16:9 Real World Result with PD's and VX's at DVinfo.net

Mario Auxilly · October 4th, 2001, 07:04 PM

Brooks Reid said that you coud letterbox on the fly by using memory stick but how do you know how big to make the black bands? What is 16:9 out of 720x486? could ? use for 4:3?
Please define 4:3 and 16:9 if anybody could
Thank you

Chris Hurd · October 4th, 2001, 09:30 PM

Hello Mario,

Ahh, some basic math will solve this problem... of how big to make your letterbox bands...

The DV frame is 720 pixels wide by 480 pixels high. This is a native 4:3 aspect ratio, and we want to convert it to 16:9. We'll keep the same width of 720 pixels, but get a new, smaller height to make it look like a wide screen.

So, we need to divide 720 into 16 equal units, and then multiply those units by 9 to find out our new height.

720 / 16 = 45

45 x 9 = 405

Thus our new image size is 720 x 405. You'll want to crop the height from 480 down to 405 equally from the top and bottom, so your letterbox bars will be 720 x 38 across the top and 720 x 38 across the bottom... maybe 720 x 40 for each, just to be on the safe side? Hope this helps,

Mario Auxilly · October 4th, 2001, 11:22 PM

Thanks again

Takeshi McFall · October 5th, 2001, 03:40 PM

FYI there are some ready-to-go bars here:

http://www.streamovie.com/vx2000.htm

I haven't verified that they are correct, but they look pretty good.

Chris Hurd · October 5th, 2001, 03:43 PM

Excellent link -- thanks!

Wayde Gardner · October 27th, 2001, 10:19 AM

I downloaded the two jpg files. Shot some test footage. They work great.
Would it be better/easier to do it in post (final Cut or Premeir)?

Wayde Gardner

Chris Hurd · October 27th, 2001, 02:34 PM

Wayde -- you're in a better position than I am to know which is easier, but... seems to me like the memory stick option would be a *lot* easier than doing this in post...

Wayde Gardner · October 29th, 2001, 09:20 AM

I did our family Halloween party yesterday with the 16x9 mask (Chroma Key) from the memory stick with a 30fps frame rate. Added a Tiffen warming filter and dang if it didn't look pretty close to film ( I said PRETTY close). Especially when you consider I used existing lighting. Feed some footage into iMovie and it looked good. I'll play with Premeir this week and see how it turns out there.

One problem: When you turn the camera off you need to remember to reload the mask. :)
(Doah!)

I'm going to try this with some traditional 3 pt lighting and see what happens.

My next question would be how to save the "Picture Viewer" files from Photoshop or another program so that one could creat watermarks or other specialty masks.

November 16th, 2001, 07:41 PM

What a revelation! Since joining the group I read about the "16 x 9 Myth" so today I shot 5 scenes with my VX2000 in 16 x 9 mode. Loaded them onto my VAIO, no problem. Launched Adobe Premiere 6.1, using "DV Widescreen NTSC, 32 Hz" no prob. Edited a 1 minute test video in 16 x 9...no problem. Back onto the 2000, NP.

On My VX2000, at least, I had a nice 16 X 9 video.

But...as soon as I connected the VX2000 to my Sony 1000 S-VHS deck...voila! 4x3! Nothing I did could make it true 16 x 9....it stayed 4x3.

Thanks for clueing me in...I'm glad I knew that 16 X 9 is a myth...before I promised a client a widescreen tape!

December 13th, 2001, 03:11 AM

I have used external microphones for clean sound for some of my docus on the VX2000. Now since I do not have a budget for a sound recordist I was wondering how would the sound be if I did use an ext. mike and keep the audio on Auto how effective would it be. I have tried it for an interview and has worked fine, but I amafraid that if i go to a crowded area there might be a lot of noise interference. Anybody any ideas on this one??

February 19th, 2002, 09:10 PM

just wondering if i use my vx2000 in 16:9 mode, if i can edit it in FCP 3 and then show it in 16:9???

i hear mixed opinions on this... and just wanted to know if it is possible...

Chris Hurd · February 19th, 2002, 09:43 PM

Sure it's possible, You'll need a widescreen 16x9 monitor to view the image properly or else it'll look "squished." If you want to view it on a normal 4x3 monitor, you'll need to resize the image, stretch it and add a letterbox matte. But you can do all this in Final Cut Pro also.

February 19th, 2002, 10:00 PM

i am making a film for my medical school class and we have decided to shoot it in 16:9... my other question is...

can i rent a projector that is able to show it in the "widescreen" or should i use the method you described???

thanks again...

your site is awsome....

Chris Hurd · February 19th, 2002, 10:07 PM

Shouldn't be a problem. There are definitely some projectors that have a 16x9 option. I don't know which ones specifically, so you'll have to make absolutely sure when you rent.

Wayde Gardner · February 20th, 2002, 08:25 AM

...or you could use the chroma key feature on your Sony with the memory card masks Chris has on his main page (link) That way you can shoot on the "wide format", edit it in FCP3 and use any 4:3 monitor without resizing or a squished look.

Here's the address:
http://www.streamovie.com/vx2000.htm

It's funny but people who see my DV shorts in the 4:3 they give it a "ho hum, nice home movie" but if I shoot anamorphic widescreen (from the mem card mask) they're really impressed. All of a sudden, I'm a filmmaker! Sometimes it's all in how you present your product.

Always looking for other VX2000 owners to exchange info, tricks and tips in the Dallas area.

