Slideshow for both PC and DVD

[aplman]

Dear PTE enthusiasts ...

I wish to create most of my slideshows in such a way that I can produce an EXE file (for best display on PC) and a DVD (for easy showing to more people). Trouble is, the two have different requirements.

On the PC, I want to use the full screen to see the full image. In that case, I can place text and other objects near to the edge without losing anything.

For a DVD to be shown on my TV, however, I must allow for the "TV safe zone", to avoid having objects slip out of view. That's all very well, but I lose some of my main image, unless I make it smaller and position it inside the safe area. That makes much extra work.

I spend a lot of time in O&A, on both animation and text objects. To have to make two separate projects, with different animations and object placements, is quite undesirable ... in fact, it's cruel!!!

I feel sure this has been discussed in the forum, but my searching has been fruitless. Can anyone please point me to previous discussions of the matter?

It seems to me that we should be able to develop a show until it looks great on the PC, then simply create the DVD without unnecessary extra effort. An optional user-specified "TV Safe" border zone around the image should be provided by the software at the time of generating the mpg file.

That way, all the effort that goes into animation and placement of objects would be done just once, and either form of finished product could be generated.

Any comments and help will be welcome and much appreciated -- Thank You!

Ken T (APLman)

[thedom]

Hi Ken,

Right now, the solution is to add a PTE frame with zoom = 85% (more or less depending on your TV/DVD player) and to cut and paste all the objects of the slide as children of the PTE frame. You have to do it for each slide.

This way, you will not loose the animations and placements.

But it might be a long process if you have a lot fo slides.

I agree, there should be an option provided by the software to do this.

I recommend to start a topic in the Ideas and suggestions for next versions forum.

You already have my vote.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Have you tried sizing your slides to 1280x1024, unticking the "fixed size of slides" box in the "screen tab" of "project options". You may get a little distortion on your TV but if you didn't tell your audience, they wouldn't know. You may also have to set your screen resolution to auto on your TV. It's not perfect but it works for me.

yachtsman1

[orizaba]

Dear PTE enthusiasts ...

I wish to create most of my slideshows in such a way that I can produce an EXE file (for best display on PC) and a DVD (for easy showing to more people). Trouble is, the two have different requirements.

On the PC, I want to use the full screen to see the full image. In that case, I can place text and other objects near to the edge without losing anything.

For a DVD to be shown on my TV, however, I must allow for the "TV safe zone", to avoid having objects slip out of view. That's all very well, but I lose some of my main image, unless I make it smaller and position it inside the safe area. That makes much extra work.

I spend a lot of time in O&A, on both animation and text objects. To have to make two separate projects, with different animations and object placements, is quite undesirable ... in fact, it's cruel!!!

I feel sure this has been discussed in the forum, but my searching has been fruitless. Can anyone please point me to previous discussions of the matter?

It seems to me that we should be able to develop a show until it looks great on the PC, then simply create the DVD without unnecessary extra effort. An optional user-specified "TV Safe" border zone around the image should be provided by the software at the time of generating the mpg file.

That way, all the effort that goes into animation and placement of objects would be done just once, and either form of finished product could be generated.

Any comments and help will be welcome and much appreciated -- Thank You!

Ken T (APLman)

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your suggestion!

"An optional user-defined TV-Safe border zone around the image should be provided by the software at the time of generating the mpg file".

No more, no less! This should be the solution!

I would add that this has been my problem as well, and I am solving it by means of using my movie-editing software "AVID LIQUID 7.2". I load my PTE AVI file into my AVID LIQUID program, and I zoom it out 15%, this way creating the so called TV-Safe border zone around the image, in order to burn the DVD. It works, but I "think" it looses some quality.

I think as well that this kind of solution is not so complicated to introduce into PTE software (I just think, but Igor will know exactly...).

I am now finishing a big PTE project (more than 200 slides, 27 minutes, much complicated in terms of objects and animations) and I will burn a DVD.

I would wish Igor could introduce "PTE solution" at once, by means of an UPDATE to actual version 6.0.4. At least, I would like Igor to reply to this request!

Regards,

Jose

[aplman]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your suggestion!

"An optional user-defined TV-Safe border zone around the image should be provided by the software at the time of generating the mpg file".

No more, no less! This should be the solution!

...

I think as well that this kind of solution is not so complicated to introduce into PTE software (I just think, but Igor will know exactly...).

G'Day Jose!

Thank you for your positive response to my suggestion. I thought it was pretty obviously a good idea, so I did not labour the point. Now I see you have put an excellent case in the PicturesToExe section of the Forum -- I am very glad to see that.

I suppose PTE was originally for exe file output only, and the DVD facility was added later -- that would explain why it has not acquired all the desirable features yet.

Nevertheless, as both a PTE user (relatively new) and a professional programmer (since 1962), I believe what we are asking for is both extremely desirable and not too difficult for the brilliant WnSoft team.

I hope we see this implemented soon.

Ken T (APLman)

[nobeefstu]

This subject was briefly mentioned in this section some time ago ... you may want to read its return comments. Now with the changes in PTE since then ... hopefully all objects of the slide and not just the main image can be optionally included if the user so desires.

Fit to TV Safe Zone - WnSoft Forums

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7279

[wideangle]

I would also love to see this option included as a facility in PTE

wideangle

[aplman]

... hopefully all objects of the slide and not just the main image can be optionally included if the user so desires.

Fit to TV Safe Zone - WnSoft Forums

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7279

I meant "image" in the broader sense ... the picture that is to be sent to the TV screen, resulting from the main image and all added objects and effects.

Ken T (APLman)

[nobeefstu]

Ken T (APLman)

My comment on the main image was not in reference or related to your post.

Since PTE already has the % of the Slide to show Main Image which only applies to the main image ... adding all other objects of the slide as a option would produce and allow us to Fit to TV Safe Zone in accordance to our needs for DVD production for TVs that overscan. Please remember most older TVs overscan in different %s and some newer equipment does not overscan (or so very little to be noticable) ... so theres no preset % to determine whats best to use in all users equipment.