Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 1181)

SD NTSC pixels are taller than computer pixels and SD PAL pixels are wider than computer
pixels. As a result, a 720 x 480 pixel image looks different (taller) on an NTSC video monitor
than it does on a computer display. For example, if you capture a clip of video with a
globe in the picture, export a frame, and look at this frame in a graphics application, you’ll
see something like this:
NTSC square vs. non-square pixels example
Looks right
on a video monitor
Looks wrong
on a computer display
The Viewer and the Canvas let you display non-square pixel video correctly on the
computer’s display. You can choose this option by choosing Show As Sq. Pixels from the
Zoom pop-up menu in both windows.
Pixel Aspect Ratios in HD Video
Uncompressed HD video transferred via an HD-SDI signal has pixel dimensions of either
1280 x 720 or 1920 x 1080. However, HD video recorded on tape is often horizontally
compressed to reduce the data rate. DVCPRO HD, HDV, and HDCAM are three examples
of formats whose native horizontal dimensions are squeezed. For example, 1080i60
DVCPRO HD is 1280 x 1080. 1080i50 DVCPRO HD is 1440 x 1080. Because of the discrepancy
in dimensions even within a single format, it’s usually best to create HD graphics at either
1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720, depending on your final output format. If you are uncertain
which HD format you plan to output to, you can always be safe by creating your graphics
at the largest size possible (1920 x 1080) and then scaling down if necessary.
Creating Graphics with the Correct Color Settings for Video
You should be aware that the range of colors that can be displayed on a broadcast video
monitor is much smaller than the range that can be displayed on a computer display. For
this reason, colors that appear bright and clean on NTSC or PAL video can seem duller
when viewed on your computer display.
1181 Chapter 70 Working with Freeze Frames and Still Images