Problem with scene menu (Outdoor Wedding)

[serge]

I am just starting with Premiere Elements 7, but I have run into an issue with the scene menu. I am using the "Outdoor Wedding" menu. My video clips are 4:3, so I set the project settings to 4:3. I then changed the preset to 16:9 when burning to a DVD (reason in next paragraph). I can see the picture corners when I view my video in preview mode, but cannot see them when I play the DVD with my TV (widescreen TV).

I assume I have to change the preset to widescreen when I burn it to DVD to achieve the proper aspect ratio. On my first try, I burned it in standard mode, but the video was stretched to occupy my widescreen TV and the picture was "short and stocky". It looks much better when I burn it as widescreen. Everything is fine except for the inability to see which scene I am selecting.

I would appreciate any help in resolving this issue.

[serge]

Clarification... The scene menu (i.e. picture corners) works fine when I burn the DVD using standard instead of widescreen (same as the project settings). The problem is that the video is stretched to fill my widescreen TV.

Is there a better way to address this problem?


Thanks,
Serge

[ATR]

Serge

This is what I would like you to try.

Open Premiere Elements 7 and, at the beginning where you see "change settings", set the Project Preset to NTSC DV Widescreen.

Organizer/Get Media
Edit Mode/Project View
Right click file and select "Interpret Footage" from the drop down list.
In the Interpret Footage dialog,
a. Dot "Conform to:" and change the setting to "D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2) and then click OK.
Next drag that file to the Premiere Elements 7 Timeline.
Create Menus
Share: Disc/DVD/ In the burn dialog, you will find the Project set for NTSC Widescreen Dolby DVD with a check mark next to "Fit Contents to available space". Burn to Disc.

Burn that and see what that looks like on your widescreen TV. Remember:
NTSC Standard 720 x 480 4:3
NTSC Widescreen 720 x 480 16:9
1080p 1920 x 1080 16:9
720p 1280 x 1080 16:9
So make sure that you check out your TV display settings.

Please let me know if that helped your situation.

ATR

[serge]

Thanks for the response ATR. The simple fix was to set the project settings to NTSC DV widescreen (as you suggested). However, I have to leave the "Interpret Footage" as it is (i.e. "Use pixel aspect ratio from file: D1/DV NTSC (0.9)") in order to keep the proper ratio. I also tried your suggestion and it stretched the video to cover a widescreen.

The only small problem now is that the menus are also widescreen, so the sides of the menu are chopped off when viewed on a standard TV. After all this effort, I'm calling it "good enough" and moving forward.

Premiere Elements is so much easier to use and better to use than Nero (my previous choice for video editing).

Thanks,
Serge

[ATR]

Serge,

Thanks for the update. I am pleased to learn that your project is OK now.

You should not have to use Interpret Footage, but.... see Premiere Elements 7 PDF
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/PremiereElements/7.0/WS09e4b3c48f3a79fc19b622510385d4355c-7f91.html
I would not have expected that using the Interpret Footage would have messed up your aspect ratios.

Have you thought about making two different versions of your project, one Standard (4:3) and one Widescreen (16:9)?

Continued success.

ATR

[serge]

Thanks again for all the help. I may end up creating two versions as you suggested.

Serge