On Mon, 31 Jan 2000 03:25:09 -0800, Jeff B wrote:

[...]
>My only reason for entering into the
>discussion at all was to point out that one may have to pay a
>little more attention to framing shots and title areas when
>changing over from being accustomed to an analog format and
>entering into using mini-DV, since I found that I lose a little
>more on the sides with mini-DV, when the final format for a
>project will end up being shown on a TV.

To jump in...
Since the 720 is "compressed" to 640, but the 480 remains
480 on viewing on TV, the proportion of the normal TV
cropping that occurs at the sides relative to the top and
bottom would appear (correctly) greater for a 720x480
format than a 640x480 - and less for a 704x480 format...

>It's number 2 that's got me stumped, though.
>
>>2. The aspect ratio of NTSC means that 9" x 6" is not full
>>screen. 4:3 translates to 8" x 6" or 9" x 6.75". Television
>>pixels are rectangular, not square, so 720 pixels horizontal is
>>the equivalent of 640 pixels horizontal on a computer monitor.
[...]
>Consequently, I have come to work with mini-DV with the working
>idea that the 720 wide will get cropped on output to analog to
>640. It does seem to violate the way that I would have
>explained it prior to purchasing and using the TRV-900, but I
>have simply accepted the paradigm that when Sony decodes the
>mini-DV signal for the analog outputs on this camcorder, it just
>crops off the sides.
[...]

Try a simple test to see that the TRV-900 does not just crop
the image... Make a graphic image with one or more centered
circles, and make it in 4:3 proportion; import it into the
editing program (it will look stretched sideways); export it
to the camcorder (it will appear correct and unstretched
when viewed on the camcorder viewing screen or on a TV,
assuming good TV adjustment...;-]).