Wayde

October 4th, 2001, 07:04 PM	#1
Mario Auxilly Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Miami,FL Posts: 30	16:9 Real World Result with PD's and VX's Brooks Reid said that you coud letterbox on the fly by using memory stick but how do you know how big to make the black bands? What is 16:9 out of 720x486? could ? use for 4:3? Please define 4:3 and 16:9 if anybody could Thank you __________________ Mario Auxilly I Love to shoot with a vision and have others improve upon my vision(:

October 4th, 2001, 09:30 PM	#2
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Hello Mario, Ahh, some basic math will solve this problem... of how big to make your letterbox bands... The DV frame is 720 pixels wide by 480 pixels high. This is a native 4:3 aspect ratio, and we want to convert it to 16:9. We'll keep the same width of 720 pixels, but get a new, smaller height to make it look like a wide screen. So, we need to divide 720 into 16 equal units, and then multiply those units by 9 to find out our new height. 720 / 16 = 45 45 x 9 = 405 Thus our new image size is 720 x 405. You'll want to crop the height from 480 down to 405 equally from the top and bottom, so your letterbox bars will be 720 x 38 across the top and 720 x 38 across the bottom... maybe 720 x 40 for each, just to be on the safe side? Hope this helps, __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

October 4th, 2001, 11:22 PM	#3
Mario Auxilly Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Miami,FL Posts: 30	thanks Thanks again __________________ Mario Auxilly I Love to shoot with a vision and have others improve upon my vision(:

October 5th, 2001, 03:43 PM	#5
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Excellent link -- thanks! __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

October 27th, 2001, 10:19 AM	#6
Wayde Gardner Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Frisco, Tx Posts: 85	Memory Stick files I downloaded the two jpg files. Shot some test footage. They work great. Would it be better/easier to do it in post (final Cut or Premeir)? Wayde Gardner

October 5th, 2001, 03:40 PM	#4
Takeshi McFall New Boot Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 10	FYI there are some ready-to-go bars here: http://www.streamovie.com/vx2000.htm I haven't verified that they are correct, but they look pretty good.

October 27th, 2001, 02:34 PM	#7
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Wayde -- you're in a better position than I am to know which is easier, but... seems to me like the memory stick option would be a lot easier than doing this in post... __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

October 29th, 2001, 09:20 AM	#8
Wayde Gardner Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Frisco, Tx Posts: 85	masks... I did our family Halloween party yesterday with the 16x9 mask (Chroma Key) from the memory stick with a 30fps frame rate. Added a Tiffen warming filter and dang if it didn't look pretty close to film ( I said PRETTY close). Especially when you consider I used existing lighting. Feed some footage into iMovie and it looked good. I'll play with Premeir this week and see how it turns out there. One problem: When you turn the camera off you need to remember to reload the mask. :) (Doah!) I'm going to try this with some traditional 3 pt lighting and see what happens. My next question would be how to save the "Picture Viewer" files from Photoshop or another program so that one could creat watermarks or other specialty masks.

November 16th, 2001, 07:41 PM	#9
LiveShot Posts: n/a	16 X 9 (or not!) What a revelation! Since joining the group I read about the "16 x 9 Myth" so today I shot 5 scenes with my VX2000 in 16 x 9 mode. Loaded them onto my VAIO, no problem. Launched Adobe Premiere 6.1, using "DV Widescreen NTSC, 32 Hz" no prob. Edited a 1 minute test video in 16 x 9...no problem. Back onto the 2000, NP. On My VX2000, at least, I had a nice 16 X 9 video. But...as soon as I connected the VX2000 to my Sony 1000 S-VHS deck...voila! 4x3! Nothing I did could make it true 16 x 9....it stayed 4x3. Thanks for clueing me in...I'm glad I knew that 16 X 9 is a myth...before I promised a client a widescreen tape!

December 13th, 2001, 03:11 AM	#10
filmbuff Posts: n/a	VX 2000 audio I have used external microphones for clean sound for some of my docus on the VX2000. Now since I do not have a budget for a sound recordist I was wondering how would the sound be if I did use an ext. mike and keep the audio on Auto how effective would it be. I have tried it for an interview and has worked fine, but I amafraid that if i go to a crowded area there might be a lot of noise interference. Anybody any ideas on this one??

February 19th, 2002, 09:10 PM	#11
smartydraaws Posts: n/a	16:9 and FCP 3 just wondering if i use my vx2000 in 16:9 mode, if i can edit it in FCP 3 and then show it in 16:9??? i hear mixed opinions on this... and just wanted to know if it is possible...

February 19th, 2002, 09:43 PM	#12
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Sure it's possible, You'll need a widescreen 16x9 monitor to view the image properly or else it'll look "squished." If you want to view it on a normal 4x3 monitor, you'll need to resize the image, stretch it and add a letterbox matte. But you can do all this in Final Cut Pro also. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

February 19th, 2002, 10:00 PM	#13
smartydraaws Posts: n/a	one more question... i am making a film for my medical school class and we have decided to shoot it in 16:9... my other question is... can i rent a projector that is able to show it in the "widescreen" or should i use the method you described??? thanks again... your site is awsome....

February 19th, 2002, 10:07 PM	#14
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Shouldn't be a problem. There are definitely some projectors that have a 16x9 option. I don't know which ones specifically, so you'll have to make absolutely sure when you rent. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

February 20th, 2002, 08:25 AM	#15
Wayde Gardner Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Frisco, Tx Posts: 85	...or you could use the chroma key feature on your Sony with the memory card masks Chris has on his main page (link) That way you can shoot on the "wide format", edit it in FCP3 and use any 4:3 monitor without resizing or a squished look. Here's the address: http://www.streamovie.com/vx2000.htm It's funny but people who see my DV shorts in the 4:3 they give it a "ho hum, nice home movie" but if I shoot anamorphic widescreen (from the mem card mask) they're really impressed. All of a sudden, I'm a filmmaker! Sometimes it's all in how you present your product. Always looking for other VX2000 owners to exchange info, tricks and tips in the Dallas area. Wayde