displaying Anamorphic 16:9 footage on my external monitors
by Matt Carl (Level2789)
on
Oct 10, 2008 at 10:46:27 pm
I have created a FCP sequence with 16:9 settings and have applied my anamorphic video footage to it. Everything looks fine in my FCP viewer window (the footage appears rectangular (letterboxed) with a black bar above and below. Problem is that the external monitors I have hooked up to my computer are still displaying my footage as stretched and tall. Even when I record it to tape it is still stretched. I read in the FCP user manual that it is good to keep 16:9 footage stretched tall when making dubs to preserve resolution but the problem is I need it letterboxed for broadcast on TV. I know when I am editing on an AVID and reformat my footage to 16:9 it displays properly on my external monitors. Why is this different and how can I force FCOP to display the letterbox?
Re: displaying Anamorphic 16:9 footage on my external monitors by Bill Dewald on Oct 10, 2008 at 11:03:20 pm
If you want an anamorphic timeline, then keep it anamorphic. It's supposed to be stretched. Your monitor should have a 16:9 toggle to view it properly.
If you want to force FCP to letterbox your anamorphic footage, cut in a non-anamorphic timeline. FCP will automatically letterbox your footage.
If you need it "letterboxed for broadcast on TV" then export from your non-anamorphic timeline. But be very sure about what the broadcaster is asking for.
Re: displaying Anamorphic 16:9 footage on my external monitors by Matt Carl on Oct 15, 2008 at 1:11:53 am
Yep that did it. I placed my anamorphic footage into a regular 4:3 timeline and it forced the letter box out to my external monitors and printed to tape that way. Working this way ensures that people watching on a standard TV will see the footage the way it was intended to be seen and not stretched tall.
