Camcorder editing - widescreen?

[witters]

Forgive my naeivity but when you record in widescreen on a DV camcorder is it possible to edit in widescreen and then burn to disc using a PC based reorder? My DV cam has a 16:9 mode which squeezes the 4:3 image and then unsqueezes it on a 16:9 TV.

TIA

 

[witters]

Anybody please?

 

[MarkE19]

Yes, but dependent on the editing prog you are useing.
I use Adobe Premiere that has a widescreen option. Some progs even auto detect 16:9, and some you need to set it manually. But check the prog you want to use as not all of them will handle a widescreen recording correctly.

Mark.

 

[witters]

Thanks Mark. I haven't bought any software yet and was going to seek advice on that as well

 

[vonhosen]

Same goes for authoring programs, not all will handle 16:9

 

[Kevo]

DV cam has a 16:9 mode which squeezes the 4:3 image and then unsqueezes it on a 16:9 TV.

I've heard that this mode isn't very good and should be avoided at all costs.

Maybe you'd be better off in standard 4:3 mode.

Incidentally does anybody know how this 'psuedo 16:9 mode' works with domestic camcorders?

 

[witters]

It's not a "pseudo" mode. It's true 16:9.

 

[vonhosen]

Originally posted by Kevo

Incidentally does anybody know how this 'psuedo 16:9 mode' works with domestic camcorders?

Models mentioned on this link are older ones but it gives you some idea about the different approaches

http://www.adamwilt.com/DV-FAQ-etc.html

 

[THOWD FELLA]

Witter, in your first query you stated that your camcorder squeezes a 4.3 mode . If this is the case its not a genuine widescreen mode but a chopped ie top and bottom of a 4.3 to give widescreen. Only the latest camcorders have a true widescreen mode by using special ccds in the lens. I also edit using premiere but always in 4.3 mode. However, if I watch it on my toshiba 36inch widescreen t.v it shows it in widescreen. I just have to select "cinema" mode to stop the figures being streched.

 

[MartinImber]

I have a TRV33 and it does do anamorphic WIDE.

The picture has more at the edges in 16x9 mode as the ccd is big for stills usage.

16x9 cuts off top and bottom off the chip

4x3 cuts off the sides as well.

Anyway it is a true widescreen camera

I encode with TMPGENC as it does a better job than ULEAD but both handle and flag 16x9 correctly.

TRV33 is great

 

[Kevo]

Anyway it is a true widescreen camera

Forget it...

If aint got a 16:9 CCD or an anamorphic lens then it aint 'true 16:9'

My brother has a '16:9' option on his Sony dig 8 camcorder and it looks daft when activated.

He sticks to good old 4:3.

 

[Duncan Craig]

You should know that £40k DigiBeta Widecreen camcorder looks daft (stretched) when you watch them on a 4:3 screen. Any anamorphic source will.

All video based anamorphic (16:9) sources record a full screen 4:3 shaped image with a 16:9 image in the 4:3 shape. When shown on a 16:9 screen the picture is stretched out horizontally by 33% to look normal again.

If you want to edit widescreen just do it, it doesn't matter if your software understands it or not. Circle shaped wipes will appear oval, and your text may be squashed. You may have to manually set your TV into Widescreen mode, but that's all.

There is absolutely no difference between a 16:9 FH (Full height) anamorphic and a 4:3 recording in terms of image size, data rate, pixel size or shape.

 

[Kevo]

I meant it looked 'daft' when watching it in 16:9 mode not 4:3. Something 'odd' about it, not true 16:9.

 

[witters]

Not so - the image is pefectly normal when watched in 16:9 but as Duncan says it is vertically stretched in 4:3.

There are few 4:3 sets on the market now. Who wants a 4:3 picture of your family footage in 20 years?

 

[MartinImber]

What's the difference between a 16x9 CCD and a big CCD using more of the edges than 4x3 mode but same height.

I said earlier the recorded picture is anamorphic like DVD and DTTV, DVDs made from it are 16x9 anamorphic.

 

[Kevo]

Read the article posted above, it explains it much better than I ever could.

"Some Digital8 cameras seem to split the difference: when in 16:9, the picture gets slightly cropped on top and bottom, and it gets a little wider! I don't know what's going on with the silly things"

This is what's going on on my brother's Sony Dig 8 camcorder and it doesn't look quite right.

If I was to ever get back into camcorders again then I'd definatley go for a 16:9 CCD or a lens.

Either way is currently very expensive!

 

[richard plumb]

just edit it like anything else. You still have a 4:3 picture, as thats all current camcorders can capture, its just that stuff is squashed (just like if you watch digital BBC1 in 4:3 mode on your TV).

So just edit as normal, bearing in mind the end result will be expanded on your TV horizontally. Don't see why you need special software/plugins/anything?

As for camcorders doing it 'properly' - as long as you end up with a full frame anamorphically squeezed, I don't really care if you lose a little quality - its all down to how much you are prepared to pay for the equipment, and whether you mind having your movies in 4:3.

 

[witters]

Actually that's wrong. I've edited in Edit studio 4 and burned to disc with DVD-Lab. Both programs support 16:9 and the finished disc plays back as 16:9 and is perfect geometrically.