Movie Edit Pro Plus Version 20.0.1.80(UPD3) UG code 8452 KA1 Running on Intel i7-9700K CPU @ 3.60GHz 32.0 GB Ram 64 Bit O/S Windows 10 Build 19042.1348

@tdbearii

Hi

. . . . Sony .MTS video . . . .

Is this video from a Sony phone or camera, and which model?

Download and install MediaInfo and analyse one of the .MTS clips and post the results, see this tutorial if you are not familiar with MediaInfo  on how to setup MediaInfo and analyse a video clip.

John EB
Forum Moderator 

Sony Cam - model ?

General
ID                                       : 0 (0x0)
Complete name                            : E:\Paul Photos\Paul Temp\00002.MTS
Format                                   : BDAV
Format/Info                              : Blu-ray Video
File size                                : 1.98 GiB
Duration                                 : 41 min 28 s
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 6 832 kb/s
Maximum Overall bit rate                 : 18.0 Mb/s
Recorded date                            : 2021-11-13 12:16:18-04:00
Writing application                      : Sony

Video
ID                                       : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : High@L4
Format settings                          : CABAC / 2 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames        : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP                     : M=2, N=15
Codec ID                                 : 27
Duration                                 : 41 min 28 s
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 6 294 kb/s
Maximum bit rate                         : 16.0 Mb/s
Width                                    : 1 440 pixels
Height                                   : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate                               : 29.970 (30000/1001) FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Interlaced
Scan type, store method                  : Separated fields
Scan order                               : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.135
Stream size                              : 1.82 GiB (92%)
IrisFNumber                              : 1.800000

Audio
ID                                       : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : AC-3
Format/Info                              : Audio Coding 3
Commercial name                          : Dolby Digital
Codec ID                                 : 129
Duration                                 : 41 min 28 s
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 256 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel layout                           : L R
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                               : 31.250 FPS (1536 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Delay relative to video                  : -67 ms
Stream size                              : 75.9 MiB (4%)
Service kind                             : Complete Main

Text
ID                                       : 4608 (0x1200)
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : PGS
Codec ID                                 : 144
Duration                                 : 41 min 28 s
Delay relative to video                  : -67 ms

@tdbearii

Hi

. . . . Sony Cam - model ? . . . .

The MediaInfo data suggests this is a Sony Handycam - which model ? For example I have a Sony Handycam FDR-AX53.

From the MediaInfo data :

Width                                    : 1 440 pixels
Height                                   : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9

This looks wrong - 1440 x 1080 aspect ratio is 4:3 - does the video display as 16:9 (widescreen) or 4:3?

What recording settings were used in the camera?

John EB

The camera used is not mine - I have messaged the owner for the info. Sure that's a 4:3 ratio - the "program" settings force conversion when importing into the timeline and it plays as 16:9 - until you close and re-open the "program".

@tdbearii

Hi

Try the following:

1. Use File, Manage project, Export movie file, Magix . . . to save the timeline as a MVD file.
2. Start a new project and use File, Manage project, Import movie file to import the file saved in 1.
3. If this corrects the issue save the project with a new name

. . . . that's a 4:3 ratio - the "program" settings force conversion when importing into the timeline . . . .

The aspect ratio of the project is controlled by the Project settings preset that you selected.

. . . .and it plays as 16:9 - until you close and re-open the "program"

Is the image is being stretched to full screen or is it pillar boxed - black bars left and right? Does it still play 16:9 after re-opening the project, change to 4:3 or are you referring to the rotation of the mys file?

John EB

I tried this two ways. 1) saved exported the file to a new timeline as above - fail 2) re-edited the .MTS video, after deleting the back ground files, saved, exported, added to a new time line - also a fail. This, over 60min time line, is mostly stills but has a number of other mpg, and even .MTS from my camera that all work fine. Clearly the "Program" does not like this video. This .MTS video appears to play fine, full screen 16:9 when you add it to the time line - it even previews correctly - full screen 16:9. After shutdown and re-start this MTS video appear to be 16:9 but in portrait - Full screen top to bottom but black on the sides. I've tried to use the rotate function but that seems to switch this video to 4:3 and then it become distorted. I may have to run it through "HandBreak" and live with the resulting quality.

@tdbearii

Hi

. . . . Clearly the "Program" does not like this video. . . .

Thanks for additional information from what you have said everything points to the MTS file being the issue.

What I think you may have is an Anamorphic or HDV video clip recorded in a 4:3 'container', which, when played back the fills a 16:9 screen. This would account for the distortion when you rotate the image.

. . . . After shutdown and re-start this MTS video appear to be 16:9 but in portrait - Full screen top to bottom but black on the sides. I've tried to use the rotate function but that seems to switch this video to 4:3 and then it become distorted. . . .

If you used the rotation button - under the rex X, in the image below, this has been known to cause the issue as you have described - try using the rotation dial indicated in the image below setting the value to -90 to rotate anticlockwise or 90 to rotate clockwise.

Assuming this is anamorphic video, converting with Handbrake it should be possible to correct the anamorph without losing visible quality - see here.

