Panasonic Aspect Ratio

What is the best aspect ratio to use for regular 16:9 on a Panasonic plasma? What about 4:3? I am a little confused about how they name their aspect ratios.

The question of aspect ratio applies to all modern TV's, not only Panasonic.
The "aspect ratio" refers to the physical dimensions of the screen, the proportion of the width to the height, or depth if you want to call it that, of the screen. So a 4:3 is 4 units wide and 3 units deep, more or less square, whereas a 15:9 is 15 units wide and 9 units deep.
So as an example the viewing area of the new HDTV might be 15 inches wide and 9 inches deep. I can't exactly do the math in my head but that TV would be about a 18 or 19 inch or so on the screen measured on the diagonal, which is how all TV's are classified and sold.
When it comes to how the picture is "rendered", that is, displayed on the screen, all makes seem to offer the same options for when a program is broadcast as 4:3. There is usually "Zoom", "Just Fill", "Stretch", "H-Fill", and "Full".
We have Sony, Sanyo and Panasonic TV's in our home, and they all have the same choices. Personally I find the "Just Fill" works best for me, but experiment and see what works best for you.

Similar Messages

Panasonic sdr-s150 / problem with aspect ratio

Hi all,
I'm about to purchase the sdr-s150 as it fits my needs regarding size vs. picture quality. Before doing so I wanted to make sure that footage from the camera can be edited with the all new imovie 08. And here's my problem with that.
I downloaded some 16:9 sample footage out of the internet and imported this into imovie 08. The icons imovie creates in the import and project areas are all looking good regarding aspect ratio. In the project settings I choose aspect ratio 16:9 and 'fit to frame' (don't know the exact setting in the english version) for the clips being added to the projects.
The preview of the clips and final export know shows black bars at top and bottom and the footage ist squeezed together.
I already tried sdcopy and ran the clips through this before importing into imovie 08. No change.
Any ideas ? Please also feel free to comment on the quality of the footage of this camera once processed through imovie from your point of view.
Thanks,
JasperJunker.

hey there Derek100,
i've experienced the same thing w/ FCP & iMovie (in NTSC). it's that the FCP easy set-up is "anamorphic", which is a 4:3 image made to appear as 16:9 & so that is how FCP works w/ the image. i really have no other explanation. i suppose if you create a custom set-up, you could eliminate the bars @ the top & bottom. there should be something in the Manuals, though i don't know where--i've never looked. sorry not to be of more help, but now i'm gonna investigate for myself.
good luck.

Aspect ratio problem with AVCHD in iMovie 08

I am importing footage from a Panasonic HDC-SD9 into iMovie 08. the footage gets in there fine and looks great EXCEPT that the footage (all shot in 16:9) is squashed a little bit. in the preview clips below, it looks fine, but in the player above (and if I export it as a Quicktime file) it is squashed slightly. there are black bars above and below the footage, and (I'm guessing) were the video stretched to fill the entire area, eliminating the black bars, it would be the correct aspect ratio. I've tried importing footage form the camera supposedly shot in 4:3, and the same thing happens.
I know that I can simply do a quick edit in imovie, export it, import it into final cut pro, and stretch it back. however, I'm worried about losing quality, and more importantly, I don't know the exact ratio, since I can't even figure out what imovie is doing to the video to make it squashed, let alone in what manner.
the footage from the HDC-SD9 is AVCHD, and I understand there is something about square pixels vs. rectangular, but I don't know much about it. I have tried every iteration of imovie's limited aspect ratio settings, and I can't get it to work. I know it's meant to work well with AVCHD, so I'm assuming I'm missing something fundamental and simple. (some box to check to let imovie know I'm importing AVCHD?) it's maddening to see the footage correctly in the thumbnails, but squashed for (seemingly) no reason in the playback. can you help me out? otherwise I am going to film myself holding something that is a perfect square, then import it to imovie, then export to quicktime, then import the quicktime file into finalcut, then stretch it til the rectangle becomes a perfect square, and write down the settings for the future. seems ridiculously complicated, especially for the mac world.
I love imovie 08 (seriously, some of the new toys are just so amazing, and no render time at all!), and I love this camera. please tell me they can get along!

