Double Wide Screen Video

[BobFoster]

Problem: Recording SD wide screen video via S-video cable into Karat Bogart project set to 720x480i large image, 16x9 format. Set camera to DV 480 16X9. The actual connection is much more complex, but the problem is the same at the very basic connection tested. The recorded video is wide screen letterboxed that the 16x9 image has been squished down to accommodate the letter box bars at top and bottom. I have tried using 4x3 SD with 16X9 project, 16x9 SD with 4x3 project as expected neither of the two are useable. I do not understand when feeding a SD 16x9 video into a 16x9 project, that the Karat is trying to letter box the video. Anyone ever experience this situation? Am I missing something obvious? Cine Convert deletes the letter box bars but seems to degrade the resolution and the time for processing is about an additional 6 hours added on the regular editing time for a six hour program.
Bob F, GVP

[Christopher6206]

Is your monitor screen size settings set correctly? I wouldn't think the Karat would have that problem. Cassies have been using 16 X 9 footage for a long time. Also check your camera's playback features. Just because your recording is 16 X 9 and it is set to record in 16 X 9 doesn't mean it will play it back that way. Make sure you go into the camera's menu when you have it in playback mode and check that the settings are correct.

[BobFoster]

Thanks for your comments. I'm not recording anything on the cameras. This is a live switched event with 2 Sony cameras set to 720x480 wide screen SD. There is also a VGA input for powerpoint presentations mixed with the live cameras. The camera LCD screens, the video monitor and the mixers built-in monitor all show the images as full 16x9 full screen images. When I pull up the recorded images on the Karat, they are letter boxed top and bottom and squished like viewing a 4x3 image on a 16x9 monitor. As a test, I used 1 camera connected directly to the Karat with a BNC composite cable and got the same results. I also tested with a S-video cable into the Karat with the same results. I invested a LOT of money to be able to provide the customer wide screen SD recordings only to have to revert back to 4x3 SD programs.

[Christopher6206]

Is the Karat set for dual monitor set up or single monitor? Does it look correct when going into the machine but then looks double wide when you play it back? Do you have other footage from previous events shot in widescreen that look correct? It seems like you're missing a setting somewhere. Have you check the settings menu and clicked on "Screen" what do you see?

[MichaelD]

720 x 480 = 4:3 to me.

Do the Sonys not have something else like 640×360, 854×480, 960×540, 1024×576, 1280×720, 1366×768 or 1600×900 etc ?

[BobFoster]

720x480 can be either 4:3 or 16:9 in SD. It is the pixel shape that determines wide screen or not. Both are 720x480. Very confusing among all the flavors of formats. The Karat is supposed to handle both. At least it is an option in the project setup menu when choosing SD, 720x480, 16:9 or 4:3. I chose 720x480 in the Sony because it is the option available when recording SD to Karat.

When on location, the Karat is setup for a single monitor. Everything looks good going into the Karat. The recorded image is not twice as wide. It is a wide 16:9 image that has been letter boxed top & bottom and squished flatter like a 4:3 image on monitor set to 16:9. No previous examples. This is from a new a new attempt to use SD 16:9 images from 2 different Sony cameras. The camera images are perfect on the switchers built in Monitor, the HDMI preview monitor, and the Program "out" monitor

[Christopher6206]

Well I'm out of ideas. I tried replicating your set up to a point with what I have. I have an old cannon GL2 with S-VHS out. I hooked it up to my S-4000 pro in the front SVHS input and changed my screen settings in the settings menu to single monitor mode setting my single monitor to VGA 1680 x 1050 60HZ (16:10) which was the closest option available to 16 X 9 on my monitor. This is the same screen and setting for my dual monitor set up. I recorded 45 seconds in widescreen. It played back in widescreen. SO no fault there. Let us know if you ever find a solution. Good Luck.

[BobFoster]

I think the mystery of the squashed, letter boxed wide screen video is maybe solved. The issue is with the setting of the camera and not the Bogart software.
To shoot and record SD wide screen directly to the Karat, open the recording menu of the Sony Z5 or NX3 and choose "Record DV wide screen." Next choose "video out".
There are 4 options to choose from 1 480 2 letter box 3 squeezed 4 no HDMI out. The correct answer is "squeezed", Sony's odd reference to anamorphic video.
(Check out Wikipedia's "Anamorphic Wide Screen" for the details.) When the camera is set to DV wide screen and squeezed video output the image is recorded
correctly on the Bogart project set to SD - 720X480 - 16:9. This is the setting for recording LIVE SD wide screen video directly to the Bogart from a camera or switcher.