exporting 16x9 AVI ends up squashed 4x3

[a***@adobeforums.com]

set all the settings under the export dialogue box to export as 16x9 (the footage is 16x9) and yet it still exports as 4x3. why is this?

am exporting as microsoft AVI - NOT DV AVI. i then select D1/DV PAL widescreen 16.9 (1.422) as the pixel aspect ratio - am i doing something wrong here?

regards
angus

[S***@adobeforums.com]

Sorry, I do not have an answer to your query but am experiencing the exact same problem when exporting an .avi file. However, aspect ratio remains correct when exporting same sequence as MPEG2. Have tried searching on this forum but with little success.
Does Anyone know what the answer to this is?
Many thanks

[Steven Gotz]

How do you know it is 4:3?

What are you playing it back in? Are you importing it into a project and it is squished because the PAR is not being recognized?

[M***@adobeforums.com]

I think it's about PAR. My friend has same problem. When imports files to Premiere for unknown reason all 16:9 are seen as 4:3. Then when they're rendered they're squashed just to fit 4:3 rectangle on 16:9 area. The solution to that is to change file PAR settings in Premiere

[R***@adobeforums.com]

It is my observation that 100% of the problems relating to aspect ratio here are users not understanding what a widescreen file looks like when played by a 'dumb' player.

A DVD file in widescreen is still 720x480, same as a 4:3 SD file -- but the player 'knows' to display it as a 720x480 16:9 file ... if that doesn't describe the player/screen combo you are using, you'll get something you don't expect.

It is about PAR, and an understanding of what PAR is, how it translates to display, and what tools you are using to display the file. Add to that whether your tools are 'smart' and can recognize the PAR without being told, and whether your display is similarly 'smart' and can recognize the signal as you configured it ... or whether you will have to manually set the playback/display appropriate to your file.

HTH

GB

[S***@adobeforums.com]

Hi
I am capturing footage recorded in 16x9 from Sony DVCAM machine. Footage captured using the 16x9 PAL settings etc. All looks fine during capture, edit and compilation along timeline. However when I export as an .avi and playback in WMP the image has been squashed from the sides. If I export as an MPEG2 though and view in same WMP there is no squashing of the frame. The other thing I have experimented with is exporting the same 16x9 footage but as a 4x3 .avi and it retains the 16x9 shape and the image is not squashed.
??

[M***@adobeforums.com]

What do you mean? WMP shows film as:
a. 4:3 footage (so original 16:9 picture gets squashed/deformed)
or
b. 16:9 footage but picture is just within 4:3 rectangle and rest is black (black bars on sides)
??

[R***@adobeforums.com]

WMP does not recognize the 16:9 PAR flag in a DV.avi file ... so your results seem typical. Resize your WMP view, or use a player that has a 16:9 preset.

GB