How to export footage and burn a 16:9 PAL DVD for playback on television I have searched everywhere and consulted many people yet no one seems to know how to solve this problem.

I have created a large project in After Effects in 16:9 format:


  1280x720
  Square Pixels
  Frame Aspect Ratio 16:9 (1,78)


The problem is that every single time I burn any of this footage to DVD, it works perfectly on a computer, but on dvd/tv, rather than letterboxing the tops and bottoms, the sides are cut off. (Even with black bars on the sides where footage should be). The same DVDs play flawlessly on the computer. I have tried cycling through every mode available on the TV as well (4:3, 14:9, Widescreen (16:9), SuperLive, etc etc).

I don't believe it is an issue with Action/Title Safe as vertically, nothing is cut off, only the sides.

I have tried Roxio Toast and Burn. With both, I have ensured 16:9 is enabled/checked and PAL Video DVD Format.

I have tried countless settings in my dvd burning software.

I've also tried putting everything into Final Cut and exporting with Compressor: 


  Name: MPEG-2 for DVD
  Description: MPEG-2 elementary stream for DVD Authoring
  File Extension: m2v
  Estimated size: 2.25 GB/hour of source
  Type: MPEG-2 video elementary stream
      Usage:SD DVD
  Video Encoder
      Width: 720
      Height: 576
      Pixel aspect ratio: PAL CCIR 601 (16:9)
      Crop: None
      Padding: None
      Frame rate: (100% of source)
      Frame Controls: Automatically selected: Off
      Start timecode from source
      Aspect ratio: 16:9
      Field dominance: Progressive


In every single case, the footage plays perfectly on a computer, but the edges are noticeably cut off on a TV. Why isn't the DVD just fitting the footage to screen??

I believe the issue lies in the PAR (Pixel Aspet Ratio) - but shouldn't a compressor setting that is setup SPECIFICALLY to output a format made for a 16:9 PAL DVD make it work regardless of the source footage?
Render your footage again downscaled to 720x576 then burn it to your DVD.  Even though the downscaled files look squashed on your computer, when burnt to a DVD with a 16x9 anamorphic setting it should appear correctly.