Still image sizes in Premiere Pro CS5.5

[Kurt Lang]

I've been looking for quite a while on Adobe's help pages, these forums, and also the PDF manual, but can't find the info I'm looking for.

I'm moving from Final Cut Studio to the Adobe suite of video production for various reasons. I've purchased (though not yet received) the Production Premium upgrade. I have a new project I'm starting, and want to correctly size my images for Premiere Pro. For instance, Final Cut Studio has this handy chart:

The video sequence frame size

If you are using this format                               is                    Use graphics with this frame size

CCIR 601 NTSC 4:3                                  720 x 486                             720 x 547

CCIR 601 NTSC 16:9 anamorphic               720 x 486                             853 x 486

DV NTSC 4:3                                            720 x 480                             720 x 540

DV NTSC 16:9 anamorphic                        720 x 480                              853 x 480

CCIR 601/DV PAL 4:3                               720 x 576                              768 x 576

CCIR 601/DV PAL 16:9 anamorphic            720 x 576                             1024 x 576

720p HD                                                  1280 x 720                            1280 x 720

1080i or 1080p HD                                   1920 x 1080                          1920 x 1080

So for a standard 4:3 DV NTSC video, I make my still images 720 x 540 pixels. 16:9 anamorphic, 853 x 480.

For whatever reason, this type of information is completely missing in the manuals for CS5.5. I did however find this information related to Premiere Pro 4:

4:3 DV (NTSC) or ATSC SD—create and save the square-pixel file at 720x534.

4:3 D1 (NTSC)—create and save the square-pixel file at 720x534.

4:3 DV or D1 (PAL)—create and save the file at 788x576.

16:9 DV (NTSC)—create and save the file at 864x480.

16:9 D1 (NTSC)—create and save the file at 872x486.

16:9 DV or D1 (PAL)—create and save the file at 1050x576.

16:9 1080i HD—create and save the file at 1920x1080.

16:9 720p HD—create and save the file at 1280x720.

So did this apply to CS5.5 as well? Meaning if I'm creating a standard 4:3 DV NTSC video, my still images should be 720 x 534, and 16:9 anamorphic 864 x 480? Not quite sure what the distinction is between DV and D1, other than the anamorphic sizes are different.

I also know these are different from Final Cut Studio. In Apple's manuals, they come right out and say the pixel sizes FCS uses for stills are different from most video editing software. So I'm not surprised to see 720 x 534 for for 4:3 NTSC in Premiere Pro rather than Apple's size of 720 x 540.

Thanks.

[Stanley Arthur]

Image size is not a big concern in Premiere Pro CS5 or 5.5. Watch this short tutorial I made and see if it answers your questions:

Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXeblQFIGlM

Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjHNHf7IhKQ

[Kurt Lang]

Hi Stan,

Thanks, but image size is the concern. I do understand what you were getting at in your tutorials. You need a larger file if you're going to manipulate how much of an image is going to show in a frame. But I create and crop my stills where I want them ahead of time. Then my files only need to be as big as what the app is looking for. It also allows me to create as sharp an image "to size" as possible. Then the editor or the compressor don't have to do any scaling, which always softens an image at least some. The only detail loss then is the compression to MPEG-2 when you get to that point.

So I really just want to know, are the still pixel sizes listed in CS4 above correct for CS5.5? And which is the type to pay attention to for square pixel stills (for those in the list not defined), D1 or DV?

Edit: Believe I found the answer to the second question after a Google search. Stated on one site:

D1 (or Full D1) refers to a picture size of 720x480. This is the size used in DVDs and other professional video equipment.

DV is actually a codec for compressed video.

So it appears I want to use the D1 dimensions. Correct?

[SFL46]

The list is valid if you save the file in square pixels.

However, I believe there is an easier way if one has

Photoshop.

In Photosohop, you can change the image pixel

aspect ratio directly.  The drop down for that parameter lists common video formats.

Change the PAR first (e.g., 1.33)  and then, using the crop tool set for the frame dimensions, e.g., 1440 x 1080.  Save the file.  Premiere will recognize the image format.  There's no reason to keep track of what the square pixel frame size is.

You can create Photoshop Actions to somewaht automate this process.

[Todd_Kopriva · Accepted solution]

There are tables like what you're looking for here.

[Kurt Lang]

Thank you, Todd.

I see you found the info in After Affects. Seems strange that this same info isn't in the Premiere Pro documentation.

Premiere Pro CS5 has this page:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/premierepro/cs/using/WS03BF7479-8C7B-4522-8C75-210AD102524Ea.html

But Premiere Pro CS4 has this:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/PremierePro/4.0/WS03BF7479-8C7B-4522-8C75-210AD102524Ea.html

Mostly identical info, but CS4's page shows the square pixel dimensions, which is where I grabbed the text from to post above. Neither CS5's page, or even the PDF manual mentions it at all. A deliberate omission? A goof? I think it would be a good idea to put this information back in the PP manual.

[John T Smith]

>strange that this same info isn't in the Premiere Pro documentation

Bug Report and Feature Request https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

[Todd_Kopriva]

It was just an oversight by the Premiere Pro documentation person.

The best way to make requests for changes to the documentation is to leave a comment on the relevant page of the Help document.