Import letterboxing

Hello out there!
I am inporting Quicktime clips into iMovie HD and for some reason all of a sudden they started to import in letterbox. I checked the preferences in iMovie and that function is not checked. Any thoughts?
Thanks

Hi
Thoughts - Yes
If You start a DV project (not DV-Wide-screen or any of the others)
Then put in a Slide/Clip into TimeLine that is 16x9 atleast iM HD6 and FinalCut
changes to 16x9 and rest will adapt to this.
So Start with a 4x3 Photo or Clip and You've locked the format whatever You put in after.
Yours Bengt W

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Importing letterboxed clips to a widescreen project

Hi all,
I have just started playing around with iMovie and have a load of my Dad's video which has been recorded on a Panasonic DV camera with "Cinema" mode enabled (It shoots in 4:3 but adds letterbox to simulate 16:9).
What I really want to do is import these clips to a widescreen DV project and have iMovie crop the letterboxing off and essentially zoom in to the widescreen picture in the middle, creating a proper widescreen movie (obviously the quality will not be perfect as you will be stretching the video in the middle but the aspect ration should be correct).
I have looked all over for a way of doing this but have yet to find anything.
Any help much appreciated.
Jon

within iMovie, what's the easiest way of saving them all separately outside of the project so that I can batch convert them all with Streamclip
No need to save them outside iMovie.
Just quit iMovie. Then with MPEG Streamclip drill into the iMovie project (select All files in the open file dialog) and choose /Cache/Timeline Movie.mov as an input. (That feature was suggested by an iMovie user (cough, cough)).

Importing letterboxed dv files

I'm trying to import dv files from MPEG Streamclip that are letter boxed. Once they are imported they are squeezed into 4:3 even though I checked the appropriate preference box to handle them automatically. I tried the same thing unchecked with the same results.
Any suggestions, this part is new to me!

MPEG Streamclip 1.5.1 can set the 4:3/16:9 flag for the converted .dv files so iMovie HD can import them correctly to 4:3/16:9 projects.
BTW, iMovie 5.0.2 can't do this correctly to the files it exports from 16:9 projects: If you re-import such a clip to a 16:9 project it is treated as a 4:3 clip and letterboxed...
http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/iMovieHD_bugs.html#169flag
You can also use this shortcut to save time and HD space (MPEG Streamclip can save the converted .dv straight into iMovie's Media folder):
http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/iMovieHD_bugs.html#quick_DVimport
See also "How can I convert 4:3<->16:9 (and preserve interlacing)" at:
http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/SVCDon_aMacintosh.html#43-169

FCP 7 Captured/Imported letterbox footage incorrectly marked as Anamorphic

I recently installed FCP 7 and captured 24pA footage with the Easy Setup for 23.98 with Advanced Pulldown Removal. The footage was not shot anamorphic but was shot letterbox (on DVX100b). FCP batch captures the footage and I notice afterward that the anamorphic box checked on all the clips (and correspondingly visually distorted). I notice the same after I import 24pA footage (non-anamorphic) that I had already captured into new FCP project, also setup with the 24pA Easy Setup for Capture and Sequence.
This is fixable by unchecking the anamorphic column for each of the clips, of course, but it's tedious and shouldn't be happening i the first place.
Why is FCP 7 interpreting all new letterbox footage as anamorphic? I checked the settings for the Easy Setup and the box for anamorphic is NOT checked! I did not check non-letterboxed video. Also, the pixel aspect ratio. is set at CCIR601 on both the capture and sequence settings. Any ideas about the letterboxed video? Thanks.

I don't have an answer to your core question, but I own the DVX100B and shoot/capture at 24PA/advanced pulldown removal. However, I either shoot SD or I attach anamorphic lens adapter for 16:9.... have never tried using either Letterbox or Squeeze mode.
Reading through "The DVX Book" by Barry W. Green, he suggests that Letterbox mode is useful for simulating a wide screen look on a 4:3 TV screen, which is what you may be trying to achieve, but if your viewers are watching wide screen, you would get better looking results using the Squeeze mode.
My workflow is designed to create deliverables that are properly formatted for 16:9 flat screen displays because the majority of my clients and end users no longer own a CTR monitor or TV.
Eddie

Stuck "letterboxing" on import from camcorder--what's going on?

