Outputting 16:9 HDV to 4:3 without bars... I have no idea.

Ok,

I've shot a documentary in HDV 1440x1080i50... and it's 16:9 widescreen of course, to be screened for 18 months in a museum with a specially built room with 4:3 projector and 4:3 dimension panels.

The film will need to be outputted to 4:3... I've shot within the 4:3 guidelines on the LCD display on the camera.

How do I output from FCP 6.0.6 so that only the information I shot within the 4:3 guidelines appears. I've tried various combinations but all give me a 16:9 image squashed up into 4:3...

Please, if I've not articulated myself very well, make it known!

UPDATE: I should mention that I do not want black bars at the top and bottom.

LethalWolfe said:

Using the Export->Quicktime Conversion feature under the Size options you pick a 4x3 aspect ratio and then there is a dropdown menu that allows you to select letterbox or crop. Crop is what you want. There is probably a way to do this in Compressor as well I just don't know what it is off the top of my head.


Lethal

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Thank you very much. I'm not with the machine right now but I'll try it out asap.

Thanks!

evil_santa said:

is it 4x3 at standard def? if so create a 4x3 SD time line and nest you original edit in to it , resize to fit the 4x3 frame, then output file / tape etc...

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Actually yeah....

The projector is an SD projector... does this cause a problem?

I got a chance to try LethalWolfe's suggestion, but to no avail.

I went: Export > Quicktime Converstion > MPEG4-Video... Then, Size > PAL 720 x 576 4:3 > Preserve Aspect Ratio using (Pulldown menu) > Crop

This is the result:

evil_santa said:

well if they playing out on a SD projector you need to play the film from a SD source, what have they asked the film to be delivered as ?, DVD , QT , wmv,

If they playing the film from a DVD you need to down convert you file to pal SD file to make the DVD.

Here a small project with a 1080i to PAL DV 4x3 nest,

http://www.virtualliveband.co.uk/1080toSD.zip

Click to expand...

Thanks for your help evil_santa

I don't exactly know what I'm doing with the project file you attached?

I'm an amateur, who is lucky enough making money from video. I have a tremendous amount to learn...

I did it.

I exported some of the timeline from FCP to Compressor, then used the 10-Bit Uncompressed 1080i50 preset, which I then cropped to 4:3...

I have a 4:3 'center-cut' video file.

LethalWolfe said:

Using the crop function in Compressor is an option too, although I don't know if using the 8-bit, uncompressed 1080i50 codec is the best choice though as you seemingly end up w/an HD codec that is 4x3 instead of 16x9.

Lethal

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I see.

So, if this will be playing on an SD projector, which codec would you recommend instead of 10Bit Uncompressed 1080i50...?

LethalWolfe said:

What is being used to play it back (computer, dvd player, etc.,)?


Lethal

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Some kind of video rack, it's like a dedicated video player with an S-Video output, built into a server rack.

Either that or it's a Core 2 Duo PC with an S-Video output to a SD Christie projector.

evil_santa said:

you best bet is to give them a call and ask how they want it delivered, i recently did a job thats playing on a plasma screen at schiphol airport and it took quite a few goes to get a file they could play, i believe they were playing of a PC and didn't want to install quicktime, so we gave them a few wmv & AVis until they decided to put quicktime on the PC and use h.264

Click to expand...

I actually work in the museum this is going to be screened. I'll ask next time I see the technician involved in the hardware.

I'm almost positive that they're running .mov files from dedicated video encoders in rack mounts. It's a £33.5 million pound 'interactive' museum.


I guess I could elaborate a little:

I've been asked to produce a 6 minute 'in house' documentary on a 'days work' in the music industry in Wales. We're an industrial and social museum, and this year the theme for new content is 'music'. The film will look at 'grass roots' establishments musicians/choirs/bands which then leads onto legendary recording studios (Rockfield - Queen, Black Sabbath and Oasis) to outlets (Spiller's Records - Oldest record store in the World) and icons (Super Furry Animals).

The screening room will consist of two projectors, a primary and secondary screen (each showing different video, making up a dual screen film), which entirely cover 2 out of 3 walls in the room. The walls are around 4:3 ratio.

As you enter the room, you sit in front of primary screen, with secondary screen (wall) on your left. Speakers are situated at ear level.

Thanks again for your input.