Problem with 6.0 and DVD's

[echelonphoto]

I have used pte for years to give my clients a slideshow set to music of their images. I have been having problems with the DVD version of the show...it has been unstable and I just burned

a disc for a wedding client and the show starts very smoothly, but after a few minutes...the show starts to hesitate and "hang up"...it eventually runs again...but has many pauses and glitches.

My images are sized 720x1080 so I have sufficient resolution for the PC version of the show...I am using mpegs for the music portion. Maybe the files are too large?....Also, how do you avoid

having the images appear squashed on a wide screen TV? I would also love to have a simple explanation of converting the show to use on Macs as more and more clients now own them

Andy C

[echelonphoto]

Correction....the music files are MP3, not mpeg

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Andy

It sounds like part of your problem could be computer resource. You need about 10GB on your C drive for the DVD burner to work correctly, I'm guessing check it out and if you have that amount we can move on, if not move some of your files to your D drive. The squashed pictures is a mine field when viewing on TV. Go into project options, click the screen tab, Is the fix size of slide box ticked, if it isn't tick it. While you are in there, is the hardware acceleration box ticked, if not tick it. On to your TV, can you adjust the aspect ratio? If you can set it to auto, if not set it to the aspect ratio of the slides you are using IE 1024x768 = 4-3. Hope this solves your problem.

Yachtsman1. I think all the moderators are out sunning themselves, or taking pictures.

[echelonphoto]

Thanks for the reply...yes I have plenty of HD space on C...I am running multiple drives in a terabyte system. I will try checking those boxes. I am also going to try a different disc media.. DVD-R...maybe that is a factor too.

[nobeefstu]

Andy,

Please clear up some DVD details so I may better understand your problem ...

I have been having problems with the DVD version of the show...it has been unstable and I just burned

a disc for a wedding client and the show starts very smoothly, but after a few minutes...the show starts to hesitate and "hang up"...it eventually runs again...but has many pauses and glitches

When you say your issues are with the DVD version of the show ... are you talking about a burning a DVD wth the exe file as its content or using VideoBuilder to create a DVD movie disc ?

If your creating a DVD Movie disc ... your 720x1080 images are converted to NTSC-720x480 or PAL/SCAM 720x576 for DVD movie playback. This converted size is the industry standard for DVD movie format and does not use your original image sizes as does a exe playback.

Yes, trying different disc media brands is your best bet at this point if your DVD is burned in the movie format ... many DVD players are real picky of what they favor and whats good for one player may not necessarily be good for another player. If your DVD is burned in the data format for exe playback ... your PC resources and your video card performance/capabilities play a major role in smooth playback.

[Rickl]

Nobeefstu addressed the aspect ratio issue - so there is not much I can add.. Your source images appear to be 3:2 aspect, and your wide screen is 16:9 so you will be facing screen aspect issues no matter what you do. Also, you are aware of the screen settings on your TV.. (My Sony has Normal, Wide Zoom etc)... When trying to show a slideshow with a possible aspect ratio issue, I like to reduce my image sizes by 15% (ie O&A Zoom 85%) so that they show with a black border around the entire image regardless of the aspect ratio of the TV/Monitor. The image is smaller, but it shows reasonably fine on both standard and High Def TV's. You can also change the color and texture of the background if you like...

I just completed a DVD project using Videobuilder to create all the files, but withold the actual burn. I like to view the slideshow by opening the DVD folder created by Videobuilder with VLC before burning the DVD. That way I can catch obvious errors before making coasters. My first attempt after installing 6.5.4 beta was kind of jittery too! I then realized that the default TV system in Videobuilder/Project Options was PAL/SECAM! That did not work smoothly on our side of the Atlantic... You might want to make sure you have that set correctly...

I have Videobuilder create an image ISO file, and burn it to disk with ImgBurn after I am satisfied with the DVD preview from the DVD folder.

Hope this helps,

Dick

[allcart]

Hi guys, I have been perusing these forums for a while, just soaking up all the info, and am in the process of burning my first slideshows. I have created a slideshow in the 4:3 ratio for general pc display which seems to work fine,)although not burned it to disc yet) but am attempting to put the same slideshow on DVD for TV display. I have created two versions, one with 'fixed size of slide' checked and one with virtual size of slide (unchecked) but they both appear the same on my wide tv. When viewed at 16:9 they are squashed with no black borders. When I set my tv to 4:3 they touch top and bottom of the screen with a border at the sides, but they also seem to crop a little off each side of the image.

Should I try setting the last box on the screen tab to 85% and set for all existing slides?

Also, it it essential to burn an ISO image before burning to disc. I just burned both versions of my slideshow directly to disc from videobuilder without creating the ISO image.

I am using Nero.

