problem exporting 4:3
 

Hi, My first post here. I'm working in FCE, and have been exporting sequences as QT movies (not QT conversion). Some of the exported files are coming out as 4:3 SD (which is what I want), but some are coming out squished (16:9, I guess). All original video shot on same camera. All sequences are setup the same in FCE. Any thoughts how I can correct the aspect, and get the squished ones back to normal, full-screen, 4:3 SD?

Thanks Robert

If you are viewing them in QT have you tried checking the full screen preferences under Preferences or the 'presentation - conform aperture to' under Show Movie Properties? It's likely that it is a display issue rather then intrinsic to the file. I don't know why it would happen with particular file though...

Geoffrey-- Thanks. I played with the QT-Pro settings. Two of them make the aspect ratio appear correct. I saved the problem files using the "production" aperture setting, which looks good on screen. And then I sent them to iDVD and burned a disk. The problem files still look squished both on my computer monitor and also on my 4:3 TV. It seems that the aperture settings in QT-Pro did not change the nature of the file when imported to DVD authoring. The other files in the movie look correct -- 4:3 and full screen (no black bars) on the burned disk.

I'm fairly sure I've had this problem myself a while ago despite getting it to display properly in QT. But that was with iDVD which I no longer use - DVD Studio Pro now and no similar problems. My feeling is it might be an iDVD problem but can't help thouhg sure others might. One thought, have you tried seeing if there are any aspect ratio settings on your TV that can put it right?

How far 'off' are your results? A 4:3 image displayed in a 16:9 window in a 4:3 screen should have significant letterbox black -- a quarter of the vertical screen should be black bars(1/8 top & 1/8 bottom). If it is just 'a little' off ... maybe you are using square pixels when you should be using oblong? Or framing at 640x480 when you should be using 720x480?

Cheers,
GB

Thanks, All the DV files were created the same way -- same camera, same settings, brought into FCE same way, etc. In FCE when I look at the contents of each sequences (in list view) they are all the same. On one DVD are 12 of my sequences (chapters). Just 2 of them are squished, and yes there are large rectangular black areas top and bottom. All the sequences were put into one new iDVD project during one session, so wouldn't this mean that iDVD is seeing some differences that exist between the sequences that display 4:3 and the 2 sequences that it decides to squish?

Not sure I can change aspect of my 4:3 TV, but if I could, then wouldn't this reverse the problem--ie 2 sequences look good, the others look wrong? This project is a training DVD, and sure I hope the replicated disks will look about the same on as many different types of machines as possible--TVs (of all sorts), projectors, monitors. . .

Please explain how I would re-"frame" each sequence as 720x480 or as 640x480. In FCE, all video clips in all sequences are shown as being 720x480. But there are a few jpgs in one sequence that say they are 720x481.

Many thanks, guys