Aspect Ratio Calculator

[Timothy Carr]

Hello, I was doing a project and needed to know what 1920x1080 is in the SCOPE format. So I made this tool - the aspect ratio calculator. Now, I know this is nothing new, but hey it might help a few people. Its only for Windows at the moment, I am looking at compiling a MAC version soon. If there any bugs/feature suggestions, please let me know! Enjoy :thumbsup: PS: I know some of you wont trust me, so here is a virus scan: https://www.virustotal.com/file/233...03415b02ba3894bdfc934527/analysis/1337949994/

 

[Kevin Downer]

Thanks for that.
Another handy little app to add to the post toolbox.
(Small niggle: Source is spelled wrong)

 

[Timothy Carr]

Dam it... I'll fix that on the next release. Glad you like it!

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

Thank you SO MUCH!!!!! (btw: it's damn)

 

[Timothy Carr]

Haha thought it was, but my autocorrect thought otherwise haha.Glad you like it!

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

can yoou do one more preset, please for a 2.37:1 aspect ratio?

 

[Marc Wielage]

Note that if you're creating HD deliverables, the distributor may have exact specs as to where they expect scope blanking to be. A calculator can't predict timing shifts and other issues that can happen with the final files or tape outputs. They typically look at the HD material with a scope, and express the letterbox borders in microseconds.

QC Central is one place that has posted precise specifications for active video and blanking with different masking ratios:

http://www.qccentral.com/video_specs2.pdf

Again, this won't guarantee it will meet the specs for your distributor, but it's close to what I generally see from the major video distributors and cable channels out there. They may also outright reject non-standard aspect ratios like 2.37 unless there's special conditions attached to the delivery contract.

 

[Timothy Carr]

@Brandon - I have updated it for you. Re-download and it should be updated
@Marc - Thanks for that doc. The tool is designed so that you don't have to search through pages of information etc. But i agree. If you video is going to be distributed, then you should double check with you distributor that it is correct.

 

[Marc Wielage]

Oh, I've seen a few nightmares with HD deliverables where the aspect ratio was technically correct, but the whole thing was a couple of pixels high or low due to vertical timing issues. Disney in particular is very strict about this stuff.

There are also channels which specifically will not air letterboxed material, or at least they discourage it. HDNet is a big one. They generally insist on a full-frame 16x9 version, regardless of the original aspect ratio.

I have worked on several projects where we did a letterboxed version, then a 4x3 version (for the great unwashed), and then weeks later, the client came back to us in a mad panic because they also needed a 16x9 full-frame version. Aspect ratios can be a nightmare that way.

 

[Timothy Carr]

Really?

Really?

Oh, I've seen a few nightmares with HD deliverables where the aspect ratio was technically correct, but the whole thing was a couple of pixels high or low due to vertical timing issues. Disney in particular is very strict about this stuff.

There are also channels which specifically will not air letterboxed material, or at least they discourage it. HDNet is a big one. They generally insist on a full-frame 16x9 version, regardless of the original aspect ratio.

I have worked on several projects where we did a letterboxed version, then a 4x3 version (for the great unwashed), and then weeks later, the client came back to us in a mad panic because they also needed a 16x9 full-frame version. Aspect ratios can be a nightmare that way.

Really? I have distributed my stuff no problem. I did have one case though where the render didn't support "1920x803" so it went "1920x804" and only one company rejected that. But that wasn't a calculation problem, that was simply the video format.

 

[Marc Wielage]

Correct. Just watch out for the weird exceptions like HDNet. I know of a situation where lawsuits were threatened because the deliverable elements were only 98% of what the distributor asked for. It's all or nothing with some of these people.

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

Thank you SO much!

 

[Timothy Carr]

Correct. Just watch out for the weird exceptions like HDNet. I know of a situation where lawsuits were threatened because the deliverable elements were only 98% of what the distributor asked for. It's all or nothing with some of these people.

Some companies are just ones that i would stay away from. Especially ones that will sue for 3-4 lines of pixels.

Thank you SO much!

All good

 

[Marc Wielage]

Some companies are just ones that i would stay away from. Especially ones that will sue for 3-4 lines of pixels.

What if they're willing to pay you $50,000 to air your film? Would you say, "naaaa, I can't re-output the film just to fix a 4-line shift." Me, I'd go for the money -- especially if they're right.

One big thing with the post business is: you have to learn early on to always dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" for every project. You figure even if it's something no ordinary person will notice, a nutty QC person will see it. I've run into QC people who run movies at 1/4 normal speed just to see stuff that's impossible to catch at normal speed. A flaw is a flaw, and the project has to be as perfect as humanly possible, especially for something easy like letterbox border sizes.

 

[Timothy Carr]

What if they're willing to pay you $50,000 to air your film? Would you say, "naaaa, I can't re-output the film just to fix a 4-line shift." Me, I'd go for the money -- especially if they're right.

One big thing with the post business is: you have to learn early on to always dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" for every project. You figure even if it's something no ordinary person will notice, a nutty QC person will see it. I've run into QC people who run movies at 1/4 normal speed just to see stuff that's impossible to catch at normal speed. A flaw is a flaw, and the project has to be as perfect as humanly possible, especially for something easy like letterbox border sizes.

Thats true, but this tool isnt designed for huge feature projects haha. For that you need to contact your distributer. I made it because everyone has there own idea on what each aspect ratio should be, and i wanted a tool to find out EXACTLY what it is.