Allan

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Allan

IMHO you can't do what you are suggesting. You need two different sizes of slides to acheive what you want, one at 4-3 for YOUR PC & one at 16-9 ratio for your TV. For my own use I have a 5-4 monitor a 4-3 laptop & a 16-9 TV with an auto setting. My previous 4-3 shows DVD's filled the TV screen with no black edges & very little distortion. Haven't tried burning a DVD recently using my 5-4 setting as my De-lux account has expired.

Yachtsman1

[allcart]

I understand what you are saying about having two dedicated slideshows for pc and tv, but I thought that my 4:3 slideshow would fit perfectly on my pc monitor, but have black borders all round when viewed on my tv.

My made for tv (DVD) slideshows can also be played on my pc using various video players, but the quality is reduced somewhat. All the sharpness has gone, which is something I never expected. The whole purpose of this excercise is to produce Wedding dvd slideshows for viewing on pc or tv. It seems that may not be possible.

Having to produce two sets of files for tv and pc will be too time consuming so I was hoping to do both with one set. Maybe I need to find the optimum size that will look good on both. I can live with the black borders providing there is no cropping or distortion when played on a tv. The problem I, and I suspect many others have, is we don't know what tv or monitor size our shows will be viewed on, so its all a bit of a gamble choosing a resolution and ratio for the files.

can you clarify the TV safe zone for me. When I go into the objects and animation screen I see my image surrounded by a blue border then a grey background. I understand not to let my images go into the grey zone, but is it ok to go into the dark blue border?

[Ken Cox]

SEE ATTACHED EXAMPLES

YOU HAVE TO KEEP PICT INSDE DARK BLUE AREA

NO TV ZONE -- see how much of buds on right side shown

tv zone see how much you lose

ken

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Allan

I can't offer any solutions other than previously mentioned. As I said I haven't used the latest PTE De-Lux version yet. However, quality wise, you mentioned you are using Nero, does that mean you are not using PTE to produce your master copy?

Yachtsman1

[allcart]

I have Nero on my pc and that seemed to take care of the burning. I produced an ISO image and burned a dvd show using PTE and then I produced a dvd with 2 other versions without making an ISO image first. I put the two versions in the project list and just burned them straight to disc.

All dvd versions have reduced quality when played through my pc, even the one made with the ISO image.

So Ken, your answer was to stay inside of the blue border to avoid losing part of the image, unless you are animating of course.

[Ken Cox]

you will have to experiment withe tv zone/and animating to see what you can get away with

did you play the dvd's on your player/tv set up

it is a known fact that the exe is Sharpest

DaveG recommends -- if possible - -running hdmi from puter to tv cw separate audio feed to tv/player

ken

[allcart]

you will have to experiment withe tv zone/and animating to see what you can get away with

I have been doing this a few moments ago. if I bring all the still frames inside the blue zone it adds an extra bit of blac border round the images. Pans, zooms and animations are visible in this extra bit, which looks strange. I have tried various project settings, and my best results so far are with fixed size of slide UNCHECKED in PTE. In VB project options I have set screen menu to 4:3 (not sure if this matters) and screen aspect to 16:9. I set my tv to a 4:3 display and when I played my original slideshow with slides going into the blue zone it was nearly perfect although I have the black border at top, bottom and sides. It seems a waste of good screen space but the show looks clean and crisp.

did you play the dvd's on your player/tv set up

Yes, and I also tried it through an X-Box to see if it made a difference, but it didn't.

it is a known fact that the exe is Sharpest

I agree. I will make the HD video for pc next. My clients all have a pc or laptop, so viewing the show should'nt be a problem. I can't release the tv option until I have it worked out. Still not sure about the safe zone yet. My previous test played better before I adjusted it. Mileage may vary of course, depending on the slide resolutions.

DaveG recommends -- if possible - -running hdmi from puter to tv cw separate audio feed to tv/player

ken

This does seem the way to go, but not everyone has that option.

Perhaps I should add that my slides are 1600 x 1200px

Allan

[davegee]

No quite true.

DaveG recommends using HDMI from computer to TV wherever possible.

OR

DVI to HDMI with adaptor and seperate Audio Leads (not required with HDMI).

Desktops have DVI output - I haven't seen a laptop with DVI out - they are mostly HDMI.

[nobeefstu]

allcart

I have been doing this a few moments ago. if I bring all the still frames inside the blue zone it adds an extra bit of blac border round the images. Pans, zooms and animations are visible in this extra bit, which looks strange. I have tried various project settings, and my best results so far are with fixed size of slide UNCHECKED in PTE. In VB project options I have set screen menu to 4:3 (not sure if this matters) and screen aspect to 16:9. I set my tv to a 4:3 display and when I played my original slideshow with slides going into the blue zone it was nearly perfect although I have the black border at top, bottom and sides. It seems a waste of good screen space but the show looks clean and crisp.

