Screen flicker or shimmer on DVD highlights

[Ed Overstreet]

I finally got a new computer with a DVD burner and just successfully burned one of my shows to a DVD-R. I used the default settings in the AVI button in PTE (NTSC, DVD-Video, and only the interlaced box checked On) and the default settings in Sonic My DVD Deluxe 5 for burning the DVD. It worked (took a LOT longer than PTE takes to generate an EXE file on the new machine, though), but when I play the show on my DVD player over my TV set I notice a flickering/shimmering in bright highlights (not in the rest of the image). This is in the interior of the image, not along the frame edges as reported (if I interpret correctly) in some other postings re SVCDs. I find this very annoying and distracting.

Has anyone else seen this particular problem with DVDs and found a solution to it?

BTW while the image quality on the DVD is much better than on the VCD and SVCD burns I did on my old system (which only had a CD burner), the image quality over my TV set is still inferior to the EXE files on my monitor. Not only are the images not as sharp (not surprising given the limits of AVI resolution), but the images are somewhat more contrasty, and subtle colours tend to desaturate. Also the transition smoothness on some effects (especially page and rhombus among those I've tested) is jagged and inferior in several places on the DVD version, though the fades all look good. I can't see myself using DVD versions of my shows except when I want to display them to a group of people where I don't have access to a digital projector and there isn't room for them to crowd around my computer monitor; the image quality is disappointing compared with what I see on the monitor and over my photo club's digital projector. The sound is very good on the DVD though. I guess it's nice to have the option if I ever find an out-of-town friend who has a DVD player but not a computer (the reverse is far more common in my circle of friends and acquaintances). Further to one of my posts some months ago, for the next version of PTE I still don't see further improvements to the video feature as being nearly as important to me as some other things (e.g., pan and zoom effect). One man's opinion anyway, for what it's worth

[Ken Cox]

ED

see my entry re ATI

at

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums//index...2027&hl=shimmer

bit of theory behind the cause

ken

[gogs]

Ed

I have had same problem burning to DVD with U-Lead. Shimmering I experienced was within the picture not at the edges and more or less the same as you describe. Unfortunately I don't have a solution for you although each time I have burnt a DVD I have ticked the sharpness filter box. Has been suggested that I try without sharpness filter but have not been able to do so yet.

I did read recently in a UK Digital Photo mag a review on different DVD authoring programmes and the review had noted this effect (using UK PAL TV system).

Quote from article "PAL TV system has frame rate of 25fps. Each frame has two fields derived from mains frequency of 50Hz. These two fields alternate and a flickering effect can be evident as the image switches from one to the other. This is unnoticeable in regular moving TV but can be evident on freeze frames or still images."

From the review of 6 products Photodex ProShow Gold gave best performance with no flicker. ULead DVD PictureShow2 gave the worst. Unfortunately I am using a Ulead product (Ulead DVD Movie Factory 2).

Don't know if this rambling helps you any but what it suggests to me is that it might be down to the product used for burning the DVD.

gogs

[Ed Overstreet]

Thanks Gogs. I doubt the sharpness filter makes a difference in this case; I wasn't using it, and I still had the problem.

The explanation you quoted makes sense to me. Unfortunately it sounds like something you and I have to live with, unless we want to spend $$$ time and frustration trying out other products (which may or may not work consistently across platforms or system configurations, I suspect). Given the limitations of the DVD feature as I noted above, I don't think I'll bother. I'll stick with the EXE versions of my shows, they look great on monitors and digital projectors, so I'll limit myself to those display media. Fits my own style, preferences, and venues anyway.