Importing Has Weird Aspect Ratio

[Goblin]

I'm exporting Quicktime reference files from Avid Xpress (720x480, 0.9 pixel (I think), and 24p), and importing them in After Effects (720x480).

The thing I can't seem to figure out is, the imported footage doesn't fill the frame in After Effects. There's, I don't know, say, 20 pixels on each side of the frame, left and right.

I've tried changing the aspect ratio of the composition, but the other options seem to only make the problem worse.

I tried D1 720x486 also, on a lark, and that was useless, too.

Is there something genericly stupid that I'm doing? I tried searching to see if anyone else had had this problem, but came up blank.

[Caveman]

Check your AVID settings. It's sounds like you saved them in PAL format. Just a guess. It really doesn't sound like an AE issue.
Hope this helps. -- CAVEMAN ;D

[kai]

are you using square or rectangle pixels?

[Goblin]

Exporting from Avid, the pixel aspect ratio I'm using right now is 4:3. And it's definately NTSC.

This is interesting. Opening the reference mov file, it opens up at 640x480. If I look at the properties, it says that it's "normal" is 720x480, but that it's displaying "current" as 640x480. I've never seen a file that didn't open at its proper resolution...

[kai]

right, but in AE, are you set to square or rectangle pixels?

[Goblin]

Oh. Uh, let me check to be sure.

D1/DV NTSC (0.9). So, 0.9, like I thought. Changing it to square pixels makes it worse. Looks like it would want to be at about 0.75 if that was an option.

[Goblin]

And, when I set the comp size to 640x480, and tell it to use the 0.9 aspect ratio, it's correct.

So I gues the question is why would it think the clip is 640 when it's 720 (remembering that it's definately 720 according to Quicktime, though Quicktime displays it as 640 at first...)?

Weird...

[Goblin]

I finally figured this out.

In case anyone else has ever has the same problem, when exporting QT Reference files from XPress, the "Use Avid DV Codec" checkbox needs to be checked. Otherwise, weirdness.