aspect ratio issues

aspect ratio issues I'm a novice so go easy

#1 puka

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Posted 09 June 2009 - 04:03 PM

Ok people here is the problem:

All of this is done in 16:9 Aspect Ratio:

I record a home video on my nice digital video camera
I transfer the movie onto Imovie
I "share" the movie in medium format (have tried large also)
I make my DVD in IDVD
I preview it and it looks great
I burn it
Then put it on my nice LG digital TV only to find the titles are half on the screen, (the movie seems to be too wide for a widescreen tv - the same goes for the movie too).

Can anyone help me to stop this happening?
Thanks in advance
Puka

#2 lumeswell

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Posted 09 June 2009 - 04:17 PM

QUOTE (puka @ Jun 9 2009, 04:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you need to take into account what are called 'title safe' and 'action safe' areas for anything that will be played on a TV.
This means you can't put anything to close to the edge of the screen as not all TVs show the same amount of the image.

I cant remember if iMovie has guides for this or not, but assume the outside 10% of the image is not usable and you should be OK.

#3 puka

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Posted 09 June 2009 - 04:25 PM

cheers for getting an answer so quickly, most appreciated!

I'll muck about with it soon but I assume that is really the menu solution only. what about the full movie being stretched too much as well? does the same thing apply?

#4 lumeswell

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Posted 09 June 2009 - 08:13 PM

QUOTE (puka @ Jun 9 2009, 04:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, in my rush to answer at work I sort of missed the second half of your question.

This one is a bit harder to answer - usually people experience the movie looking to thin, or pushed in on the sides when they make a widescreen movie (this is because wide screen in standard definition is a cheat - its still a regular image just stretched wide, and sometimes players don't correctly stretch the image out, so everything looks tall and thin).

Looking too wide sounds like a different problem.

Its been a while since I used iMovie, but check that it is working in PAL wide screen (it should be a preference somewhere). Also try playing the disc in another player if possible to establish the problem is the disc and not the player.

#5 Anthony Caruana

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Posted 10 June 2009 - 03:21 PM

QUOTE (puka @ Jun 9 2009, 04:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll take a punt that you've messed about with the aspect ratio/zoom settings on the TV and that the DVD is fine. Does the TV have some aspect options in its set up? Check those before pointing the fingert at iDVD.

I've burned many DVDs with and without titles and they have all worked.

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