Tips for Exporting 16x9 Sequence to a 4x3 Letterboxed MPEG-2

  1. "Export Using Compressor" from the File menu in FCP.
  2. In Compressor, start a new MPEG-2 setting or modify one of the existing ones - it must be a 4:3 MPEG-2, not a 16:9 MPEG-2, so be sure to make or use a 4:3 MPEG-2 setting.
  3. Under the Geometry pane in the Settings Inspector, there is a setting called Padding. This is the setting you need to letterbox the HD Sequence from FCP into letterboxed-SD.
  4. Select the aspect ratio of your *source* (16:9) in the padding drop-down.  Your MPEG-2 settings already have the aspect ratio of your output.  Compressor will then select the padding values you need to create the letterbox.
  5. From here, just export as normal in Compressor.  Your resultant MPEG-2 file will be 4:3 aspect ratio (not anamorphic PAR) with letterbox and your complete 16:9 frame from your HD sequence (scaled down, of course).