I think I'm having a problem similar to this. I'm using a Sharp MiniDV camera, and shooting in 16:9. When I used to import to other versions of iMovie it worked fine, but w/ iMovie 08 it is squashing and stretching the incoming video to more like 20:9 (I have no idea what the actual ratio is, this is just a guess). I tried changing import to PAL 25fps, but that didn't do any thing. Any other suggestions?

Understanding aspect ratio after a year

So it's been a year since I started learning FCP and among the kazillion things I don't understand, the one I most need to finally get clear about is a aspect ratio phenomenon with my setup, and all projects I've done so far.
I am still viewing my work on my Apple Cinema display, so am not monitoring on an actual NTSC broadcast video monitor. This fact may be at the heart of my situation. Nonetheless, I humbly ask you to take pity and help me understand what is going on.
Here's my situation:
I have been doing all the shooting for my projects using a Panasonic AG-DVC 30, a mini-DV standard def camera. The camera's manual states that by default it shoots in standard 4:3 aspect ratio -- and that's what I've been shooting.
When I log and capture in FCP I use the Easy Setup for DV NTSC. As I am viewing and logging the tapes, the aspect ratio looks correct. BUT, when I actually have it do the capture, the Capture Window stretches the image out a bit wider. Happily, when I go to work the captured clips in my Final Cut DV-NTSC Sequence, the aspect ratio looks perfectly great and normal.
Problems again occur when I export the finished video. I export a self-contained Quicktime movie with "Current Settings", which gives me a QT movie that is 720 x 480 pixels. SADLY, when I view that exported QT movie in Quicktime Viewer, it looks too wide again (same as the Capture screen). BUT, if I place it in DVD Studio (or iDVD) it looks normal again.
IT GETS WEIRDER: In order to try to correct my possible problem I've also tried exporting using the Self Contained Quicktime "DV-NTSC 48kHz 4:3" setting in the pop up menu (instead of usung "Current Settings"). The movies I export that way look consistently normal, aspect ratio-wise. Upon examining the properties of those (correct looking)resultant movies in Quicktime Player, it tells me that the pixel dimensions are 640 x 480.
Why would my 640 x 480 pixel QT exports look OK when I view them in every software?
Is this happening because I am viewing on a computer monitor and the various software apps are doing aspect ratio adjustments (for square vs rectangular pixels) for my display ...sometimes, but not all the time?
This is such a fundamental thing to know that I feel really dim for being confused. Thanks in advance for taking time to read this and hopefully setting me straight.
Dual G5/2.5GHz/4.5 GB, internal ATA, G-SATA 500 Mac OS X (10.4.6) Final Cut Studio 5.0.4

Yes, it's the difference between square and rectangular pixels. The capture window displays the rectangular pixels without correcting them for display on a square-pixel monitor like an Apple Cinema Display. The Canvas and the Viewer do correct for that by default. When you export to QT using current settings, you are exporting rectangular pixels because that's what the current settings are. The QuickTime player isn't correcting for the different pixel aspect ratios on playback, but if your final destination isn't the QuickTime player, that's not important.
Since you seem to be exporting the QuickTime movies in order to make a DVD, you shouldn't try to "fix" the pixel aspect. Leave it alone and your DVDs will be fine.

Aspect ratio difference 1.1 vs 2.0

Now before I start this could be different TVs doing different things.
However, this could be a difference in the way AppleTV 1.1 vs 2.0 handles video.
AppleTV1 > software 1.1 > connected LG 32"LCD (1080i setting)
AppleTV2 > software 2.0 > connected Panasonic 42" plasma (1080p setting)
Both connected via HDMI.
I have a movie which is in an aspect ratio of I guess 2.35:1, certainly wider than 16:9.
If I play this file fullscreen in Quicktime Pro it is certainly much wider than the 16:10 of my iMac monitor.
On the Panasonic via AppleTV 2.0, the expected black bars top and bottom are preserved.
Same file via AppleTV 1.1 on the LG and the movie is scaled to fill the 16:9 screen i.e. stretched vertically.
I have definitely not got HDMI scaling/zooming on on the LG TV set as I can cycle through the Zoom options and get back to original which looks stretched.
I cannot believe that the TV would automatically stretch wider than 16:9 content to fit as this would play havoc with HDMI playback of such material on DVDs.
This is bizarre, and I can only assume that AppleTV1 is zooming vertically to fill the screen on this file.
Anyone with both software versions have a similar file to compare?
AC
Message was edited by: Alley_Cat

