Exporting to a widescreen/16:9 quicktime?

[MIDI_EVIL]

I have just been working on a project in Final Cut Pro 5, made up of widescreen format images, but when I export as a quicktime, the video is squashed up into 4:3

How can I get it to export as a widescreen video? I've tried the settings in quicktime conversion, but to no avail.

Rich.

 

[ppc_michael]

Widescreen anamorphic material actually is 4:3, just stretched by the viewer to 16:9.

The easiest way would be to create a second sequence in FCP set to 4:3, and drop your 16:9 sequence into the 4:3, which will letterbox it.

Or, if you don't want letterboxed, you'll have to manually specify dimensions, during export of your 16:9 material, that conform to a 16:9 aspect ratio. Something like 640x360.

 

[LethalWolfe]

A custom size of 854*480 will get your a widescreen, standard def image.

ppc_michael,
A size like you mentioned will get you 16*9, but you'll be down-sizing the image. Both 4*3 and 16*9 standard def are the same height, but the 16*9 is wider (obviously).


Lethal

 

[ppc_michael]

ppc_michael,
A size like you mentioned will get you 16*9, but you'll be down-sizing the image. Both 4*3 and 16*9 standard def are the same height, but the 16*9 is wider (obviously).

I was just giving an example, and assuming he doesn't need a standard definition size since he's asking this question, stretching the image to 854x480 would unnecessarily lower the image quality. But I agree.

 

[MIDI_EVIL]

Thanks guys, the custom settings of 854*480 worked a treat.

I tried it first time and it went wrong, but I noticed that the setting for Preserve Aspect Ratio was checked.

Anyway, thanks again.

Rich.

 

[diamond3]

There is also this. I dunno exactly what it does, I just know it worked for me. I was trying to export a FCP movie to iDVD and it wasn't doing the widescreen right. So, someone on here suggested this.

http://homepage.mac.com/sith33/FileSharing34.html

 

[Mr B]

Can someone explain this a little further? Also, if 854x480 degrades the image, but I don't want to letterbox (i.e. I want to keep it at a 16:9 ratio) what is a good lossless solution?

 

[LethalWolfe]

Can someone explain this a little further? Also, if 854x480 degrades the image, but I don't want to letterbox (i.e. I want to keep it at a 16:9 ratio) what is a good lossless solution?

I was making the assumption that the OP was dealing w/widescreen, SD footage and PPC_Michael was saying that if it is something smaller than SD (like maybe a video taken off the web or something) then "blowing it up" to SD sized will degrade the image (which it will).

If you are starting off w/widescreen, SD footage and you don't want to keep it anamorphic then you can export it in a widescreen ratio (I use 854*480 because that's what FCP defaults too) and you'll be fine. If you are using footage that's smaller than SD then you need to use a size that's closer to the native size of source footage.


Lethal

 

[Jopling]

When you export as a quicktime movie click options, then size and check the box that says something like keep aspect ratio by using black bars. If you want no black bars, then you need to specify the height and width.