4:3 to 16:9

[mediaman7879]

I'm creating a video slideshow for a client. I imported the 720x480 photos from Photoshop into FCE, added the music and transitions, exported it as a Quicktime file (4:3 720x480 setting), and burned it on DVD in iDVD (set to loop). This will be screened on a widescreen plasma screen at a tradeshow and I'm worried about it appearing stretched. Or will it just automatically be pillarboxed? Is there any way to make it fill the screen or is that imposible? What are the best settings or dimensions to use for a situation like this? Thanks in advance for your help!

Chad

 

[displaced]

I'm creating a video slideshow for a client. I imported the 720x480 photos from Photoshop into FCE, added the music and transitions, exported it as a Quicktime file (4:3 720x480 setting), and burned it on DVD in iDVD (set to loop). This will be screened on a widescreen plasma screen at a tradeshow and I'm worried about it appearing stretched. Or will it just automatically be pillarboxed? Is there any way to make it fill the screen or is that imposible? What are the best settings or dimensions to use for a situation like this? Thanks in advance for your help!

Chad

Whenever I've run a 4:3 iDVD project on a 16:9 screen, it's been pillarboxed. However, this depends on the display itself, since they usually have settings to tell them how to handle 4:3 content.

As for a compromise, if your source material is 4:3, there's no way for it to appear full-frame 16:9 without some vertical cropping. I'm not an FCE user, so I don't know the ins and outs, but you'd have to pick some intermediate ratio to reduce the pillarboxing whilst not losing too much from the top and bottom. Sort of the inverse of how broadcasters here in the UK format 16:9 content for those still using 4:3 TVs -- they use a ration of 14:9 which leaves thinner bars at top and bottom whilst still retaining some of the edges.

 

[UndertheRadar]

I just used this method http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/faking_it.html
It worked great! Hope it helps.

 

[Alican]

As you've used a 4:3 workflow, your project will looked stretched on the 16:9 plasma, unless you'll access to the display's remote and are able to switch the scan to 4:3.

If it were me I'd create a 16:9 project in FCE. Import your stills - the stills should maintain their orignal aspect ratio with automatic pillarboxing. You could use the motion controls to zoom up your stills to fill the frame a bit - don't have to fill the whole 16:9 raster. To keep the number of compression passes down, export your timeline to a 16:9 dv file and import that into iDVD.

The bottom line is keep the whole work flow 16:9

 

[mediaman7879]

Great guys...thank you for your help! I'm looking into these solutions now.

Chad