filming in 16:9... TV displaying 4:3?

[Homerboy]

So about a month ago I switched and started filming on my DV camera in 16:9 widescreen mode (I figure I may as well use it someday (soon?) I should have a widescreen TV, and it makes sense to jump from 4:3 to 16:9 regardless.

Anways, I just hooked my camera up to my TV (4:3) for the first time as the kids wanted to see the film from the pumpkin patch and leaf pile fun, and BLAMMO, its stretching to 4:3. Width is fine, but its filling vertically.... ummm is there anyway around this? I assume if I dump to PC, edit etc that it will be fine, but I cant just hook it up and run? That sucks

 

[TechnoKid]

Ok, you are trying to display a 16:9 source on your 4:3 tv? Unless your tv (sony, panasonic, samsung) has some sort of enhanced 16:9 mode, like vertical compression, you are going to get that stretched look. The vidcam doesn't do letterboxing for your tv.

 

[Amused]

I'll bet there is a setting on the camera for the aspect ratio of the display/video out. Set it for 4:3

 

[whoiswes]

Originally posted by: Amused
I'll bet there is a setting on the camera for the aspect ratio of the display/video out. Set it for 4:3

 

[MrScott81]

Originally posted by: Amused
I'll bet there is a setting on the camera for the aspect ratio of the display/video out. Set it for 4:3

Thats the problem...he doesn't watnt it stretched, so he needs to set the output to 16:9 if that's the problem.

 

[Quasmo]

Originally posted by: whoiswes

Originally posted by: Amused
I'll bet there is a setting on the camera for the aspect ratio of the display/video out. Set it for 4:3

Nope... on most home video cameras it records in one or the other but it does not change it for output. Just dump it to PC run it through some video program (premiere) and put it back to tape, just beware of large dropouts (lost frames). I've done several projects where I left the 16x9 on and everything got skrewed. Just leave it on 4:3.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: MrScott81

Originally posted by: Amused
I'll bet there is a setting on the camera for the aspect ratio of the display/video out. Set it for 4:3

Thats the problem...he doesn't watnt it stretched, so he needs to set the output to 16:9 if that's the problem.

He as a 4:3 TV. His camera is filming at 16:9. When he tries to play it on his TV using the camera, it displays mushed in (he used the word "stretching" incorrectly).

His camera is set to output to a 16:9 display. He needs to set it to output to a 4:3 display.

 

[Homerboy]

actually no... the width is fine... its stretches the film to fill in where the top and bottom black bars would be.
Ill check out the output, but I dont recall any settings for such

I do normally edit most of the film itself, but occassionally the kids like me to just toss a tape in and go.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Homerboy
actually no... the width is fine... its stretches the film to fill in where the top and bottom black bars would be.
Ill check out the output, but I dont recall any settings for such

I do normally edit most of the film itself, but occassionally the kids like me to just toss a tape in and go.

So people, faces, cars, etc., look really rediculously tall and thin, right? Sh|t I should figure out a way to change my compression to 16:9 so I look thin.

 

[TechnoKid]

Originally posted by: Homerboy
actually no... the width is fine... its stretches the film to fill in where the top and bottom black bars would be.
Ill check out the output, but I dont recall any settings for such

I do normally edit most of the film itself, but occassionally the kids like me to just toss a tape in and go.

bsically your cam is outputting in 16:9 "anamorphic" and you don't have a 16:9 widescreen TV to take advantage of this, or a "widescreen mode" on your 4:3 tv.

 

[spidey07]

Exactly - your camera is putting out anamorphic widescreen.

You need some kind of 16x9 mode on your TV to get the aspect right, or edit it. Maybe you can tell your camera to put out 4x3 letterbox?

 

[Falloutboy]

just capture it into your computer then burn it to an anamorphic DVD your dvd player will be smart enough to adujust the aspect ratio and when you get a HDTV you havn't lost any resolution.

 

[Homerboy]

yeah tall and thin... my wife loves it, I however (already tall and thin) dont enjoy it too much.
Makes sense on the anamorphic... you think the camera woul dhave an "off" feature fo rthat