I just bought my Macbook Pro TODAY and am making a two minute movie. I imported two segments of video, about two minutes each, from my camcorder using a firewire connection as directed in iMovie and in the camcorder directions. when I went to use the clips from the first segment iMovie said "Letterboxing. Please wait. This may take awhile." So I waited and waited and waited. It took like 15 minutes. With my brand new supersonic speed processor, 2 gigs of RAM, no other applications open, what was it doing to 2 minutes of video?
I thought it had to do with some wrong button or other I pushed having to do with the eerie iSight camera which was making me see myself type (so I tried to turn it off and ended up capturing myself.) This time however (second wo minutes of DV import) it's been "Letterboxing" for 25 minutes with no signs of stopping and it's not recording me. What's going on and how can I fix it??
Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.10)
Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.10)

It might be worth your while to view the iMovie tutorials at http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/imovie/index.html because they can answer a lot of questions you may be having with your new computer.
If your iSight camera was on while you were trying to import video from your camera into iMovie, something was set wrong.

Video quality when importing with letterboxing checked

If I import mini dv shot in 16:9 using the letterboxing during import, does it degrade video quality? What settings are best when importing 16:9 mini dv?
Thanks!

Set the project as DV Widescreen before importing. Do not tick 'Automatic Letterboxing'.

Imported 16:9 DV footage won't automatically Letterbox

Hi All,
Hope someone might be able to assist regarding my little dilemma in iMovie 6.0.2 please.
I'm using an iMac (Intel) with 2Gb RAM - 250Gb HDD, with 125Gb free space.
- I have recorded footage in 16:9 format on my miniDV camera
- The new project in iMovie was selected as "DV Widescreen"
- Connection being used to import is Firewire.
- Footage has been imported ok, size is 17.9Gb
- However iMovie just doesn't want to automatically letterbox the clips that it I have imported.
The footage was imported in one effort (basically just let the camera play)
I have never been able to get iMovie to automatically letterbox any of the footage that I have as described above bar my first attempt at using iMovie (trial and error)
I have several other tapes of footage all in 16:9 that have been letterboxed and I want to keep it the same. I will be joining different clips of each project to make my movie.
The dilemma is I know of a way that will automatically letterbox the footage that I have imported, but that will mean that I need to be in front of the computer. I will have to stop the import somewhere midway, iMovie will then automatically letterbox and then I will have to repeat for the remainder of the footage on the tape.
The above takes far too long. I have many tapes to go through and want to be able to have everything imported so that I can pick and choose clips, edit and then convert to DVD. The plan was to import during the evening and wake up with the footage imported and letterboxed.
Can someone tell me if there is an option with iMovie that will allow me to letterbox the footage after it has been imported?
Cheers
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7)

The viewfinder on the camera is 4x3, hence the black
bars.
It seems that iMovie is not reading the flag from the
camera that should tell it the material is 16x9. It
thinks it is 4x3- that is why it is adding the
pillarboxing (to make it "fit" in 16x9).
I don't know your camera- but I've never had any
problems with our 2 Sony's in 16x9 mode. Do you have
the "Automatic Dv Pillarboxing and Letterboxing"
checked in prefrences? Maybe you could try a test
import with the "opposite" setting and see if that
makes any difference. You might also try setting up
a 4x3 project to see if the material imports into
that with proper letterboxing. Are you using the
same camera you shot with to load the material? One
time, we loaded a friends tape, but through our
camera and iMovie did not pick up the flag
correctly.
G5 ambient light
Mac OS X (10.4.7)
Automatic DV Pillarboxing and Letterboxing is checked in the preferences.
I am using the same video camera that I used to record to import the footage.
I have recorded something in 4:3 and 16:9 to test and everything is fine.
I just need to know if I am able to Letterbox the footage that I have imported in my first post manually as iMovie isn't doing it automatically.
Seems to me that there is a flaw within iMovie, where if the footage is too long and or the imported file is too large it won't Letterbox correctly.
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Help: Letterbox effect auto applied to imported clips

Hello everyone,
I've just noticed that all the movie files I import into my iMovie app are being auto applied with a letterbox effect. The clips I import are 640x400 resolution, and iMovie seems to want them to be 640x480, so it is adding two blank spaces with black background to the top and bottom of the clip.
I would really prefer for it to not do this, as I want the original 640x400 size to be preserved. Do any of you know how I can manage this?
Thank you for your help,
Alan.

Well, unless I'm mistaken, I can only surmise that those are simply the limitations of iMovie. iMovie defaults to what Apple regards as the most common viewing dimensions e.g. 640x480px for 4:3 TV screens and 720px for widescreen (16:9) etc. The problem is that 4:3 is as ancient as 800x600 monitors. Do you know any unfortunate souls that are still using them? I don't.
640x400 is an increasingly common video resolution for web video. Take a look at Apple's own tutorials. They're 640x400. Yet iMovie isn't capable of exporting to 640x400, without squeezing your content. Why? It would seem Apple are well-equipped to produce engaging content to be viewed on the web while selling us the tools of yesteryear. Why?
No people were harmed during the making of this post.

