DVD Studio Pro, Quit Squezzing Me!

[DP StrangeLove]

Hey y'all,
I shot and edited a commercial and when I output a DVD copy from DVD SP, my footage looks squeezed! The commercial was shot in 720/24p, then edited in the DVCPro 720/24p FCP Timeline. Everything looks fine in FCP.

After I program DVD SP, and run the simulator, everything checks out fine, no squezzing. But When I burn the DVD, or make a Disk Image, everything is Squezzed, even my text.


In DVD SP, I have tried selecting the track then under Mode I select 16:9 Letterbox. I have also Tried selecting 16:9 Pan-Scan just to see if it doesn't squeeze it, but the images still get squeezed. What is going on here?

Also, this brings up another question I have. Let's say I have shot a commercial in 16:9, but for broadcast the client wants it in full-screen 4:3. What is the best way to convert this. Would it be by choosing the 'Pan & Scan' option in DVD SP? How would you do this in Final Cut Pro, if I didn't want to output to DVD. Lastly, what is the best framing method for shooting 16:9, but protecting for 4:3? What guideline do you follow. I know these questions build-up when my mind starts going.

[Mike Poindexter]

Are you sure you have the anamorphic settings correct in the DVD player?

When you say squeezed, which way is it squeezed? Vertically compressed down to a 2.35:1 window on a widescreen display? That is typically when content is not being mastered anamophically/enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

16x9 letterbox and 16x9 anamorphic are different.

[DP StrangeLove]

My Image is being horizontally squished and Vertically streched.
You're right, my dvd player was set to 16X9 playing on a 4:3 set. Oops! Just a little embarrasing! That setting option was only available on my remote which I never use. Thanks!
So when the HVX is shooting 16X9 HD, it is shooting letterbox and not anamorphic, right?
What guidlines do you use to shoot in 16X9 but frame for 4:3 for broadcast?
In other words, what markings or other means can you follow in viewfinder, or do you mask your monitor?

[Owen]

No, when the HVX is shooting 16x9 HD it is shooting anamorphic, not letterbox.

If you want to shoot HD 16x9 but frame for 4x3 broadcast use the on-screen safe area guides on the HVX viewfinder.

[Mike Poindexter]

First off, there is no provision for anamorphic in the specs for HD. Anamorphic is strictly for DVD. You can set it up to record squeezed in 480i/p on tape.