Apple Cinema Tools 3 - Manual (Page 184)

184 Chapter 11 Working With 24P Video and 24 fps EDLs
About the 24P Aspect Ratio
When capturing NTSC or PAL video from 24P sources, you typically choose how to
handle the differences in their aspect ratios.
Standard definition (SD) video (NTSC or PAL) has a 4:3 aspect ratio. This means the
picture is 75 percent as tall as it is wide. 24P video uses a 16:9 aspect ratio that is
closer to the common film aspect ratios, and is the same as the widescreen broadcast
high definition (HD) formats.
Most 24P videotape recorders (VTRs) can be equipped to output standard definition
NTSC and PAL video. Final Cut Pro systems not capable of capturing 24P video
directly can capture one of these SD video outputs for editing. A setting in the VTR
determines how the 16:9 video is formatted to fit the NTSC or PAL 4:3 aspect:
 Letterbox: Displays the entire 16:9 frame, placing black bars at the unused top and
bottom parts of the frame. This is the preferred method since you can see the
entire frame without the distortion of the anamorphic method. Timecode is
generally burned in along the bottom black bar so that it does not cover any of the
active picture.
 Anamorphic: Displays the entire 16:9 frame by distorting the image (objects look
tall and skinny) to fill the 4:3 frame. The image displays correctly when used with a
monitor that supports 16:9 video.
 Pan and scan: This mode displays a portion of the 16:9 frame as undistorted video
filling the 4:3 frame. The “pan” part refers to being able to choose the part of the
16:9 frame to display by panning across the frame. This sort of panning is not
supported by the VTR however, and you end up using only the center part of the
frame (also known as center crop). Pan and scan is not usually used for editing since
you cannot see the entire frame, and risk using unsuitable footage.
UP01101.Book Page 184 Thursday, March 10, 2005 3:16 PM