size of exported picture

S

sean90291

Veteran
I bet someone can explain this simple question:

When I do a digital cut (to tape) or export a Quicktime file, why is it that part of the image I could see on my DVX100A LCD screen does not get included in the image I've exported?

That is, a certain amount of picture around the entire edge of the original frame is not included in the exported image (but when I play it on the DVX100A from the original tape/capture footage, I see it just fine). I'm only wondering why I'm losing some of the image on export and how I can set things so I get a bit more of that image in my final product (sometimes there's something at the edge of frame I want to keep in the picture).

Thanks!
 
Do you see it while in the Avid? If you are looking at footage on a TV monitor, you may not b able to see the stuff that is part of the underscan image.
 
Someone told me it's the "safe zone" (part of the underscan image, I guess). I just hoped there was a way to encroach into this safe zone. By shrinking the safe zone for a particular clip or something? I mean, the data IS on the miniDV tape, because I can see it in the LCD when I play it on the camera. But in Avid it disappears (I guess that's the underscan image I'm seeing). Is there anyway to re-size so I grab a bit of that safe zone detail?
 
And I must correct myself. Yes, I DO see the "safe zone" part of the image in my Avid source/composer monitor. So, I see the additional details at the edge of frame in Avid, but when I export as a digital cut or make a DVD, the image is enlarged so to speak so that the "safe zone" details are not visible. I would like to be able to make a digital cut WITH this safe zone detail sometimes. (Note: I'm calling it "safe zone" details only because someone told me that's what it might be: the area around every frame that is being underscanned). Is there a way to get Avid to export this detail from the edge of frame?
 
Michael guessed right. That's the underscan portion of the image. When you do a digital cut that information is still on the tape, but television sets by nature have overscan which removes the area outside of the "Safe zone." The problem is that different commercial television sets can have different amounts of overscan.

You could put a resize effect on the timeline in Avid, bring up Avid's safe zone markers, and resize to fit, but then if you displayed that project on a computer screen, or a television with particularly small overscan then you'd have a black border around the footage. General rule of videography is to shoot with the overscan / underscan thing in mind and not change the footage in Avid.

I know that doesn't help much now, but perhaps it can help you in future projects.
 
I agree - that is why feature films shoot a chart to they can see exactyly what is going to be in the frame or not. A lot of cameras do not have eact representation in the viewers compared to what will go out to television. Shoot a chart and see what makes it out. Then adjust accordingly.
 
Actually that helps immensely. Now I understand what's going on! Thank you. (I'm surprised the DVX100a LCD screen doesn't draw in a faint border so that we can better approximate the safe zone/underscan image without an external monitor--otherwise I just have to learn to eyeball it).

Thanks again!
 
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