Perhaps I should add that my slides are 1600 x 1200px.

Are you saying you are building your PTE slideshow in a 16x9 aspect ratio ? Your images are 1600 x1200 which are 4:3 ratio and your displaying on a TV with a 4:3 ratio ... why not build the slideshow in 4:3 ratio to check your results. You will always get black borders of some sort when building and viewing in different display ratios.

You mainly only need to use the Safe Zone area on objects when using text or special animations. The Safe Zone pretty much guarantees the objects will always be visible no matter how much a TV overscans. All TVs overscan to various degrees ... Analog does moreso as Digital does little or barely visible. If your building a PTE show in 4:3 ratio and displaying in a analog 4;3 ratio ... sometimes you may have to set the PTE Project Option | Screen setting % of the Slide to show Main Image to 90-95 % to compensate for analog TV overscan.

[allcart]

I am building the 1600x1200 show in a 4:3 aspect ratio in PTE. I set the project options within PTE to 4:3. Its only when I use Videobuilder to create the dvd for tv that I have chosen the 16:9 ratio in the VB project options.

So far I have tried all combinations and the best results have been had by choosing 16:9 in the VB project options.

My 42" plasma screen has a grey background.

All pics are kept out of the safe zone.

So; with a 4:3 ratio slideshow, fixed size of slides and a 4:3 VB setting, I get a large area of grey at each end of the screen with the slideshow in the centre. The slideshow has a thin black border where the safe zone is or was. The slideshow stays nicely inside this black border until it reaches an animated slide. If the slide goes into the safe zone in PTE, it also goes into the black border on the tv.

With a 4:3 ratio slideshow, Virtual size of slides and a 4:3 VB setting, I get a large area of grey at each end of the screen with the slideshow in the centre. The slideshow has a thin black border at the top and bottom only. The slideshow stays nicely inside this black border until it reaches an animated slide. If the slide goes into the safe zone in PTE, it also goes into and is visible in the black border on the tv.

But if I make the same 4:3 slideshow, virtual size of slides using the 16:9 option in Videobuilder, and also let my slides use the safe zone in PTE I get the same grey area as before, but a larger black border all round the slideshow. The difference is that all slides and animations are kept inside the black border and the animations are not visible. There was no cropping or noticable distortion of the images either. This is just like watching the show on the pc.

It all seems strange to me, but that is what seems to work best with a 4:3 slideshow. This will probably all be different when I make my next show in a 3:2 ratio.

Last but not least, I made the slideshow exe files and burned a disc for pc use. I played this through the laptop connected to the tv with a VGA cable. Once I got the resolution stuff sorted out, the show played very nicely. Definately sharper and clearer. I will have to try the HDMI cable next time.

Allan

[nobeefstu]

allcart,

With a 4:3 ratio slideshow, Virtual size of slides and a 4:3 VB setting, I get a large area of grey at each end of the screen with the slideshow in the centre. The slideshow has a thin black border at the top and bottom only. The slideshow stays nicely inside this black border until it reaches an animated slide. If the slide goes into the safe zone in PTE, it also goes into and is visible in the black border on the tv.

But if I make the same 4:3 slideshow, virtual size of slides using the 16:9 option in Videobuilder, and also let my slides use the safe zone in PTE I get the same grey area as before, but a larger black border all round the slideshow. The difference is that all slides and animations are kept inside the black border and the animations are not visible. There was no cropping or noticable distortion of the images either. This is just like watching the show on the pc.

It all seems strange to me, but that is what seems to work best with a 4:3 slideshow. This will probably all be different when I make my next show in a 3:2 ratio

If your Plasma 42 is a 16:9 widescreen format TV .... you should be building your PTE slideshow also in 16:9 widescreen format within PTE Project Options for best visual/optimal display for DVD playback on a 16:9 widescreen format TV. Its also best if your 1600x1200- 4:3 aspect ratio images are re-processed to a 16:9 aspect ratio for widescreen display format.

I know you may be doing alot of testing and experimenting ... but its best (if possible) to maintain the same aspect ratio thru-out all of your production cycles. Mixing/changing aspect ratios from images, build process to final display always results in some sort of black border display. A 4:3 ratio built project will not perfectly fit a 16:9 ratio display without having black borders of some type.

I suspect your issue is that when selecting 16:9 ratio within VideoBuilder Project Options | TV Screen Aspect Ratio ... you are interpreting that function to build the DVD slideshow for 16:9 widescreen display. Please read the v6 PTE User Guide pg71 - VideoBuilder Project Options as it relates to this function (previously named Title Aspect Ratio)

As noted in the User Guide :

"You should remember that it is the aspect ratio not for your slideshow, but only for the Menu and Tile."