Unable to Output full Widescreen

[IanK]

Hi all,

 

I have found several topics similar to this but none that seem to discuss the problem I have. Apologies for the long description, but just trying to get all the information up here in one go!

 

I have shot some video using a Samsung Widescreen digital video recorder (MiniDV tape) and have a Panasonic DVD Player/Recorder and Panasonic Widescreen TV (connected using HDMI).

 

If I play the tapes on the camcorder via the AV input on the DVD player they appear full widescreen on the TV.

 

So, I download the video to PC using videowave and create a widescreen VW project and edit the clips together. All the video is 720x576x25fps (PAL). I do however notice that the preview window in VW has vertical black bars at the sides - the video doesn't completely fill the preview window. I assume this is no problem as when I turn on the TV safe zone, all the black is out of view.

 

 

When finished, I create a MyDVD project, set menus to widescreen and add the video etc. Preferences set to output in HQ, 720x576 hardware render. The preview when burning shows the black bars - but I have seen posts suggesting this doesn't matter.

 

I then play the DVD in the Panasonic player (TV in 16:9 aspect) and I have vertical black bars. Even worse, it appears the bars are wider than they were in VW and the picture is squashed horizontally. If I change the TV aspect to say 14:9, the bars get wider and the picture is squashed even more. It as though the black bars are in the movie (I have read on this forum that this should not be the case).

 

I repeated the process in MyDVD but set to output in HQ, 720x504 software render. The result is now better - but I still have narrow vertical bars when playing on the TV.

 

Note that the MyDVD project also has a photo slide show in it - but I am assuming this shouldn't impact the video.

 

So the question is - why cant I get my widescreen video to output as full widescreen when it has been edited in VW/MyDVD ?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Ian

[IanK]

Hi all,

 

just noticed that if I right click on a clip and choose "Aspect ratio handling", VW tells me my source is 14:9 and production is 16:9.

 

Maybe Samsung Widescreen is only 14:9 ?

 

Anyway, if I choose to "Fill Frame" I get a full screen image but slightly cropped - not too bad. Just need to do this on about 100 clips now !

 

Thanks to Jim anyway for heading me in the direction of the source when I though the problem was the output.

 

Thanks

 

Ian

[Jim_Hardin]

Can you point me to the Panasonci manual and give me a hint where to look?

 

Failing that, give me the model number of it.

 

Yes the Player/Recorder may be doing a fill screen. Pause you camcorder and closely compare what is on the LCD screen of your camcorder vs your TV. You may find it did some cropping you didn’t notice???

 

Let me know how it goes…

 

 

[Jim_Hardin]

I had forgotten about the non-standard-we-will-make-our-own-size attitude so prevalent in camcorders and cameras these days…

 

Maybe it is better on your side of the pond but you spend a night here watching TV and you will see everything go by your screen! Even with DVD Movies, not all of them conform to 4:3 or 16:9!!!

 

Of course by filling the screen you magnifying the original. Just make sure you aren’t going so far you lose quality…

 

I have many that given the choice between filling the screen with fuzzy or seeing black bars, I will take the bars every time!!!

 

Glad you go it solved – but try the Recorder/Import trick for a shot clip just to see how it turns out. And let us know!

 

By the way, they should dredge that sandbar so all those poor boats won’t get grounded like in your picture

[Jim_Hardin]

Thanks for getting back – wish it was with better news

 

I looked up my Panasonic Recorder (US version) and after you showed me where to look, I found the same thing! Mine will only record 16:9 on DVD-RAM.

 

Since cdanteek provided me with 2, I will have to give it a try and see what results I get

 

[IanK]

Can you point me to the Panasonic manual and give me a hint where to look?

 

Failing that, give me the model number of it.

 

Hi Jim,

 

I know you wouldn't believe me its a Panasonic DMR EZ27. The download from the Panasonic UK site is broken, but you can get it at http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/DMREZ27-MUL.pdf however it's slightly different to mine - maybe its a region thing or maybe the spec changed (mine has the suffix EB).

 

This US one says 16:9 on RAM format only - 4:3 on all the others. (Pages 11 & 62). Mine is slightly different in that it says 16:9 for RAM, -R, -R DL & -RW and 4:3 for the others.

 

I will test this later today.

 

Ian

 

[Jim_Hardin]

I tried recording with a RAM disc in my US version of a Panasonic Recorder and it did import correctly to VideoWave.

 

However it still has the black bars but as long as VW is set to a 16:9 Project and the Project Properties set to ‘Fill Screen’, then it comes in correctly.

 

I hope you made out OK with your project???

