720x576 widescreen won't go widescreen.

[Zarrivan]

Hi there!

I'm using After Effects CS5.5 Trial version. I have some footage that I recorded in 720x576 widescreen.

When I import it into AE it won't accept it as widescreen and fixes it at a 5:4 instead of 16:9. This makes the footage look all weird.

I'm using Premiere (also trial) for editing longer sequences with no effects and it accepts the 720x576 as widescreen with no problems.

I'm using the preset "PAL D1/DV Widescreen", but it doesn't go widescreen.

Fast answer would be appreciated as I have to be done by wednesday and I have alot of editing to do.

Thanks in advance,

Zorvius/Zarrivan

[CGSpyx]

Hi Zarrivan!

720x576 is not a 16:9 format!!! (simple mathematics: 720:576= 1.25 (5:4 = 1.25) so its a 5:4 format / 1920:1080= 1.777777 and 19:6= 1.77777)

it would be useful if you wuld post a screenshot of your footage because i dont really know how your camera recorded it.

also it would be useful to know what the output should look like. 16:9? then the preset is not the right one to choose

please give us more information

Spyx

[Zarrivan]

I picked the widescreen option on my camera and it recorded it as widescreen, yet with the resolution of 720x576. (Think it has something to do with non-square pixels?). It should obviously look like 16:9 as it was recorded that way.

Here is a picture of the different programs. This is all by just basic importing using the recommended/default settings:

http://i.imgur.com/bTpof.jpg

(Also, thanks ALOT for the really fast reply. That is highly appreciated.)

[Mylenium]

You need to read up on footage interpretation and how the pixel aspect ratios are equivalent to each otehr in the online help. That's all there is to it. As A.I.1 suggested, enable PAR correction or, which wil lwork just as well, simply drop your footage in a PAL Widescreen Square Pixels comp.

Mylenium

[A.I.1]

I think this is what you need to do:

Pick the ""PAL D1/DV Widescreen" preset for your composition, like I think you have (with settings 720x576, and accept the Pixel Aspect Ratio D1/DV PAL widescreen 1.46 setting).  It should say Frame Aspect Ratio is 1.82.

If the composition window looks wrong (too square) there's a button next to "1 view" (or however many views) that says "Toggle Pixel Aspect Ratio Correction".  I think pressing that should make it look about right (widescreen).

I know 1.82:1 isn't 1.77 or 1.78:1 (ie. isn't quite 16:9 in normal square pixels) but, confusingly it's been changed since AE CS4 apparenlty to do with (SD?) TV pixels not being quite square or something, and doing it this way - if you are going to be viewing the output on a TV not a monitor at SD PAL resolution should allow more accurate circles/squares etc (without slightly distorting things - though I don't know whether it would slightly distort when viewing in a normal PC video player - maybe).  See this: http://www.mikeafford.com/blog/2009/03/pal-d1-dv-widescreen-square-pixel-settings-in-after-effects-c...) about it too but I think it's about right.

[Zarrivan]

A.I.1's method worked in editing but now the problem comes with the rendering.

It is rendered with the D1/DV PAL Widescreen setting but it comes out as 4:3 or 5:4.

I've also been reading the online help section on footage intepretation, but didn't get any hints on how to solve the problem.

Any help?

EDIT: When taking the 4:3 or 5:4 into Premiere it fits like a glove! It automatically goes into 16:9 without any problems.

All looks good now.

[FrankinMD]

How are you determining the aspect ratio of the final footage? In other words, what makes you say it is coming out as "4:3 or 5:4"?

[Zarrivan]

Saying "4:3 or 5:4" was because I didn't know the exact ratio. Neither do I now.

It just looked cramped into a ratio that looked more like that than 16:9.

[FrankinMD]

"It just looked cramped" - How are you viewing it (what software)?

[Dave_LaRonde]

If you used the DV Pal Widescreen comp preset, it sounds like you're not using the Pixel Aspect Ratio compensation toggle switch.  It's at the bottom of the comp window, and it looks like an arrow with two heads. 

Toggled one way, the comp window is 16x9, but text layers and other layers will look jagged.  Toggled the other way, the comp window is closer to 4x3, but the text looks smooth.  When a widescreen comp is rendered, the image is 16x9 AND the text is smooth.