by Bob » Tue Mar 01, 2011 4:31 am
OK, here's what I think is happening. You were creating the 4:3 wmv file using the share tab>windows media>HD 1080i 30 preset, and the 4:3 pixel aspect ratio.
The wmv created this way will still have the same pixel dimensions, but the change in pixel aspect ratio caused two things to happen. 1) the video will be displayed 4:3 rather than 16:9, and 2) to retain the full image width, the video was letter boxed. That is, the video was scaled down to fit the full width of the 16:9 material into the smaller 4:3 frame. Because the height of the 16:9 material is also scaled down to prevent distortion due to the changed pixel aspect ratio, black bars will appear above and below the original content. No content is lost, but the resolution is less than what you would have had if you had not letterboxed the video.
Using the 16:9 project and the proper pixel aspect ration, there is no scaling and no letterboxing. The video will be larger and more detailed.