Need super-basic advice on aspect ratio

[johnneumann]

If the widescreen TV is set properly, the 4:3 footage will appear normal, with black on each side.
If the widescreen TV is NOT set properly, the 4:3 picture will appear horizontally stretched, with everyone looking fat.

Thank you yennyb. I think you answered my last question on this.

It's been a tough week for me.

In this one week, I called Shure to ask about a new tie-clip part for my very expensive wireless lapel microphone which I bought in 2004 - and which has about 20 hours total use on it. They informed me that about eighteen months ago my microphone had been made illegal by the FCC and could no longer be used under threat of a $250,000 fine. This was a top of the line mic for its day.

Then I get this opportunity to make some talking head videos which ought to sell a few copies. First time I would be making videos for the outside world in about a decade, rather than home movies. I find out that 1) the 16:9 on my camera is not real 16:9 and is basically unusable due to image degradation. 2) If I get a reasonably priced memory based camcorder, I can't load the footage into my old Kron.

In short, Get a new microphone. Get a new camcorder. Get a new video editor.

None of which is going to happen.

[LouBruno]

Rent a Camera. rent a wireless microphone. Incorporate that into the pricing. Find an editor willing to help you OR ask your local MSUS dealer if you can use his DEMO unit.

[johnneumann]

Does anyone remember whether the old SmartEdit software had a feature for adding the black bars to the left and right side of an image so as to create a widescreen video from 4:3 footage?

[yennyb]

John,

The way to create widescreen 16:9 footage of a 4:3 project with black bars on each side, is to go to your 4:3 project, and with the particular scene highlighted, go to Special/Clipboard, and add the scene to Clipboard.
Now go to a 16:9 project, or create a new one, and once more go to Special/Clipboard.
It will show that particular scene, and when you import it into your 16:9 project, you will see it in the scene bin, undistorted, with black on each side.

[johnneumann]

Thanks, yennyb.

These talking head videos I want to make will be about 40 minutes long with one lecture to a DVD.

It seems to me this would allow me to put the same video on a DVD twice, one in 4:3 and one in 16:9, with the option to choose between the two versions in the menu. I'm guessing this strategy you are suggesting results in no image degradation (unlike shooting in fake 16:9 in the PD150), so that's a usable workaround strategy for me.

-JOHN