Video Size Help Please

[Denny Kyser]

Ok, I shoot with the XH-A1 in HD and want to make sure I am doing a few things right, and if not change them now before I have a lot of video sized wrong.

I use Premier Pro CS3 and Cineform Prospect HD.

When I import video I have been using the setting.
"Video Frame Size: 1440x1080

Frame Rate: 29.97 fps (59.94 fields interlaced)

Display Aspect Ratio: 16:9

Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Audio: Stereo 48kHz (16 bit)

Drop-Frame Timecode numbering."


Is this what I should be using when shooting 60i, I also crop photos 1440X1080 so they fill the frame when I use them.

I have not had any luck trying to decide exactly what size video I should start with, my end products are posted on vimeo, and burned to DVD for customers.

If I am doing something wrong, or different than you would do, would appreciate the tip, and what you would suggest.

Thanks

[Matt Barwick]

Hey Denny,

At a glance everything looks good. If your system can handle it, you're better off editing in HDV and then down converting on export. One quick plus is that it gives you freedom for reframing shots if necessary.

One thing you mentioned that I'd watch out for is cropping your stills to 1440x1080. There's no problem in doing that itself, but when you import them, Premiere will most likely 'intuitively' interpret them as having the HDV aspect ratio. That's probably why the stills in the video you posted looked stretched.

You have to override this by forcing Premiere to interpret them as square pixels. I don't use CS3 but it should be pretty simple: before you drag the image to the timeline, right click on it in the project window and in 'Interpret footage' select square pixels or 1:1 ratio or something like that.

Hope that helps,

Matt.

[Denny Kyser]

Thanks Matt, makes sense.

Would I be better of using one of these two settings.

Video Frame Size: 1920x1080

Frame Rate: 29.97 fps (59.94 fields interlaced)

Display Aspect Ratio: 16:9

Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.0

Audio: Stereo 48kHz (16 bit)

Drop-Frame Timecode numbering.

Or.

For editing with HDV equipment.

Video Frame Size: 1280x720

Frame Rate: 29.97 fps (progressive)

Display Aspect Ratio: 16:9

Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.0

Audio: Stereo 48kHz (16 bit)

Non-Drop-Frame Timecode numbering.


Making the Pixel Aspect Ratio 1.0, Sorry such a newbie questions, but this part is confusing to me.

[Denny Kyser]

Ok, Matt you were right, making them a 1.0 square pixel "un stretched them" but now they do not fill the screen, I cropped them the same resolution as the video 1440X1080 I do not understand why its not the same???

[Chris Barcellos]

Your video displays a 1920 x 1080 frame size because HDV pixels are elongated at 1.33.

Your photos, if they have a square pixel, should be a 1920 x 1080 to match the frame size fo the HDV material.

[Matt Barwick]

Yep Denny - what Chris said.

I didn't point out that you shouldn't be cropping your images to 1440x1080 if you want them to fill the screen, which is displayed at 1920x1080.

Crop them to 1920x1080 and premiere will (or at least should?) interpret them as square pixels or 1:1 ratio and they'll fill the display.

This thread should probably be in the Premiere section BTW.

[Denny Kyser]

Originally Posted by Matt Barwick

Yep Denny - what Chris said.

I didn't point out that you shouldn't be cropping your images to 1440x1080 if you want them to fill the screen, which is displayed at 1920x1080.

Crop them to 1920x1080 and premiere will (or at least should?) interpret them as square pixels or 1:1 ratio and they'll fill the display.

This thread should probably be in the Premiere section BTW.

Thanks,
Sorry for putting the post here, was not sure if the resolution and size would be different depending on what type of video you are shooting. I guess HD is HD regardless of what the subject is.