OK
I've swapped the AppleTV over on the Panasonic - AppleTV 1 (1.1 - 1080i) gets the aspect ratio wrong and zooms the movie vertically, whereas AppleTV 2.0 (1080p) gets it right.
I'm sure I used to have some wider than 16:9 content before and never noticed this problem.
Perhaps a more important finding:
1.1 definitely won't play back the 5.1 soundtrack that AppleTv 2.0 will.
However, as 5.1 movies ALSO have an AAC soundtrack, AppleTV 1.1 will still output this audio track correctly from files that have both - so no real problem running both versions on your network.
AC
Message was edited by: Alley_Cat

Wrong aspect ratio with ProRes capture

Capturing tape from a panasonic DVX100A shot 24pAdvanced squeeze. When I capture with the DV/DVCPRO codec (using the anamorphic setting) the footage comes in the correct aspect ratio in the project, and the quicktme clip in the finder is the correct aspect ratio also (16:9). However if I capture with the same NTSC anamorphic setting in the ProRes 422 codec, the clip is the correct aspect ratio in the project, but the quicktime file in the finder still has a squeezed look. I understand that the ProRes codec is much better quality, but it is very inconvenient to have all the quicktime files the wrong aspect ratio. This footage will be shared among many projects, and it could be a problem going forward. Any way to get the ProRes codec to create the quicktime file with the correct aspect ratio?
Thanks.

For anyone following the thread, I found this forum from Ken Stone, with a couple folks (including Ken) saying that the DVCPro codec is basically indistiguishable from ProRes. So I will be using that codec on these tapes.
"Before ProRes came alomg, many people transcoded to DVCPRO HD (and DVCPRO 50), from Interframe, long GOP formats and other formats as well. DVCPRO HD is 4:2:2, Intra frame with a bandwidth of 100 Mbits, excellent. The only difference between DVCPRO HD and ProRes is that ProRes is 10 bit and DVCPRO HD is 8 bit, but ProRes has a higher bandwidth of 144 and 220 Mbits (HQ).
Now we have ProRes which is an excellent alternative for HDV and XDCAM EX, etc. Everytime we transcode to a different codec we do lose something, so I would think that because these two formats are so very close I would stay in DVCPRO HD and not 'lose' any quality by transcoding to ProRes.
For me, FCP has always loved DVCPRO HD and runs it like a dream.
My 2 cents.
--ken "

Aspect Ratio on Apple TV??

I've downloaded several episodes of different series (brand new ones as well as old) on iTunes and I'm getting black lines on the sides of my TV on every single one. I have the ATV connected to a Panasonic Widescreen TV using the HDMI cable. I've changed the TV Resolution on the ATV from 720p HD to 1080i HD to 480p and keep getting the same lines.
1. Why is this?
2. Is there anything I can do to get the widescreen ratio?
Thanks

playadelcarmen wrote:
I've downloaded several episodes of different series (brand new ones as well as old) on iTunes and I'm getting black lines on the sides of my TV on every single one. I have the ATV connected to a Panasonic Widescreen TV using the HDMI cable. I've changed the TV Resolution on the ATV from 720p HD to 1080i HD to 480p and keep getting the same lines.
1. Why is this?
2. Is there anything I can do to get the widescreen ratio?
Thanks
the appletv will display the content in the correct aspect ratio. most tv shows on itunes are 4:3, and as such your TV is correctly displaying it as 4:3 (ie black bars left and right).

