Working with Anamorphic 16:9 adapter
 

I "think" I'm doing this correctly, but want to check with the experts...

I've a big project shot with a GL2 using a Century Anamorphic Widescreen adapter, which Vegas captures as 4:3.
I've been leaving my project settings as 4:3, (0.9091 pixel), and doing all my editing, levels, etc., as a 4:3 project.
Then, I render it out as DV Widescreen, (1.2121 pixel).
I also check the "Stretch video to fill output frame size, (do not letterbox)" option when redering.

This seems to be the only way to get a widescreen DVD that plays correctly on both wide and standard tvs....

Is this correct? Is there an easier way?
I originally tried to find a way to make all the clips 16:9 at the start of the project and couldn't. Did I miss something?

Thanks,
Bob T.

The first rule is: if it ain't broke don't fix it.

However, if you want more control over what your final output use the Pan/Crop window. Start with just one clip. Turn off the "Maintain Aspect Ration" option and adjust until it looks right. Then copy and paste attributes to the rest of your anamorphic clips.

Another (and I think better) way is to do your edit first, then nest the veg file on a new timeline, open the pan/crop on the veg clip and do the above. The advantage of this way is that you can do it to all your clips at once.

If you do it the nested way, make sure you put all your titles on the second timeline or you'll end up with the stretched titles.

Hope this helps.

I am also using a Century Optics anamorphic adapter. Here is best way to use that I have found:

1) Set up a 16:9 project
2) Capture your footage (it will be read as 4:3)
3) Add your media to timeline (or select in the media pool)
4) Right-click the media to get the *media* properties dialog (not the project)
5) Manually enter aspect ratio (I think about 1.21 will convert 4:3 anamorphic footage to 16:9, there is a menu item for it)
6) Edit/render etc to 16:9 as usual.

This way your preview is shown correctly, you can add media with other aspect ratios, etc.

I have also used a the Century optics adapter on a 16:9 HD camera, it stretches 16:9 to 1:2.35, I defined a custom aspect ratio in Vegas for this.

Sample output from that is here: http://www.villamil.org/vj/anamorphic/anamorphic-v2.mov

What Gian Pablo Villamil said is the correct method, however there is an easier method.

Import your footage into a 16:9 project. There is a script (change aspect) which affects all media within the media pool. Edit as per normal

There is no need to pan and crop anything, there is also no need to change anything manually.
Worst case scenario if your script doesn't work, is to right click on the clips properties, and select media, where you'll find a drop down list of selectable aspect ratios... just pick 16:9 and you'll be right.

Thanks for the replies...

Gian.....I've done it the way you suggest, but when faced with more than a few clips, it not only takes a while, but it's easy to miss one.

The current project I'm working on has a couple of hundred clips....
Do you, or anyone else, know of a way to change the media properties in batch mode?

Bob T.

Gian....Ed Troxel just put up a script for me at his site that will change the Pixel Aspect Ratio of all selected clips at once.
Worked great. Only thing I changed in the script was the aspect ratio...changed it from 1.21 to 1.2121 just so it jived with Vegas.

Its near the end of this thread:
Media change script thread

That's going to make my life easier...

Bob T.