DV import produces letterbox

Hi,
I have a JVC camcorder with miniDV. I shot a video in 16:9 aspect ratio, which basically means, that the camcorder uses only part of the sensor to get the correct aspect ratio.
When I import the DV video into iMovie the video gets letterboxed (even in a 16:9 project setting) and it looks like the content should be stretched to fill the full height of the video instead of the black stripes.
Ayn idea what I am doing wrong? How can i get rid of the letterbox/black stripes and stretch the video so it fills the correct 16:9 aspect ratio?
Kind regards
Hartmut

I've found a cure for this bug!! I have the same problem with my clips see "How to force iMovie to 4:3 aspect ratio (even with simulated 16:9 input)?". As apple support on the phone convinced me this realy was a bug, there is no way to fix it within Imovie, (and no one seems to have a reaction to my questions at all ... ), I checked the Apple site for downloads. There I found MovieConverter Studio. A shareware program which can take the simulated 16:9 DV input and make it into a DV input Imovie recognizes as 4:3 (or any other aspect ratio, with and/without black bars on the top or side).
It can do a lot more, but it does solve my problem.
Regards Raymond

How do I remove letterbox from imported movies?

I imported a standard definition movie, but iMovie HD put it in the thumbnail section with a letterbox format. 1) Why did it do this? and 2) How do I remove the letterbox format? and 3) So that I can make a standard definition output movie, how do I do that?

Hello Frank,
Why did it do this?
Probably because you imported a 16:9 movie into a 4:3 project. The project's settings need to match the footage, so if you want to import a widescreen movie, you'll need to set your project to DV widescreen.
How do I remove the letterbox format?
Within the project you have already created that is not possible. Create a new widescreen project and re-import your movie.
So that I can make a standard definition output movie, how do I do that?
You mean you want to convert a widescreen movie to 4:3? This can be achieved by importing into a 4:3 project, but you'll need to uncheck "Automatic Pillarboxing & Letterboxing" in the iMovie Preferences. Note that this may cause distortion.
You might want to try Jerry's Plug-in Pack (Freeware). It contains a number of effects for conversion between 16:9 and 4:3 and can be found here:
http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/osx_software/FreePlugins/FreeImoviePlugins.html
hope this helps
mish

Viewer importing to timeline as letterbox

I just imported to the timeline from the viewer. The image in the canvas is in letterbox format. It wasnt before. I didnt change anything.
How do i make sure that everything is in the same format in the canvas?
Thanks

The clip that I did on iMovie then imported as a quicktime file is 640 x 480. That clip is showing up in the timeline and canvas as standard without letterbox.
The clips that I am importing into the timeline from my camera (same camera used as iMovie clip) are showing up as 720 x 480 with letterbox in the canvas. (This is the frame size reading I got from control clicking on the clip in the browser, then going to item properties then format).
When I go to Sequence>settings. It says they are both 640 x 480. I dont know if that clears things up.
Either way I dont know how to match them. I tried exporting the iMovie clip with custom settings of 720 x 480 and it still looks the same. Any ideas?

Why is iMovie 6.0.3 vertically letterboxing clips that were created at 360x180?

I'm trying to import stock clips from istockphoto.com and some will import at that resolution, others are importing with vertical letterboxes as though they were PAL or NTSC, squashing the image vertically. I've tried starting with DV Widescreen and both HDV options that iMovie HD gives me.
Is there a workaround for this bug that I can't find after hours of scouring the web? Is there another iMovie version I can upgrade to with at 10.4.11 OS ? I realize my OS is practically ancient in computer time (4 years!!!) but I have no Intel processor. If you haven't passed out yet from my outdatedness, any helpful help would be appreciated.
Can anyone help? Please?
Thank you!

Hi, Bengt,
+I think there is a difference between 6.0.3 and 6.0.4. Had problems with 0.3 after+
+installing iLife08 that was OK after 6.0.4 up-grade. (PPC dG5)+
That's why I said 'reportedly.'
I think you are correct. I, too, am suspicious of a difference, and I also downloaded version 6.0.4. I did the download as soon as I saw it on Apple's site after getting my new iMac.
I did have the prior iM6 version that I ported over from my old iMac, too. I am sure that I transferred all my old stuff before downloading 6.0.4, but I didn't run into any problems with it not installing.
Regards,
Beverly

Import, edit, and export QuickTime document: wise? how to maintain quality?