Please watch and see if you can tell me how to correct the aspect ratio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shiFprOnbK4
This is an unfinished std. def video hence this issue I ran into which is just a fun video for my youth group kids I teach at my church. I am editing it in final cut pro 7 and if you see at about 35 seconds the aspect ratio changes whatever its doing with the picture there.
I have never ran into this problem before so I don't know if its something I may have selected on the camera accidentally or done wrong in FCP but I shot all the video the same day of course for this event of ours and all the other video is fine an in 16:9 or what was called the "letterbox" option on my Panasonic DVX100B.
Please help me correct it if you know how. Thank you very much in advance.

I can't watch the video as well. Not quite sure what trouble your having
Aspect ratios can be tricky and there are a few spots you can mess them up. First I would check to make sure that your sequence settings are the same aspect ratio as your original footage. I would also make sure your exporting with the correct aspect ratio as well. (If you’re using the quicktime conversion option. Sometimes depending on your settings options like 16:9 are not turned on by default and you need to check them before exporting.)
Also if you can change the aspect ratio in FCP regardless of your sequence's aspect ratio is. Under your distort tab there is a aspect ratio option. +33 will make your footage 4:3 and -33 will make your footage anamorphic. However this will only stretch your footage. This method is only useful for when you can to place 4:3 footage into a 16:9 sequence without it appearing distorted and stretched

Consider aspect ratio?

I wonder whether the aspect ratio of the shots should be considered: Some cameras, like the Panasonic DMC.GH1, allow shots with varying aspect ratios, e.g. from 1:1 to 16:9. Obviously different areas of the sensor (and thus of the lens' projection) are used, depending on the aspect ratio (image size).
Currently, the profile creator seems to ignore the aspect ratio. I consider this as a missing feature. Would you agree?

Two notes:
First, distortion and CA correction is already performed automatically by Camera Raw and Lightroom for the GH1.
Second, to build the profile, you should use the biggest image area available on your camera. For the Micro 4/3 models, that is the 4:3 aspect ratio, which is what Lens Profile Creator uses. The differences in aspect ratios available on the camera are just crops from the original 4:3 uncropped image area. CR and LR automatically take into account the crop when processing raw images.

Adobe DNG profile editor bug w/ GH2 files where aspect ratio is not 4:3

Hi,
posting here as Adobe DNG subforum is essentially dead
Panasonic GH2, select aspect ratio 3:2, get .RW2 raw file, convert it to .DNG using Adobe DNG converter (6.4.0.121 beta), try to open w/ Adobe DNG profile editor (1.0.0.39 beta 2) -> error message "DNG Profile Editor could not open the selected image. Note that the selected image must be a valid DNG color image".
XRite software has no issues to process the same .DNG file (converted from the original .RW2 w/ 3:2 aspect ratio).

Eric - just make it easier for you to reproduce the bug - here is the original .RW2 file (certainly ignore the quality of colorchecker shot in terms of how the target is lit, etc - it was not to make a profile actually - it was to illustrate the bug in question) = http://www.box.net/shared/f419prmuo2 ... and I am uploading the converted .DNG file too just in case = http://www.box.net/shared/gy5o9zzi57

Pasting problem between sequences. Aspect Ratio changes. Help

Hi. I'm fairly new to FCP so be patient with me. I shot HD using the Panasonic format 1080i. I transferred the footage from the SDHC cards using Apple Pro Res 422, 1920x1080. Everything was going fine in editing until I tried to copy and paste clips from one sequence in the timeline into another sequence. The aspect ratio changed in the clips I pasted. I tried to figure out what to do by looking at Sequence Settings and Clip Properties but to no avail.
Any suggestions? I am building separate sequences and then need to paste these together to make a QT movie or DVD for client so need help asap. I've previously worked with JVC HD cams using the 720p24 codec and never had this trouble when cutting and pasting.
Help!!

