Hi

I'm looking for enlightenment from some of you super techi people out there! We shoot and edit on 16:9, but we go on air 4:3. So we digitize 16:9 (dv25) and edit on a 16:9 timeline. Then we convert the timeline to 4:3 (timeline properties) while keeping the edit in it's original format i.e. it appears full image but letterboxed. However whichever way we achieve this there seems to be a marked loss of resolution in the picture. I suspect someone will say "but of course"!!! Love to understand and even better find a work round.

Thanks

Mountjoy:

  I suspect someone will say "but of course"!!!

No, contrary, shouldn´t be is the word, have you tried with  " fit x  keep aspect  "  ( or was it fit y, I never seem to remember that )

In case you didn´t follow my fast downwritten thoughts, this is how I meant.

As you are exporting out to 4:3 , there is no need to edit on a 16: 9 timeline, use the preset for the 4:3 and choose the scaling option I described, if you have a lot of clips, you don´t need to go into each one of them to change the scaling properties, just rubberband them in your media browser and choose your scaling option.

Hi Tomas

Thanks for the help. I will try the "fit x": at the moment we use "fit largest". I would of thought that if the loss of resolution was due to a scaling setting it would happen whatever the scaling used. A complication is that we supply a clean feed version in 16:9. Some say that for the end user a copy 16:9 or 4:3 letterboxed is the same thing, I'm not clear about it. Another input was the loss of resolution is due to ActiveX processing and that only the use of classic effects uniquely would avoid this.

In the mean time I'm bounced onto a project with rushes from XDcam EX: followed with thanks your string with smiveld. Should I be able to load the .mp4 files directly into the Liquid with these new codecs loaded (can't see them in the import media window) or still have to create .mxf with the Sony browser and then import?

Thanks

Bill

Mountjoy:

Thanks for the help. I will try the "fit x": at the moment we use "fit largest". I would of thought that if the loss of resolution was due to a scaling setting it would happen whatever the scaling used. A complication is that we supply a clean feed version in 16:9. Some say that for the end user a copy 16:9 or 4:3 letterboxed is the same thing, I'm not clear about it. Another input was the loss of resolution is due to ActiveX processing and that only the use of classic effects uniquely would avoid this.

As you are outputting both 16:9 and 4:3 from the same project, that was not the info given in the first post I think  my own workflow for doing this should be to work in 16 : 9 from the start, make all the edits and let it render.

Then create a new timeline 4 . 3 , select the scaling properties of the 16 : 9 timeline as described and drag it to the new 4: 3 timeline this way creating a container.

Others might use different workflows .

I am doing this for almost 2 years and for more than 50-60 shows.

I have never seen any resolution loss.

I load the 16:9 clips on a 4:3 timeline.

I have posted numerous pics at my AL Final Diary thread.