 

[Jim_Hardin]

Hi Jim,

 

I know you wouldn't believe me its a Panasonic DMR EZ27. The download from the Panasonic UK site is broken, but you can get it at http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/DMREZ27-MUL.pdf however it's slightly different to mine - maybe its a region thing or maybe the spec changed (mine has the suffix EB).

 

This US one says 16:9 on RAM format only - 4:3 on all the others. (Pages 11 & 62). Mine is slightly different in that it says 16:9 for RAM, -R, -R DL & -RW and 4:3 for the others.

 

I will test this later today.

 

Ian

Your right, I didn’t believe you, but I have no excuses left now

 

OK let me know how it works out!

 

[IanK]

Well, I eventually got hold of a DVD-R disk and gave it another shot.

 

Result:

 

DVD plays in the DVD player at 16:9 on the TV - looks exactly the same as it does in the camcorder display.

 

But, when I load the files into VW, it claims they are 4:3 - the 16:9 image is squashed down to and vertical black bars appear to make up the space. !

 

Looks like I'll have to be content with 14:9

 

Ian

[IanK]

Well, I checked out the camera settings, and it specifically set to "16:9 Widescreen mode".

 

Guess I'll try the copy to DVD and maybe downloading again to see if I missed anything.

 

Ian

[IanK]

Hmmmm,

 

I just recorded 2 hrs of MiniDV Tape onto DVD using the Panasonic DVD recorder and then tried using the VOB files in VW.

 

But they are 4:3 format.

 

Checked the Panasonic manual and it says if I record on DVD-R media is records in 16:9, but if I use DVD+R it records in 4:3 - typical - I only have +R media at the moment.

 

Incidentally, I noticed if I recorded using the Firewire connection I got occasional loss of audio - but no problems if I use the standard AV input.

 

Frustrated.

 

Ian

[Jim_Hardin]

Hmmmm,

 

I just recorded 2 hrs of MiniDV Tape onto DVD using the Panasonic DVD recorder and then tried using the VOB files in VW.

 

But they are 4:3 format.

 

Checked the Panasonic manual and it says if I record on DVD-R media is records in 16:9, but if I use DVD+R it records in 4:3 - typical - I only have +R media at the moment.

 

Incidentally, I noticed if I recorded using the Firewire connection I got occasional loss of audio - but no problems if I use the standard AV input.

 

Frustrated.

 

Ian

You are somehow misreading the manual, it doesn’t make any difference if you use ‘plus’, ‘dash’ or RAM as far as 4:3 or 16:9 goes… But I do understand how frustrating this can be!

 

In your other posts you indicate you can Play Through your DVD Recorder into your TV and all is as expected…

 

If it plays that way then it records the same way!

 

I hope we didn’t miss the one little step of setting the VideoWave File - New Project – Widescreen, before adding any files???

 

I doubt you made that mistake but it would look like this (note the lefts and rights of the 16:9 image as well as the verticals):

 

16:9 on a 4:3 Project:

 

16:9 on a 16:9 Project:

How are you “capturing” the VOB files from your recorded disc?

 

[Jim_Hardin]

“Download the video to the PC…”

 

That is probably the root of the problem. Your camcorder files do not properly set the 16:9 Flag in them so they are not recognized.

 

There is a program that should fix the files – Here (I know it is a different camcorder but it works with most)

 

An alternative might be to record them with your Recorder and import those vob files for editing…

 

Check those out and let us know.

 

[IanK]

Thanks Jim,

 

I did read the posts about the JVC copy tool but I don't think that will help.

 

My Samsung is a tape model so the way I get the data onto the PC is using the EMC Media Import utility - the result is an AVI file.

 

I believe the copy tool only allows the 16:9 flag to be set on .MOD files.

 

I could try recording them on the DVD recorder first as you suggest - but I assumed that would result in a drop on quality as I would have to use standard AV connections to transfer to the DVD.

 

Any other thoughts ?

 

Thanks

 

Ian

[IanK]

Hi Jim,

 

appreciate your comments.

 

I know it sounds crazy but ‘plus’ & ‘dash’ do make a difference with this recorder !

 

And yes, I can play through the DVD Recorder into the TV and all is as expected. I guess the DVD machine is doing something clever - "upscaling".

 

I definitely have a widescreen project - you can see from my original screenshot - thats the alleged 14:9 source material in the VW 16:9 movie project.

 

How are you “capturing” the VOB files from your recorded disc?

I use the Roxio media Import tool, select the DVD drive in my pc and it shows me the various recordings on the DVD (It says they are 4:3 in the dialogue) - I just select one and "Import Now" .

 

Is there another way ?

 

I have acquired some 'dash' dvds today so will give it another shot - although I think I'm resigned to 14:9 now !!

 

Ian