This is not weird at all. One sequence is set to use square pixels (1920x1080) the other is using non-square pixels (1440x1080).
You need to fix the non-square pixel timeline.
The simplest to understand method to fix the non-square sequence issue is to create a new sequence with the proper settings then copy your material over from the non-conforming sequence.
To get a new sequence with the proper settings (if you have FCP7) all you need to do is "create new sequence" then drop one of the clips into the new empty timeline. If the settings do not match, when the program asks you if you want to change the sequence to match the clips, say yes.
Then select all the clips in the non-conformed timeline and copy and past them in the new correct timeline.
x

Premiere exports in incorrect pixel aspect ratio

My Panasonic camera shoots quicktime .mov JPEG videos in a 720X408 px resolution. I am having a very hard time editing them in Premiere, because I cannot get it to export them in a correct pixel aspect ratio.
Maybe you can figure out what I'm doing wrong. Here's what I do.
First, when opening a new project, the closest frame size I can choose is 720x480. So I choose that. I import the .mov file into it, and put it on the time line. At that point it looks like this:
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/812/premierewindowoc9.jpg
Correct aspect ratio and no deformation.
When I try to export it as a .mov file, I do the following: I click on settings (in the file save dialogue), and go to video settings. I can choose any pixel aspect ratio, it all produces the same results, but for example, let's say, DVCPRO (1.5) (that's the closest to the size I need).
I can manually set my frame size to be 720x408 px, assuming that now the frame size will be exactly the same size as my video and no deformation will occur.
However, the result I get is this:
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/6730/exportedmoviehl5.jpg
I've drawn arrows on that to make it clearer. So, I have a movie that's 720x408px. Premiere exports a frame sized 720x408, but then for some strange reason shrinks the actual video down to 483x480!!??!! Leaving completely unnecessary black bars on the sides.
Why does it do this?
When I export it with frame size 720x480, it doesn't add black lines on top and bottom as you'd expect. It does exactly the same thing you see in the image above.
I have tried many other combinations too. I have tried exporting it as every other available pixel aspect ratio, also as an avi file, nothing makes any difference. It always shrinks the original video in width, and adds black bars to the left and right.
What am I doing wrong??

Tina,
Lets see if we can get kitty onto YouTube.
There are four issues, that you will need to overcome:
1.) Project Preset to begin. Stanley lists the possible choices in post #8, based on the specs of your camera. You will have to determine which of these you used to record the files. These are *probably* set in your cameras menu area, and if you have not changed them, are probably still set. That will get you started in the right direction - but wait, theres more...
2.) It seems that your camera uses Motion-JPG as the encoder to create these files. There are at least two good Motion-JPG CODECs available, Lead and Morgan. Plus, your camera may well have come with its own Motion-JPG CODEC. The CODEC is what allows your camera to encode/compress the video data, and also what allows programs like Premiere to decode that data. Did your camera come with a CD/DVD with software on it? If so, the installation of that software *should* install any proprietary CODECs to your system. Now, if this was the case (or soon will be the case, when you locate that CD/DVD), Premiere *possibly* will be able to use that CODEC to handle the footage from your camera. If it does not, then it is *possibly* only a matter of purchasing, downloading and installing one of the two mentioned Motion-JPG CODECs. Both are relatively inexpensive, and Premiere *usually* can work with either, though your exact footage might not permit this. This is usually because a camera mfgr. chose to do their own thing. Thats why any disc that came with the camera is the first place to start.
3.) Now, you are in Premiere, have the proper CODEC installed on your system, and have Imported the footage into a Project with the proper Presets. If all is working, and I hope that it is, you just edit your footage.
4.) You have been working with Presets established based on your footage. That is likely not exactly what you will want to upload to YouTube. This is where Export comes into play. Unfortunately, YouTube seems to change the specs. weekly. About the time that someone publishes fool-proof details and settings for YouTube, they (YouTube) change everything. The best advice is to search as many fora, as you can for Export Settings for YouTube. Look at the dates for all articles. You really will only care about the most recent - very recent.
Going back up the list, there is another possibility. That would be to use a 3rd party conversion program to convert your footage to a DV-AVI Type II file. Often, with the proper CODEC installed, Premiere can do this internally, though not always, and even when it works, there can be problems. I use DigitalMedia Converter (Deskshare) a shareware program for most of my conversions. There are many freeware, and shareware, conversion programs available. Many get mentioned in this forum. Many get glowing reviews. Some are easier to use, than others.
Some balk at the thought of owning Premiere Pro and then having to use some 3rd party software to get their footage into a robust NLE, that they paid good money for. The fact is that Premiere Pro was designed to work primarily with DV-AVI Type II files, from mini tape cameras - the point made by several. That does not mean that it cannot work with other file types. It does, though not always without problems. Sometimes just passing the material through a conversion program will clear up all problems and no one is the wiser. I often use Premiere Elements, Pros little bitty brother, to convert some file formats, because it is more tolerant of many of these, than is Pro.
Good luck, and sorry that I do not have a current suggestion for Export to YouTube. Since it is a hot distribution medium, you should have no problem finding the correct settings for today - be sure to check the date of all articles, as the specs change all the time and in a heartbeat.
Let us know if you have any more questions. For "how things are done in Premiere," I recommend the Premiere-wikia: http://premierepro.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
for tutorials. Most that you could want to do will be there someplace. The current YouTube setting might be an exception, just because every time the Wikia gets updated, that info is out of date.
Hunt

