Change project aspect ratio for DVD templates in PE4

[tmdavies]

If I have mistakenly started my inital project as a 4:3, although my footage has been filmed in 16:9 Widescreen, is it possible to change the aspect ratio of the DVD template section in PE4 without actually having to start from scratch?

I say this as I have just noticed what I've done and have a timeline of 1 1/2 hours -which I don't particularly want to start from scratch.

I have tried to change the Project Settings but it won't actually let me change it from 4:3 to 16:9.

[Tom Blizzard]

I'll give you my experience and maybe you can check and see if it works for you.

Click on your clip, (do this in order to (highlight) your clip in the media section,) then go up to "file" in the toolbar and click on that. When the dropdown opens, go down to: " interpert footage" and click on that.

Look down for "Pixel aspect ratio", click on the "conform too" choice. In the dropdown, click on 16:9 widescreen. Then go back and see if your monitor is now widescreen.

Also, when I finish and get ready to burn or save my DVD, I select widescreen from the choices. This comes up after you make your title and scene selections. At least this will give you something to work with till the experts arrive....:)

[ATR]

Given in Set Up you had NTSC DV Standard instead of Widescreen:
Under Edit/Preferences/General did you have the "Default scale to frame size" checked? "1" below may not be necessary. See how it goes.

Let us give this a try and see what happens.
1. Get Media/Project View. Right click video file and select Interpret Footage. Under Pixel Aspect Ratio, dot the Conform to: and set it at "D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2).
2. When you get to Share/Disk, under Disc make sure that the "Presets" category is set to "NTSC_Widescreen_DolbyDVD", then burn to disc. You should be able to change the NTSC Standard to Widescreen here.

You might want to try this as a mini test run in a new project. If it works, then apply it to your project to which you have devoted so much work.

ATR

[ATR]

Tom

Looks like we were typing away at the same time.

Thanks for coming to the rescue. Glad to have you involved. Hope all is going great with your projects.

ATR

[tmdavies]

Thanks for all your help on this.

I have followed these instructions and unfortunately, although the project itself has exported as 16:9, the DVD menu has exported as 4:3 and looks a bit untidy compared to the rest of the project.

Is there another way to ensure that the DVD menu is 16:9 too?

[Tom Blizzard]

Thanks ATR.....

TM.......That is an excellent question. I just didn't know to ask it. Many thanks.

I had the same expereience. My title is 4:3 and the 16:9 video I used in the menu is also 4:3 so it is "geometrically" incorrect. I just figured that Adobe 3.0 made all the title tmeplates for 4:3. Anyone know if it can be changed to 16:9? :confused:

[ATR]

OK, let us see if we can figure out what is happening....this is just speculation.....all comments welcomed.

If you go to the Program Files/Adobe/Premiere Elements 4/DVD Templates and look at the Templates, it appears that there are sets that would co-relate to the Preset that is set when opening the program.

So, you open Premiere Elements 4 with a NTSC DV Standard Preset. I am guessing that determines the DVD Template set that is to be used, namely the set with a "s" in the template name would be for standard, the one with a "w" in the template name would be for widescreen.

From what you wrote the video aspect ratio issue is corrected by previous suggestions. How about this for reversing the template aspect ratio issue...
BEFORE you Create A Menu, go to Share/Disk/Disc and change the Presets to widescreen as described in a previous post. THEN, go back and Create a Menu. See if that works.

If not, we will think on this some more.

ATR

[ATR]

Just another thought....

If you are worried about losing your Timeline content because you have to switch to a new project, would this work for you:

Take your Timeline content and File/Export/Movie. In the Settings there (Video) change the aspect ratio to "D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2)". You will converting your Timeline content to DV AVI widescreen 16:9. After the process is complete, you will find a copy in the hard drive saved location that you designated as well as in the media of your project.

Close that project and open a new project which has the Setup Preset at NTSC DV Widescreen 16:9. That for sure should trigger the appropriate DVD Template.

Check it out if the other idea was a dud.

ATR