Problem with old .mod video format in Adobe Premiere Pro

[_Floddertje_]

Hello, I hope someone can help me. I want to edit some old videos of mine using Adobe Premiere Pro, but the videos are horizontally compressed in Adobe Premiere Pro; people seem thinner, our couch looks much less wide on videos, etc.

They are movies about 14 years old, in .MOD format; they were once shot with a JVC hand-held camera. The quality is obviously not as good as videos made today, I realize.

The image size is 720 x 576 and the pixel aspect ratio is 1.0940 (see screenprint_1). I would think, that is aspect ratio 4:3, but when I play these movies with e.g. the program VLC media player, the movies only look normal when played in format 16:9.

In Adobe Premiere Pro 2023, I enter everything in Sequence as I think I should (see screenprint_2), but then all the movies look compressed. I have also tried other settings at Pixel Aspect Ratio for example, but to no avail.

What am I doing wrong? What settings should I use? I am a total newbie when it comes to Adobe Premiere Pro.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[Ann Bens]

Premiere does not support mod files, there is a know issue with mod files. Wrongly interpreted.

Sequence settings looks slightly incorrect.

Set preview to iframe mpeg only and turn off comp in linear color.

Post screenshot of clip in MediaInfo and post outcome in TREEVIEW.

And upload a short clip for testing.

[_Floddertje_]

Hi Ann, thank you for your response. I hope my attachments are what you meant in your last sentence.

I'm trying to figure out what you mean with 'Set preview to iframe mpeg only and turn off comp in linear color.' Do I do this in Premiere Pro? If so, could you tell me how to...?

Please be patient with me, I'm new to Premiere Pro... 😮

[Ann Bens]

New to video-editing or just Premiere?

You do need to understand, Premiere has a high learning curve.

Just look at the screenshot (sequence settings) you posted and change the parameters as suggested.

Also set pixel aspect ratio to dv pal widescreen 1.4.

[_Floddertje_]

New to video editing in general, but computer programs are something I usually learn pretty quickly. I had started already in Premiere for a little bit and seem to be doing just fine, but for some reason I just hadn't noticed the compression yet. But after reading your comment about Premiere not supporting mod files, I googled and found Filmore Video Editor, which does seem to support mod files. I already downloaded and installed it and imported one file and it looks correct, so I think I will just start over with this editor and leave Premiere Pro to my son, for whom I bought it. 😉

So you actually helped me out, thanks for your time!