Shoot 4:3 for 16:9 output. Why crop and stretch?

D

dvaddict

Active member
DVX100A in 24pa Thin shooting 4x3. I use Vegas 6. Why do I have to crop the image first, when I can simply import my 4:3 Footage into a 16x9 project and simply tell Vegas not to Maintain aspect ratio. Vegas stretches the 4x3 footage to fit.

What exactly is the cropping step that I read about. If anyone that can enlighten me, it would be much appreciated
 
Because then the image will be stretched horizontally and won't look right.

You crop with the pan/crop tool (the little square on the clip) to the 16:9 preset and THEN stretch to fill screen. But it will do it automatically for you at default settings.
 
Jubal28 said:
Because then the image will be stretched horizontally and won't look right.

You crop with the pan/crop tool (the little square on the clip) to the 16:9 preset and THEN stretch to fill screen. But it will do it automatically for you at default settings.
Click to expand...
Do it auotmatically by default? Do you mean just turn off maintain aspect ratio in the pan/crop window?
 
Just looking for clarification on this default method in Vegas. Do I just import my 4:3 footage into Vegas and then go into the pan and crop tool to turn of "Maintain Aspect Ratio" The footage looks proportioned. Am I missing anything?
 
All you have to do is open a Widescreen project, crop the 4:3 to 16:9, and voila – at DEFAULT SETTINGS, it will stretch to fill the 16:9 frame with no distortion. You will be missing the top and bottom, though.
 
David, in working in Vegas' preset "Widescreen Project" (FILE, NEW, TEMPLATE - NTSC DV24P WIDESCREEN, 720x480, 23.976 fps), are you saying that it will still be necessary to do the Event Pan/Crop - set to 16:9 - on every piece of media that goes on the timeline?

I would think that the Event Pan/Crop would be set at 16:9 as a default in that preset WIDESCREEN setting that you initially set up when you started the project - no?

I must be doing something wrong. Imagine that!

Thanks.

bsmall
 
Yes, you must apply it to every piece of media. But all you really have to do is apply it to one and cop/paste event attributes to the rest. Do it before you add any effects to the clip you're copying, though.
 
Then what benefit is there to having your project settings set to a WIDESCREEN project?
 
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It flags the footage as widescreen so DVD players/TVs know what to do with it (i.e. add bars or fill the screen, depending on the aspect ratio of the screen).
 
More immediately, all your graphics come out correctly if you render to Widescreen, whereas they may not (track motions, etc.) if you work in 4:3 and then render to Widescreen.
 
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