Exporting from PRE8 for PRE7

[peggig]

On another thread, I mentioned that I'm switching from PRE8 to PRE7 because PRE8 crashes too often. In lieu of having to recreate the entire project from scratch, Chuck suggested that I export the PRE8 project as an MPEG2 file (m2t), and import it into PRE7. I tried this, using the 1920x1080i 30 preset. However, after importing it into the PRE7 project, the dimensions are smaller than the dimensions of the video captured from the camcorder that I import directly into the PRE7 project. The aspect ratio is the same, but it's smaller in both height and width than the video from the camcorder, and has extra black padding on all sides.

I also tried exporting it from PRE8 using the Microsoft Uncompressed AVI preset at 1620x1080i (it doesn't support 1920x1080). This video looks much better than the MPEG2 export (but the file size is 36 times larger), and the height is the same as the video captured from the camcorder, but the sides are cropped because it's a 3:2 aspect ratio rather than 16:9.

Why are the dimensions of the m2t file smaller than the dimensions of the original video from which it was produced, and is there any way to export a video from PRE8 that I can import into PRE7 that will match the dimensions of the rest of the project?

[Steve Grisetti]

There is no reason a project output at those dimensions should not fill a frame, peggig. In fact, it should fit perfectly. (Though I might recommend the 1440x1080i output preset for an MPEG. Its non-square pixels setting produces a perfect HDV file!)

Make sure that your new project that you're importing the file into is using the HDV preset and that in Edit/Preferences you have Scale to Frame Size unchecked.

[Bobby]

I have seen a similar effect as pegig has, and never diagnosed it. I believe that when I exported an mpeg and then used it as input to another project, I had to scale it even though the pixel counts were the same. But I worked around it and haven't pursued it again.

I believe there is some problem lurking.

[Chuck Engels]

Right click on the clips and select Interpret footage. Select the correct option for your clips, what they actually should be. That may solve your problem.

[peggig]

Right click on the clips and select Interpret footage. Select the correct option for your clips, what they actually should be. That may solve your problem.

Changing the aspect ratio in Interpret Footage made the video wider, but not taller, and it still isn't wide enough to fill the whole frame. (it also changes the aspect ratio of the video, making the images too wide.)

Make sure that your new project that you're importing the file into is using the HDV preset and that in Edit/Preferences you have Scale to Frame Size unchecked.

I'm using the HDV preset but Scale to Frame Size was checked by default in my Preferences. I've unchecked it now. (What does that do, BTW?)

I might recommend the 1440x1080i output preset for an MPEG. Its non-square pixels setting produces a perfect HDV file!

I'm exporting the video again from PRE8 as 1440x1080, and I'll try that. 1440x1080 is a 4:3 aspect ratio, though, and the rest of the project is 16x9. It seems like that will cause even more of a problem. (When I exported it as 1920x1080, it had the right aspect ratio, but the video was smaller, in both height and width, than the video direct from the camcorder.)

I believe that when I exported an mpeg and then used it as input to another project, I had to scale it even though the pixel counts were the same.

How did you scale it?

[Chuck Engels]

1440 x 1080 is still 16:9, 720 x 480 can be 4:3 or 16:9, don't let the resolution fool you

[Chuck Engels]

When you did the interpret footage did you just change the aspect ratio to 16:9 or did you change the resolution of the video as well?

[peggig]

When you did the interpret footage did you just change the aspect ratio to 16:9 or did you change the resolution of the video as well?

How do you change the resolution? The Interpret Footage dialog has three sections: Frame Rate, Pixel Aspect Ratio, and Alpha Channel.

The options under Frame Rate are:

Use frame rate from this file
Assume this frame rate ____ fps
Duration: ____________
The options under Pixel Aspect Ratio are:

Use pixel aspect ratio from file
Conform to:

Square pixels
DV1/DV NTSC 0.9
DV1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2)
DV/DV PAL (1.067)
DV1/DV PAL Widescreen 16:9 (1.422)
Anamorhpic 2:1 (2.0)
HD Anamorphic 1080 (1.333)
The options under Alpha Channel are:

Ignore alpha channel
Invert alpha channel

I just finished exporting an MPEG from PRE8 at 1440x1080. After deselecting Scale to Frame Size, and importing it into PRE7, it was huge. Only the middle part fit in the frame.

[Chuck Engels]

Sorry, I was wrong about the resolution part.

What project setting are you importing into? You should be using a HDV preset if you are importing HDV footage.
The image being so huge seems to make me think you are importing HDV footage into a SD project. Then having scale to frame size turned off would have that kind of effect.

[peggig]

The project setting is HDV in both projects. It's possible that it was not set to HDV in the PRE8 project when I first captured some of the footage from the camcorder, however. This was the first footage I captured in PRE8 and I was still figuring out all the settings. Would that have made a difference?

I deleted it from the project and selected Scale to Frame Size again in Preferences. When I re-imported it, it was smaller than the videos from the camcorder, just like the other versions exported from PRE8.

If I could figure out some way to change the resolution or manually scale the imported video, I might be able to get one of these to work. Otherwise, I'm beginning to think I'm SOL, and will have to recreate the entire project from scratch in PRE7.

[Chuck Engels]

What happens if you uncheck scale to framesize and then scale the video down to fit the project?
Is your magnification in the monitor in version 7 set to FIT? or 100%? or something else?

[peggig]

How do I scale the video? How do I change the magnification? The video direct from the camcorder (that was not exported from PRE8) fits horizontally in the viewing frame, with black padding on the top and bottom. The video that was exported from PRE8 , when imported into the same project. is smaller and has black padding on all sides.

[Chuck Engels]

To scale the clip you need to open the clip properties and under the Motion property adjust the Scale slider.

To adjust the magnification right click on the playback monitor and under magnification make sure that either Fit or 100% is selected.

I highly recommend viewing the free version 7 tutorials
http://muvipix.com/products.php?subcat_id=44