muvipix Community

I am having trouble with black margins above and below my video. My camera is a Sony HDR-HC7E. I take the video in HD and then convert it to standard through the i-link. My settings on Premiere7 are PAL widescreen and these are the setting I have used for years with great success. These black margins are completely new. The only difference recently is that I have changed from Windows XP to Windows 7 but this surely would not have made any difference? I re downloaded my Prem 7 to the new PC.
I read from my settings on Premiere 7 that Frame Size 720h 576 v (1.422)
Pix Aspect Ratio D1/DV PAL
Widescreen 16.9 (1.422)
48 Hz (16 bit audio)

Those are not the correct settings if you've captured HDV from your camcorder, Ros.

What software did you use to capture video from your camcorder? What are your video specs (particularly the resolution and aspect ratio) if you open the video in G Spot or Media Info?
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/

And can you be more specific about what you mean when you say you "convert it to standard through the i-link". What software and process are you using to do this?

Steve! I went to the GSpot and I tried to copy the result for you but it wouldn't let me copy. A lot of the information is above me so I will try and write it all down for you.
Codec...MPEG 2. Status...Codec installed. Len 13:41.960 Frms...20.549 Kbps...7796 Qf...0.752

Pics...25.oo I/L Frames 25.000 BFF Fields...50.000 PAL

pic. 720x576 sar 1.250 (5:4) par 1.422 (10.7) 16.9 dar 1.778 (16.9

Resizing. None. already DVD format DVD 16.9

On the other side of the page it says

DVD VOB format
Mpeg 2. ProgStream (vid.audio)
System. Bitrate 10080 kb/s VBR

I download straight from camera to Premiere 7 on a cable. I use an i-link conversion which is in the camera settings which converts the HDV to standard DV. One day when I make a HDV video,
I take out the i-link connection (within the camera) and can then download in HDV.

What I cannot understand is that I took at least an hour of video in Africa recently and it was perfect using this system and I have made a lovely DVD. I have done NOTHING to camera settings and now this has happened.

Steve. I have now looked at a video which was a success. There is a difference.
Len: 3.14.680
Frms. 4,867
Kbs. 7803
Qf. 0.753

I take it this is a problem in the camera settings. I have never done anything to the camera re settings. Is this how you see it?

Those values are consistent with PAL standard definition wide screen. The figures that you listed for the successful video had to do with the length of the video and the bit rates. They will vary for each video and do not have anything to do with the problem you are having.

Black bars at the top and bottom can be caused by two things. 1) In converting 16:9 to 4:3, the camera thought it was converting to 4:3 full frame rather than 4:3 wide screen and letter boxed it. Or, 2) the wide screen 16:9 footage was placed in a 4:3 full frame project rather than a 4:3 wide screen project and scaled to fit the framesize.

Please double check the project properties for the problem video and verify that the settings are indeed PAL standard definition wide screen. Also, go to the Edit Tab and select the Project panel. Right click on the video clip there and select Properties. What does it say for the image size and pixel aspect ratio? I just want to verify that the program is interpreting the footage correctly.

Can you go into more detail as to how you transferred the video from the camcorder to the computer. We get that you set the camera to convert to standard definition and used the i.link cable. But, what did you do afterwards. Did you use the software that came with the camera to download it. Or, did you use Premiere Elements 7? If premiere elements 7, how specifically did you do it? Normally, when capturing from a camcorder using Premiere Elements, you get a dv-avi file for standard definition video rather than a vob file.

I open Premiere E 7
Insert IEEE cable into camera and into PC
turn on camera and go to New Project in Premiere 7
Check settings which are Widescreen PAL 48Hz
I checked this time that Hard disc was widescreen 48 Hz but made no difference
Check on camera that i.link converter is on (HDV to DV)
On Prem 7 I get video from DV camera
Prem 7 connects to camera
Press play on Prem 7 and it starts the camera and then press record
The video goes on to timeline
I may add its good quality!!

I checked the properties as you suggested.
AVI Movie
File 7.9 MB
Image 720 x 576
Frame Rate 25.00
Audio 48000-16BIT - Stereo
AV. Data Rate 3.7 MB/Second
PIX Aspect Ratio 1.422

How do I change the frame size in the project? Is that the problem?

Can you post a short sample of your captured video to Dropbox and e-mail/share it to steve at this web site? (Don't e-mail me the file itself. It will be too large. Load it to Dropbox and then share the file with me.)

In fact, can you post the project file that's giving you problems to Dropbox and share it with me too? Don't include all of the media files. Just the .prel file, which should be relatively small.

You're still giving us a lot of incomplete information. (I don't know what an "iLink converter is, for instance. iLink doesn't convert. It just transfers data.) If I can get my hands on some samples of what you're working with, I'm sure I'll be able to see what's up.

I shall have to find out how to put something in drop box! I have not done this before.

The i-link is IN my camera. Apparently it is used when one wants to download from HDV to DV standard.If you could get your hands on to a Sony HDR-HC7E you would see it for yourself in the Menu. It says i. LINK Conv. I have to put it ON but when I download a HD video and I want it to be standard . If I download from the camera in HD and I want it downloaded in HD, I go to Menu and turn the i. link to OFF. I must look at Google and see what it says about it.

Thank you so much for your patience with a 76 year old!!!!

That makes sense, Ros.

Now if you can get a sample of the video and your project file to me, I'm sure I'll be able to figure out what's up.

Do I send it to Steve Grisetti Muvipix.com ?

No. Just my first name at this site. (I don't want to actually post my e-mail address for fear of spambots.)

Ros, I got the video you shared to Dropbox -- but it looks like it's a VOB. That's a DVD file. What I need is the original file you captured from your camcorder along with your project file.

That said, does this video show the black margins you've been talking about?

Oh, dear. I will try again. My head is spinning. Sorry

I have tried to send it again. I hope it is the right one Steve and I hope it got to you

I have tried with 2 short clips. One might turn out to be empty. I might need some help with this Dropbox programme from my Grandson!