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safe filming frame for DVX (newbie question)


samm Parnell

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hi all,

 

I am starting to notice a problem with captured footage from my dvx and ppro1.5. basically the frame becomes expanded and the previously carefully picked frame becomes slightly larger in all four directions, so little is the change that for alot of footage it was simply not noticed. this issue excists whether I am captureing reg video or 24p.

 

the aspect ratio has been set to normal for our last four projects to guard against any strange framing issues that we find ourselves running into after projects with some editors suites. But now as I go back through our most recent footage shot in the normal aspect ratio I see that it catpured with this strange frame expansion.

 

Thanks for any help with this

 

samm

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The LCD monitor and VF in the DVX-100 and many other inexpensive DV/HDV cams display overscan video only. They don't have a underscan mode to display the full video raster.

 

If possible, use an external monitor with underscan to see your full frame when shooting, or mentally compensate when framing (tighten-up your shots a bit when viewing the built-in LCD & VF).

 

P.S.: The current, improved version of the DVX-100 -- the DVX-100B -- features underscan display on its LCD & VF (showing the full video raster). I don't know if this can be switched between underscan & overscan. If not, framing only in underscan -- without compensating for video's "safe area" -- can result in video which appears "zoomed-in" slightly on standard (overscan) TVs.

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I agree, this sounds like a simple viewfinder issue. Put simply, the camera's onboard LCD doesn't display the full area that the camera captures.

 

The flip side of that though is that most TV's don't display the full video image either. That's largely why the viewfinders are set up the way they are -- the image you see in the VF is supposed to closely resemble the framing you'll see on TV. That's why they call 90% "TV safe" or "safe action area."

 

Take care when shooting and editing to compose your images for "TV safe" to ensure the viewers at home see the framing you intended, and nothing gets cut off at the edges of frame. Similarly, take care to "protect" the full image area -- keep it free of light stands, microphones and such -- so the full frame is clean when viewing on a projector or computer screen.

 

Compose for TV safe. Protect for full frame.

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