Settings for Creating 'HD-Video' and 'DVD-Video'

[goddi]

Greetings,

I have been following the recent discussion (Shows Created in PTE/The New Zealand Landscapes) about image size. Ok…I confess I am a bit confused. Since my PC is a 17” monitor and I don’t have one of those big screen TVs (yet), I have not had to be worried much about the images' display size.

However, I am trying to understand the proper procedure to create a PTE show that will play the HD Video (mp4) or DVD-Video Disk for televisions on the ‘big screens.’ Normally, I would reduce my Nikon D80 images (3872 x 2592) down to about 1024 x 768 and reduce the images’ resolution (keeping them at 10.42” x 6.97”) so the show’s exe size would be more manageable.

According to what I have been reading in the Forum, the way to go for presentation on large screens is to Create the show in HD Video 1920 x 1080 with an aspect ratio of 16:9. I can see where to set the setting in the Create menu for HD Video.

However, what I am confused about is what needs to be set in the Project Options/Screen menu if you are going to Create the (1) HD (1920x1080) file (do you always choose ‘High Quality’?) and the (2) DVD-Video Disk for television:

-Is it necessary to set the Aspect Ratio to 16:9 here, or does it matter?

-Is it necessary to set the Virtual Size of Slide here to 1920 x 1080, or does it matter?

-What do you do with ‘Virtual size of slide’?

If you start out with the original image size of 3872 x 2592, can you (should you) keep the original size (10.42” x 6.97”) and reduce the resolution (file’s size in Kb) to keep the exe file smaller and not lose quality?

I hope I am not mixing apples and oranges here. It is just not clear to me when to set certain settings. I’d appreciate any clarifications.

Thanks… Gary

[fh1805]

Hi Gary,

Let's talk about image size and aspect ratio first. Your Nikon D80 is taking images at 3872x2592, which is an aspect ratio of 3:2. The HD standard is 1920x1080, which is an aspect ratio of 16:9.

If you were to resize your images to fit the 1920 width, constraining their proportions to retain the 3:2 aspect, they would be 1280 high; too big for the HD screen. If you were to resize your images to fit the 1080 height, constraining proportions again to keep the 3:2 aspect, they would be something like 1613 wide; not enough to fill the HD screen.

If you want to fill the width, you will have to crop the image height. If you do not want to crop your image you must resize to fill the height, and you will then have a space at each side of the image. So, there's your first decision: do you keep the aspect ratio and resize to fill the height or do you crop the image and resize to fill the width?

As for the Project Options...Screen settings: I believe that if you set the Virtual size of the slide to 1920x1080, PTE will automatically detect this as an aspect ratio of 16:9. Create a little test sequence of two or three of your images and play around with these settings. You will see what happens in the mini-viewer area.

regards,

Peter

P.S. Much more interesting question!

[davegee]

Hi Gary,

See the attachment to this FAQ post.

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10609

DG

[goddi]

Peter,

Thanks for the info. However, you have opened a can of worms for me. But it is a good thing. After reading your reply, I started to look more closely at my workflow for getting images into PTE. Now I see I have not been paying close attention. I am still pretty much lost on what exactly to do but I now see I have been negligent in my workflow.

Normally, I would shoot JPGs, instead of RAW. I'd run them through Photoshop and usually adjust only Levels and USM. Then, to get them down to manageable size for PTE, I'd run then through a batch resizing (using NetGraphics Optimizer, not available anymore). NetGraphics is a great little program; but after your posting, I see that I should be resizing my D80 images down from 3872x2592 to 1613x1080 (3:2) aspect ratio (I don't want to crop my images). I now see that even though my NetGraphics program lets me "use image's original size", the max resize using their batch process is 1200x803. And I see other programs I have will also not an image be resized larger than this. So I was not able to ever get the 1613x1080 resized images. Using Photoshop, I'd have to make an Action, but I have not been able to make one that works as it should.

Anyway, the bottom line is I have to rethink my workflow. I have not responded sooner because I have been trying to find a better approach. I have not succeeded yet, but I see I need to. I have thoughts of now shooting only RAW and using Nikon NX2 to do the batch conversion to JPG and resizing. But I have not tried it yet. I now feel like a lost lamb in the woods. Too many things to think of trying to get the correct workflow and make my images higher quality. And this is all before I get to understand some of the settings in PTE, which still are not clear.

I still have may questions, but one question at this point: when you say 'resize', what is your process to do this? Do you do this one image at a time, or do you have a batch process to do this? Which program? And, do you 'resize' only to get the final PTE exe file to be more manageable or for other purposes?

Thanks... Gary

=================================

Hi Gary,

Let's talk about image size and aspect ratio first. Your Nikon D80 is taking images at 3872x2592, which is an aspect ratio of 3:2. The HD standard is 1920x1080, which is an aspect ratio of 16:9......

regards,

Peter

P.S. Much more interesting question!

[fh1805]

Gary,

Download IrfanView and give that a try for batch resizing. Lin Evans used to give it pretty massive plugs - and if it's good enough for Lin... (need I say more?)

It is freeware.

regards

Peter

[fh1805]

Gary,

My reason for resizing is to keep the image files as small as possible (whilst also keeping them as large as necessary) in order to minimise the stress on the graphics card when doing fancy transitions and animations.

