User Guide

Chapter 3 Combining Standard and High Definition Video 53
Downconverting High Definition Video
There are several methods for downconverting HD video to SD video:
 Letterbox
 Crop
 Pan and scan
 16:9 anamorphic
If you are downconverting from one 16:9 HD format to another, you can simply scale the
original video to the destination size. In Final Cut Pro, you can downconvert by nesting
and scaling your HD sequence to fit within an SD sequence. For example, if your output
format is DV NTSC, nest your DVCPRO HD sequence in a DV NTSC sequence.
When converting high definition footage to standard definition, you should do
the following:
 Use the Export Using Compressor command.
 Edit (or “nest”) high definition clips or sequences into a standard definition sequence
with the appropriate settings, and then export the sequence. This option properly
deinterlaces video before scaling, and then reintroduces interlacing after scaling. For
example, if you want to export a high definition sequence to DV NTSC settings,
create a sequence using the DV NTSC Easy Setup, drag the original high definition
sequence into the DV sequence, and then export the DV sequence using the Export
QuickTime Movie command.
Important: Avoid converting high definition footage directly to standard definition
media by using the Export Using QuickTime Conversion command directly with
Browser clips in your project. This approach may introduce interlacing artifacts when
the video is scaled.
Letterboxing 16:9 Video in a 4:3 Frame
To preserve the aspect ratio of widescreen movies on a 4:3 screen, widescreen movies
are scaled until the width fits within the 4:3 frame. The remaining space at the top and
bottom of the 4:3 frame is left empty, and is usually left black.