[ArtGuy]

I have a Canon dv ZR65MC coming up on its third year. The camera is set to record in widescreen mode but when I capture to either Pinnacle Studio Plus 10 or to Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 I only get 4x3 format. I have set both programs to capture in ws both automatically and by default with the same results. With Studio Plus, it looks like it starts to capture in ws but after a few inches I get an error message that the aspect ratio has changed and it changes to 4x3. I have never changed the aspect ratio on my video camera since I set it to ws on the day I bought it.

[linskyjack]

Dont know much about either your camera or your software (accept that Studio Plus sucks) but can you answer the following.

1. In Adobe Premiere, have you set up the project to capture 16:9.
2. Does your camera support real 16:9 (the chip) or is it one of the fake 16:9 gizmos that many consumer cameras have?
3. Have you captured successfully in 16:9 previously--and if so, did you accomplish this with both pieces of software you mentioned?
4. Where are you viewing the captured video---in the preview window of the software or on a monitor----If on a monitor, does that monitor support 16:9---mine does but then again its a 1200 dollar Sony Pro Field Monitor.

UPDATE---thats a digitally enhanced 16:9, not true 16:9. I didn't think so with a camera at that cost.

[ArtGuy]

This is a little complicated but here goes:

Question 1. Yes the program is set up to capture 16:9.

Question 2. The camera does support real 16:9.

Answers to other questions follow.

The first tape I shot with it when it was new was successfully 16:9. On a trip I took a year ago, Tape 1 was successfully captured in 16:9 but tape 2 (I did not change any settings) was 4:3. I viewed Tape 1 on my widescreen TV in 16:9 but Tape 2 was 4:3. Previews were 4:3 on the new stuff with both software programs but now I can't set my hands on the old 16:9 tape, so I can't re-check it. At the moment I'm thinking this may be a camera problem -- though yesterday I shot a five minute video in 16:9 that captured in 16:9.

Previously, I created a ten minute "movie" on Studio 9 but when I tried to create a longer movie it would hang every time while rendering. The new programs don't hang while rendering but they do seem to hang whenver they're in the mood. (New memory is on order.)

[linskyjack]

Yes this is complex----I'm a bit confused---some points.

1. Tape one---the one you shot a year ago--was 16:9 on your TV----did you plug your camera into the TV and play it directly from your VTR---or did you capture it and process it and go back out to tape or mpeg or VCD?

2. Studio 9 and 10 are notroious for hanging---just bad software---stick with Premiere Elements.

3. I lost the site, but I checked and your camera supports 16:9 digitally enhanced. If its a true 16:9 chip then I would be very surprised. My Sony PD-150 cost about 3500 bucks and it has digitally enhanced wide screen. I could be wrong but I am pretty sure I am not----This is just an aside.

4. It's wierd that yesterday you were able to capture in 16:9 unless of course your camera is mysteriously shifting from 16:9 to 4:3 and back again. It could be a hardware problem---but who knows..

5. Video editing is both processor and ram intensive and hangups are often a problem. Here are my suggestions.

1. Capture your video files on a dedicated drive---just for VIDEO. That drive should have 7200rpm and 8mb cache specs.
2. Make sure your drives are set to DMA
3. Make sure you have plenty of ram---although 512 will work---1gb makes much more sense.
4. Do not use Studio product------Stick with Adobe Premiere Elements, or Vegas Movie Studio---I edit professionaly using Vegas Video and it is rock solid.

[erick295]

Originally Posted by ArtGuy

The first tape I shot with it when it was new was successfully 16:9. On a trip I took a year ago, Tape 1 was successfully captured in 16:9 but tape 2 (I did not change any settings) was 4:3. I viewed Tape 1 on my widescreen TV in 16:9 but Tape 2 was 4:3.

It sounds to me like you simply didn't record the second tape in 16:9...

[ArtGuy]

I apologize for the slow response to your helpful posting. I have been furiously trying our several different movie editing programs and have finally settled on the new Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0.

I did play that first tape on my HD wide-screen TV and it came across in 16:9 format. I remember thinking how cool that was. The "second tape" mystified me which I played immediately following Tape 1 because it takes some effort to reset the camera to 4:3 mode and I had never done that -- indeed, I have yet to do so.

I have added a dedicated 250gb 7200 external harddisk and have increased my ram to 1 MB. The programs run smoothly (though Studio 10 could not produce a playable DVD) but none I've tried would produce a 16:9 aspect ratio. I have decided it is likely a camera problem and I think I will ship it off to Canon. Of course, by the time they get through with it I could probably buy a new midget-sized DV.

Thanks again,

Artguy aka Kaye Holden

[ArtGuy]

To Linskyjack: I failed to mention that I had made a CD of the second tape and it still plays on my TV in 16:9 mode.

Artguy