Can iMovie HD 6.0.3 be used to import a reasonably-high-quality QuickTime file (Apple Graphics compression), edit it, and export to Quicktime, all resulting in a QuickTime file with the same clarity as the original?
I have a quicktime file that captures a demonstration on my desktop. It was recorded with SnapZ Pro (with movie option) into this format: Apple Graphics, 889 x 500, 256, IMA 4:1, Mono, 22.050 kHz. (Note: I got 889x500 when I constrained SnapZ to a 16x9 format.)
I need to clip out sections, rerecord some of the audio, insert snippets of replacement video (re-recorded). I have Quicktime 7.1.3 Pro, but I had this idea it would be easier to do this editing with IMovie HD 6.0.3.
My problem is that everything I export has noticeably worse quality than the original source. I have tried all sorts of projects (DV, HDV, MPEG-4, ISight). I've tried exports at full quality, lower quality, various expert settings.
For example:
- Create a DV-Widescreen project.
- Import the movie. What I see on the screen is slightly smaller (in both dimensions) than the QuickTime Player shows me, and quite noticeably blurrier.
- Picking Expert export, I use Compression: Graphics, Depth: Color, Quality: Best, key frame rate 24, Dimensions 889x500, Scale: Letterbox.
- The QuickTime file displays as the right size, with a tiny black border for letterboxing, and with crummy quality (text has shadows, making it worse than just blurry.) All this despite being 30MB from a 3.2MB original.
Quite likely, I'm using the wrong tool. I don't have a camcorder - I don't even have a TV - so I don't know any of the jargon. What would be the right tool for this task? Stick to Quicktime Pro?
MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.8)

How would Final Cut Express work for editing quicktime as above?
same answer:
FCE handles dv/NTSC/PAL only ...-
for sure, you can import "any format/res" ...- with loss of quality, if import doesn't fit standards...- and: FCE is the "more mightier" tool, means, you can easiely arrange two/many videos in one picture, arrange them, position them ...-
if you want to stay with your original settings, you have to use QTpro (less convenient) or FCP (less cheap) ...

Letterboxing and Aspect Ratio problem

I'm authoring a feature film DVD. All menus and movies are 16:9
When I play the Simulator in "16:9" everything is fine.
When I play the Simulator in "4:3 Letterbox" my menus are letterboxed as desired, however every movie is for some reason squished into 4:3.
Any ideas?
The Video Asset box in the Inspector tells me all my movies are 720x480 16:9.
All tracks show in the Track Inspector as display mode 16:9 Letterbox.
All Menus show in the Menu Inspector as Aspect Ratio 16:9
Also of note, one of my tracks is used both as a movie and as a motion menu. Although it's the same track, with the simulator in 4:3 it's correctly letterboxed as a menu, yet squished as a movie!
I exported from a 16:9 Anamorphic project in FCP (as a QTmovie set to Anamorphic NTSC DV) and imported straight into DVD Studio Pro. (I've noticed on these forums most people go through Compressor. I didn't. Would that be the cause of my headache?)
The movies display in my QuickTime Player as 16:9 clips with a size of 853x480

The Simulator is very far from accurate. Burn a disc, then pop it into a DVD player.

16:9 letterboxed project questions

This is my first 16:9 project and it's a little confusing...
My source footage is cropped to 16:9 aspect ratio from 4:3 but it's not anamorphic, it's only letterboxed. The frame size came out to be 720X404 when cropped and compressed with Compressor. Is that right? can I use this .m2v file in DSP or I HAVE to use anamorphic for widescreen SD DVD. My source footage is in a single field MJPEG A format rendered out from Final Fut Pro with a 4:3 aspect ratio letterboxed to 16:9.
I made a test burn, just dropping it on the first play and setting the track to 16:9 letterbox, I set everything to 16:9. It played the right way on 2 different computers, letterboxing it on 4:3 monitors and playing full screen on the 16:9 monitor, but it didn't play back the right way on a portable Panasonic player with a 16:9 screen. It letterboxed it and even with the wide screen setting on the machine kept the letterbox, so it got squeezed.
What I would like is to play back letterboxed on 4:3 systems including the menu, and to play full screen on 16:9 systems automatically. I don't want to make different versions of the menu for the different aspect ratios.
How would I do this? Do I make my menus in 853X480 and import it to DSP. I'm making the menus in After Effects and Photoshop.
please help.
David

Yes it is the continuation of the same project, but that post was already check as resolved, so I opened a new post.
Yes there is a reason with working Motion JPEG, the film was deinterlaced with a special plugin and processed with other effects also, as a matter of fact the whole timeline is for some reason in Motion JPEG.
What they are giving me is a 720X480 4:3 aspect ratio master in Motion JPEG A format, single field and letterboxed. They had to letterbox it to adjust the different shots to it. The source material for this project was a mess, all different cameras, some letterboxed, some not, some progressive some not... It's a real challenge to make them look somewhat similar. That is why was processed with many plugins. The whole thing is rendered out to one big file.
I took this material to Compressor and tried to make a .m2v file, cropped out the letterbox, set the size to 720X480 anamorphic but for some reason it didn't stretch it for me but made a file with a 720X404 size.
I'm using FCS 2, DVDSP 4.2.0, Compressor 3.0
I really appreciate your help
David

Import letterboxing

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