I used to (and at present still do) resize my images to fit within the maximum resolution of my digital projector (1024x768). But I am seriously thinking of trying to "future proof" my sequences by building them at 1920x1080 (HD resolution) and then letting the laptop/digital projector workout how they're going to downsize those at the time of projection. The next sequence will be built this way to see how things work out.

Like you, I currently shoot only JPEG (3008x2000 from my Nikon D70) but have pondered whether to switch to RAW and use NX2 to do the initial processing. I even got as far as an off-forum dialogue with Ed Overstreet on this subject. I'm still pondering...

I know I'm not too old a dog to learn new tricks: but I'm also a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" And right now I have no reason to believe anything is broke.

regards,

Peter

[goddi]

Peter,

Yes, I have looked into IrfanView. It has the ability to batch Rename and Conversion of format. But when it comes to resizing, which works nicely, does not seem to have a batch feature. You have to do it one by one. I am looking into NX trial now to see what it has. Gary

========================

Gary,

Download IrfanView and give that a try for batch resizing. Lin Evans used to give it pretty massive plugs - and if it's good enough for Lin... (need I say more?)

It is freeware.

regards

Peter

[Lin Evans]

Hi Gary,

Irfanview can batch resize just as it does batch rename and batch file conversions. Just click on the "Batch Conversion" button, choose an output format then use the Advanced features to resize, crop, etc.

There is absolutely no software more versatile at batch resizing than Irfanview, you just need to learn how to use it.

Best regards,

Lin

[goddi]

Peter... Ok, good. I am on the same page as you. Keep file "small enough but as large as necessary." My previous method was not really 'broke' but I can see it is not keeping up with the times where we might need them for larger screens. I tried another program and it also would not resize any larger than 1200x803. I'll let you know if you find anything with NX Trial.

Gary

Added later: Should we leave the DPI at 300 or reduce it to 72 when resizing for PTE?

==============================

Gary,

My reason for resizing is to keep the image files as small as possible (whilst also keeping them as large as necessary) in order to minimise the stress on the graphics card when doing fancy transitions and animations............

regards,

Peter

[goddi]

Lin...

You know I looked and looked and didn't see the forest for the trees. Thanks for pointing it out. I'll give it a try. I asked Peter but let me ask you also: When you resize for PTE, do you leave the DPI at 300 or change it to 72?

Thanks... Gary

========================

Hi Gary,

Irfanview can batch resize just as it does batch rename and batch file conversions. Just click on the "Batch Conversion" button, choose an output format then use the Advanced features to resize, crop, etc.

There is absolutely no software more versatile at batch resizing than Irfanview, you just need to learn how to use it.

Best regards,

Lin

[fh1805]

Gary,

DPI = dots per inch and has meaning only for printing your image. For a projected image the only thing that matters are the pixel by pixel dimensions. If all you are going to do is project the image (or display it on a PC monitor) you can resize at 7dpi or 7million dpi; it has no effect on the final file size (or image quality until you try and print that image).

regards,

Peter

[fh1805]

Gary,

Further to my last post...

Using Photoshop Elements as my working software then, when resizing a file, the "Resolution" field where the value 300 or 72 would appear is part of the Document Size information. Note that word well - Document; and then think a "document is a piece of paper". Those three fields have meaning only for the printed image.

The two fields above those (in the section headed "Pixel dimensions") are the only two whose values you need to play around with. You also need to consider whether or not you do want to constrain proportions.

The same guidance will apply to the equivalent fields in any other image editing software.

regards,

Peter

[davegee]

NX2.2 will batch all functions.

As well as renaming (not advisable unless you include the original name in the new name) the standard batch process screen offers a straight batch to TIF (8 bit or 16 bit) or JPEG. It will also allow you to apply a SETTINGS FILE (Adjustment). This also allows for batching NEF files to a given WB or Exposure Compensation etc.

To resize, create a SIZE/RESOLUTION edit step from the EDIT menu on a sample image.

Save the EDIT STEP as an adjustment and then apply in the batch process.

You could, for instance, change WB, Exposure Compensation, apply a curve, apply noise reduction, convert to B+W, resize, change resolution and many other things - all in one batch process.

DG

[Lin Evans]

Hi Gary,

If all you want to do is batch resize, Ken told me about a nifty little program which works like a charm. I think he will link you to it in a few minutes...

Best regards,

Lin

Lin...

You know I looked and looked and didn't see the forest for the trees. Thanks for pointing it out. I'll give it a try. I asked Peter but let me ask you also: When you resize for PTE, do you leave the DPI at 300 or change it to 72?

Thanks... Gary

========================

[Ken Cox]

Hi Gary,

If all you want to do is batch resize, Ken told me about a nifty little program which works like a charm. I think he will link you to it in a few minutes...

Best regards,

Lin

see

http://www.fookes.com/ezthumbs/index.php?3.0

ken

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Gary

If you are like me and most other photographers, the first thing you will do to an image is to check if it needs cropping. It's very rare if I take a perfect shot straight out of the camera, possibly 3 in 10 or sometimes less if I'm in a hurry. If you are the same as me then you might as well go the whole hog and do a complete edit picture by picture, including re-sizing. This way in raw you can blow up the image so that you get the best picture possible. Re-sizing & then cropping is a definate no no IMHO.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1