JVC camcorder video on youtube becomes narrow ... is this because im filming in 16:9 instead of 4:3?

Question

16:9 looks so much better for watching videos off of my camcorder but do i have to record them in 4:3 whenever i want to make a youtube video

Answer 1

YouTube by standard doesn't 'see' when a file is 16:9 (anamorphic) or 4:3. If you turn on the export option 'Letterbox' to constrain the aspect ratio it will have black borders on the top and bottom, and thus lets you view your film like it's supposed to be seen.

If you upload the file to Vimeo (vimeo.com) it will always have the exact size, no matter the size you upload. I recommend using Vimeo for better video and audio quality and a friendlier community.