctly aspected, not squished or anything.
Joe

720p23.976 DVCPro HD to an SD DVD

720p23.976 DVCPro HD movie to an SD DVD?
I need to deliver a SD DVD in NTSC and PAL.
Any suggestions?

The results usually work well, but you may need to run some tests.
Also do not use Pan & Scan, only use Letterbox (and not Pan & Scan/Letterbox) unless you have set the footage properly for Pan & Scan, Pan & Scan should not be used.
Also this thread and the link to an older thread may be of interest
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1268362&tstart=0

HD export won't letterbox

I've been through this problem before, but for some reason I'm running into it again. I export my DVCPRO HD 720p60 (960x720) using current settings and drop it into Compressor, then use DVD best quality 90 minute settings at 16:9. After verifying my track settings in DVDSP I burn the DVD. In the past, my DVD has correctly letterboxed the 16x9 footage on a 4x3 TV and also displayed correctly on a widescreen TV at 16:9. Now however, no matter what I do I get a squeezed picture on the 4x3 TV!
What I have tried:
-Exporting square pixel 1280x720 uncompressed for compression: no good
-exporting currents settings (DVCPRO 720p60 which is 960x720 with a 1.2 px aspect): no good
-Every possible setting in aspect ratio even though I know they wouldn't work: no good
One last note, and this makes me suspect there's possibly corruption somewhere in compressor: I've been unable to make changes to the Dimensions area of the Geometry tab, they are permanently grayed out.
I'm at the end of my rope here, I have been struggling to do this for 2 days and getting nowhere. The most frustrating part is I've done this a hundred times before and never had this issue.
Thanks in advance.

When you simulate the dvd on your mac, is it correctly formatted for playback there? If so, then the problem is likely a setting in your DVDSP file. When you click on the track in your graphical view, is the display mode set for 16:9 letterbox?

Using letterboxed footage in my 16:9 timeline (sorry I have searched!)

Hi there,
I am working in an HD project (AJA KONA LH - 1080i 25 DVCPro HD) and I have mini DV footage that I need to include in my cut. These miniDV tapes are copies of HDCAM masters so I'm just using them now in the offline and for viewing purposes, then we'll go back to the HDCAM material for the online. The downside is that they are SD, so I'll have to render anytime I do anything to them, AND unfortunately they are Letterboxed. Will it be quicker for me to pop them through Compressor AND is there anyway to minimize quality loss when I zoom in to force them 16:9 in my timeline?
I have searched the forum, but would appreciate anyone's workflow for a situation like this...
Thanks,
Susan.

Hi Bogiesan
The workaround I'm doing right now is to use the 4x3 footage and do an HDCAM xfer once the rough cut is finalized. I have blown it up - which looks pretty nasty - but I guess it's the only way to get around doing the rough cut and wading through the material (about 10% of the program).
Cheers,
Susan.

HDV timeline to 16x9 letterbox SD

I have a HDV (1280x720) 720p 16x9 timeline. Now the client wants to have a SD dv in 16x9 letterbox.
I exported using quicktime compression DV/DVCPRO-NTSC
Then imported into a new time line before printing to tape.
I unfortunately have not been successful in getting a 16x9 letterbox DV tape.
WHat are the proper settings to achieve this
Using the latest FCP and a JVC BR-HD50 tape machine

Thanks,
I had tried all of that. What happened was that all frames was not checked so I checked it and refreshed audio/video and seams to be working now.
Thanks again to this fine group.

Having trouble with aspect ratio when compressing DVCPRO HD footage to QT

I have a 35mm film (1.85-1 aspect ratio) converted to 16/9 DVCPRO HD. When I compress it to Mpeg2 for DVD, it looks great, holds the correct aspect ratio. But when I choose a setting for the web, a small Quicktime file, it stretches the image ever so slightly. Not sure what the problem is. Thanks for the help.

Hey Lodgeboy,
without knowing the settings you are using, it is difficult to help, but i will try to answer as best i can:
if you are using web-presets, make sure you crop the matte, NOT resize the file.
Basically, instead of letterboxing OR creating am anamorphic MPEG2 for DVD (still in the 720x480 space) you would first crop the mattes off and then resize.
In the case of a web-file, it doesnt matter what order you process the file, EXCEPT if its for IPTV.
Without knowing details about what your final deliverable is, the source and the settings, this is as much as i can help you.
Mikey M.

HDV compression not letterboxing

Howdy, folks!
I've searched the boards here, but am unable to find the answer to my question.
I'm shooting HDV footage, capturing and editing fine, but when I try to output to SD w/ letterboxing, as is requested, the video is always squeezed. What the heck is going on?
Sequence settings: 1440x1080 (HD 16x9; Pixel Aspect Ratio is HD (1440x1080) and anamorphic is NOT checked; QT Settings for Compressor are HDV 1080i60
Thanks, ahead of time!

I misspoke. The footage is P2 size (960x720) and the sequence settings are appropriately HD 960x720 (16:9) w/ a Pixel Aspect Ratio of HD 960x720 and Anamorphic is NOT checked. The QT Video Settings are DVCPRO HD 720p60. There is absolutely no problem editing the footage with these settings.
I've tried toggling Anamorphic, exporting "use Letterboxing if necessary", in the QT Export settings I'm using DV/DVCPRO - NTSC w/ dimensions of both 4:3 and 16:9 and a size of the same. None of this seems to letterbox the final output.
What I mentioned previously was a sequence issue when either dragging or pasting the footage into a 4:3 sequence - somehow half the footage letterboxed in the timeline, yet the other half became squished.
Two problems, neither of which I can figure. You guys are definitely putting me on the right track, and I appreciate it! Any thoughts on this new info?

Dynamic Linked DVCPROHD 720 PPro sequence = letterbox!!!

Encore CS5, but it may as well be CS4, for that matter: whilst sending a DVCPROHD 720p/24pN sequence to Encore, the transcode always defaults to a 4:3 letterbox M2V file, even if I manual set the transcode settings. Is there something I'm missing, or is this just a bug that is not/will not be squashed?
And yeah, I can always transcode from Premiere, but that's not what I paid for...
<grr...>
Thanks...

DVCPRO HD size is 960x720 with PAR 1.3333 and it's not a blu-ray legal size. Blu-ray supports 1280x720 with PAR 1:1. So If you want to create a Blu-ray or DVD using DVCPRO HD sequences in Encore CS5, you need to import a 1280x720 size sequences instead of 960x720.

DVCPRO HD to SD 4:3 Letterboxed

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