Difference Matte Key aspect ratio PP2.0

I'd appreciate some help with the Difference Matte Key using Premiere Pro 2.0. I followed the instructions in the help guide to set up the Difference Matte, and it worked perfectly, except... the Matte doesn't match the 16:9 aspect ratio I'm using, it only applies to the central area of the screen leaving a band either side where the original background of the video remains unaffected.
How can I get the Matte to fit across the whole screen, please?

OK
I've swapped the AppleTV over on the Panasonic - AppleTV 1 (1.1 - 1080i) gets the aspect ratio wrong and zooms the movie vertically, whereas AppleTV 2.0 (1080p) gets it right.
I'm sure I used to have some wider than 16:9 content before and never noticed this problem.
Perhaps a more important finding:
1.1 definitely won't play back the 5.1 soundtrack that AppleTv 2.0 will.
However, as 5.1 movies ALSO have an AAC soundtrack, AppleTV 1.1 will still output this audio track correctly from files that have both - so no real problem running both versions on your network.
AC
Message was edited by: Alley_Cat

Letterbox stretching aspect ratio dvx100a help!!!

I shot video on my dvx100a camera in letterbox mode. My manual says letterbox means 16:9.
In FCP I captured using easy set-up NTSC and 48KHZ 720x480.
Maybe that is wrong?
Anyway I noticed the image looks stretched in the viewer. If I uncheck anamorphic in all my clips the image looks normal. But when I export video edited this way to FCSP or just to quicktime I have black bars not only on the top and bottom but also on the sides. It's not terrible but the image is a box within a black box or - how do you say? floating on black.
Is there something I'm doing wrong? I tried capturing with 48 KHZ anamorphic and got the same thing.
Anything I can do? And if there is something I can do, does that mean I need to recapture all my video using a different capture setting?

I own the DVX100B, essentially same camera. In Letterbox mode, those black bands are already burned into the 4:3 frame. The manual states "Black bands are recorded at the top and bottom of the image."
Therefore, I would guess you should capture as ordinary NTSC 48K. Then you can scale the image up into a 16:9 sequence if you want but it will degrade the picture accordingly. But at least your aspect ratio won't change.
The Panasonic DVX100A/B is a great camera but you should not film using Letterbox mode. You could try the Squeeze mode, but the best method for getting 16:9 from the DVX100 is buying an $800 Anamorphic lens adapter. I outfitted both my cameras with one. This allows you to use FCP's NTSC 48k Anamorphic capture preset to get the best 16:9 from that camera. But if you must have wide screen, try the Squeeze Mode. Good luck.
Hope that helps.
Eddie

Exporting HVX to QT, losing aspect ratio

Okay, so I shot a music video on 720P24N with the Panasonic HVX-200. Everything looks great. I try and export to a web sized QT file and it looses the aspect ratio. It squishes the image into the 4:whatever standard broadcast shape. I've tried to use the custom size feature and manually punch in the 960 x720 and it still won't play the image correctly. Further, the file itself says that my size is correct... 960x 720. I've tried to go into my quicktime settings to change how it plays the file but again, nothing has worked. Any ideas?

960x720 is the dimensions of the clips already. They are anamorphically squeezed. What you need to do is export them as 1280x720.
Except, not really. For the web you'd at least half that...640x360. That will get you a normal 16:9 looking clip.
Shane

Panasonic Aspect Ratio

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