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MattWard99
MattWard99
Inspiring
March 5, 2018
Answered

Clips looking "squashed" in the Program panel?

  • March 5, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 4607 views

Hey Everyone,

I'm editing a music video using m4v files ripped from standard DVDs and just noticed that for whatever reason, all the clips that I'm moving into the Timeline are losing a huge chunk from both the top and bottom of the image. They look fine in the Source monitor, but when I view them in the Program monitor they look "squashed", like an entire inch (or two) has been eliminated on both the top and bottom of the frame.

Anyone know what's causing this and what I can do to get the same full, un-squashed image that appears in the Source monitor?

I've edited a number of videos -- all from "wide screen format" DVDs -- and this is the first time that this has happened.

Thanks,

Matt

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer R Neil Haugen

    Hi Neil,

    Thanks again for your suggestions... unfortunately, unless I'm missing something completely obvious, going into the ECP does not solve my problem. I can go into the ECP and use the scale tool to increase the size of the clip's image until it completely fills the frame (i.e., the black "pillars" on either side of the image disappear), but doing this completely defeats the purpose because in order to fill the frame horizontally, I end up having to sacrifice a portion of the vertical (i.e., the top and bottom of the image). So I basically end up back where I started, not being able to see the full image.

    And if I use the position tool, I can move the image to the left or the right, but not both. So only one of the black pillars can be eliminated at any given time, not both.

    Please let me know if I'm missing something, and thanks again for your help!

    Matt


    While I haven't seen all the hard data of your media & sequence settings, it sounds like you have media in one aspect ratio, trying to display it on a different aspect ratio sequence.

    The only way to get all the pixels in is to change their shape ... wider or narrower, which the PAR setting can do. However, it does mean that say a round ball will become a tall thin egg-shape or a short fat egg-shape.

    Check the sequence properties and the media properties from the project panel. Look for both pixel shape (PAR, pixel aspect ratio) numbers, and also the frame-size numbers.

    Neil

    1 reply

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    March 5, 2018

    Sequence settings for frame-size don't match the media, or ... the pixel-aspect-ratio (PAR) setting is wrong for the sequence. Or both.

    Easiest way to normally get a proper sequence for your media is to just drag/drop a clip onto the New Item icon in the bottom right corner of the Project panel, or from there to a blank timeline area.

    If that doesn't get you a proper sequence, go into the sequence settings and work with the above settings until it's right.

    Neil

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
    MattWard99
    MattWard99Author
    Inspiring
    March 6, 2018

    Hi R. Neil,

    Thanks for responding!

    First, I've compared two clips from two different movies (both in the same project) and their sequence settings are the same, i.e., their frame size is 720 x 336 and their pixel-aspect-ratio is set as "Square Pixels (1.0)".

    If I try to adjust any of the settings on any of the squashed-looking clips (or ANY clips in the timeline for that matter), I get the following message:

    "Changes to Preview File Format or to the preview frame size require all preview files to be deleted. This operation cannot be undone."

    Perhaps I'm reading this incorrectly, but it sounds to me that if I make any sequence setting-type changes to any clip in my timeline, it's going to delete EVERY clip! And since this amounts to hours of work potentially down the drain, I'm really reluctant to tweak any of the settings.

    Thus far, my method for selecting and moving clips from the Source monitor to the time line has been to simply establish In and Out points (in the Source monitor), then use the "Drag Video Only" icon to drag and drop the selected clip onto a track on the time line.

    This has been working just fine until now.

    Any other suggestions or ideas?

    Thanks again for your help!

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil HaugenCorrect answer
    Legend
    March 7, 2018

    Hi Neil,

    Thanks again for your suggestions... unfortunately, unless I'm missing something completely obvious, going into the ECP does not solve my problem. I can go into the ECP and use the scale tool to increase the size of the clip's image until it completely fills the frame (i.e., the black "pillars" on either side of the image disappear), but doing this completely defeats the purpose because in order to fill the frame horizontally, I end up having to sacrifice a portion of the vertical (i.e., the top and bottom of the image). So I basically end up back where I started, not being able to see the full image.

    And if I use the position tool, I can move the image to the left or the right, but not both. So only one of the black pillars can be eliminated at any given time, not both.

    Please let me know if I'm missing something, and thanks again for your help!

    Matt


    While I haven't seen all the hard data of your media & sequence settings, it sounds like you have media in one aspect ratio, trying to display it on a different aspect ratio sequence.

    The only way to get all the pixels in is to change their shape ... wider or narrower, which the PAR setting can do. However, it does mean that say a round ball will become a tall thin egg-shape or a short fat egg-shape.

    Check the sequence properties and the media properties from the project panel. Look for both pixel shape (PAR, pixel aspect ratio) numbers, and also the frame-size numbers.

    Neil

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
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