HTH

John EB

Camera info from the owner ["Sony Model number is HCR CX 100 and I recorded it AVC HD 9M ( HQ)"]. Keeping in mind I have this same .MTS video edited on another time line with many other elements added without issue. I'm a long time user of your edit programs and this is the first time I've encountered a situation where you work on a project, save it, come back to the program later and it's not they way you left it. Very frustrating. Also if you're looking for bugs to fix - After adjusting the audio i.e. EQ on a video attached track then clipping the track - (editing it into segments) the audio adjustments don't follow the edits. You need to reopen the audio editor on each sub clip then the EQ tab and click ok. The EQ changes are visible in the GUI but you don't hear the changes till you do that to each clip. Back to my main issue - again what I'm I missing?

That is the rotate function I used in the above pic @ -90 and created anamorphic distortion in an effort to find a work-around and fix the issue. Bottom line the very same clips are fine on 1 time line and rotate on another. Both time lines have the same settings - as far as I know the time line with the rotated clips was set for the new time line to copy settings and yet the 2nd time line works so???

Width                                    : 1 440 pixels
Height                                   : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9

This looks wrong - 1440 x 1080 aspect ratio is 4:3 - does the video display as 16:9 (widescreen) or 4:3?

My Canon HV-20 also records 1440x1080 16:9.

A video object can be forced into another aspect ratio: right-click on the object on the timelime, choose Object Properties, Video, and set the AR as required.

Another MEP foible, methinks. I regularly come across files which everything else on my 'puter plays or displays fine but MEP won't/can't.

AAProds - These edited video clips play fine in 16:9 on one timeline but turn 90 degrees on a 2nd time line after closing / restarting the program. Both time lines have identical movie settings. The only difference is the order that media was added to the project(s). I will take a closer look at that tomorrow to see if there is a work around.

@tdbearii It may not be related to the aspect ratio; sometimes I find it quicker to give up and move on by recoding it, as @johnebaker suggests. You could do it in MEP: open your MTS, by itself, in a new project, set the movie settings to 1920x1080 16:9, 29.97 and export it as a high bitrate MPEG 4 (eg 10,000kbps or higher), then use that file in your project, or you can use Handbrake.

@tdbearii

Thanks for additional information - the manual for the Sony HCR CX 100 does have sufficient information on the video file format it records to, however Handbrake should be able to correct the Anamorhpic video.

@AAProds

Hi Alwyn

. . . . Canon HV-20 also records 1440x1080 16:9. . . . .

The HV-20 definitely is Anamorphic.

Do you see the issue in MEP 2021 with the rotation controls - this normally appears when using mobile phone video recorded in portrait mode and has a rotation flag set ?

John EB

Update on the issue - it's 100% a MEP "weakness". The work around is sort of like a math problem, (Order of Operations). First start a new TL with the "Problem" video - edit / save / close / open - (WOW the video didn't rotate!). Then to that new TL add, without closing, your original project TL. Copy/paste the original TL to the new TL and there you have it the once problematic video is right side up and in your original TL and you didn't need to process it any further. So MEP kind of likes the .MTS video from that cam ... but not always!

@johnebaker

Do you see the issue in MEP 2021 with the rotation controls - this normally appears when using mobile phone video recorded in portrait mode and has a rotation flag set ?

John, it seems to be working OK here. I've added a portrait video, then rotated it, then closed and re-opened and it's fine, as I left it, rotated.

@tdbearii @AAProds @johnebaker

Hi

Just a bit from Wikipedia on the 1440x1080 conundrum:-

There are PAR's -Pixel Aspect Ratios, SAR's - Storage Aspect Ratios and DAR's Display Aspect Ratios.

HDV is an Anamorphic SAR and is stored as 4:3 (to save bandwidth) but has a Display AR of 16:9 (as reported in Media Info) flagged which VPX detects when the file is dragged to the timeline - so it is probably best to not set the Project / Movie Settings to any particular AR but let the program set it by agreeing to the prompt.

Some video-editing software applications often ask users to specify an "aspect ratio" for their video file, presenting him or her with the choices of "4:3" and "16:9". Sometimes, these choices may be "PAL 4:3", "NTSC 4:3", "PAL 16:9" and "NTSC 16:9". In such situations, the video editing program is implicitly asking for the pixel aspect ratio of the video file by asking for information about the video system from which the video file originated. The program then uses a table (similar to the one below) to determine the correct pixel aspect ratio value.

Generally speaking, to avoid confusion, it can be assumed that video editing products never ask for the storage aspect ratio as they can directly retrieve or calculate it. Non-square-pixel–aware applications also need only to ask for either pixel aspect ratio or display aspect ratio, from either of which they can calculate the other.

There have been a couple of items in the patches for VPX13 and MEP2022 that mention problems with Non Square Pixels and incorrect AR's eg Incorrect display of such "after Horizon Straightening", and during "Transitions" (Fades), so the SAR / DAR issues can cause some curved balls at times in NLE's.

Peter