How to produce high quality video CD/DVDs?

[leonard]

I find PTE4 and PTE5 are both excellent for producing slideshows for viewing on a PC (not up to Barry Beckham's standard of course) but adequate in terms of sharpness, colour rendition and layout etc to please the discerning viewer.

Unfortunately, in my case, the same can't be said for the same slideshows that are output as avi's and then burnt to CD/DVDs and displayed on a domestic TV. The output loses it's crispness and there is a fall off in colour reproduction. I have tried several different 'output' routes using a variety of software (up to and including Adobe Encore DVD v2) without any real success.

So my questions are these:

1. Is it possible to get the same high quality that is obtainable on a PC CRT when played back on a domestic DVD player and viewed on a TV. If YES what is the secret?

2. Does it depend on the codec selected in PTE? If YES, which one?

3. If NO, does it depend on the authoring software? If YES, which one?

4. Is the choice of DVD player important, If YES, which one?

5. If NO, is the choice of TV type important, ie CRT, CRT high definition, or LD/plasma?

6. Does the image type, size, cropping, resolution etc have a bearing on the result?

6. Are there any other factors that may contribute to this 'problem'?

I should add I use the PAL TV standard.

I would be grateful if the membership could supply answers in sufficient detail to enable me to solve my problem.

leonard

[LumenLux]

Many PTE users, including myself, are now quite "satisfied" with DVD (TV) output of PTE sequences. Maybe a useful process for you would be to get a DVD version from Barry or another PTE produced DVD from someone else. Then you could see if the level that some of us are so pleased with is better than what you are currently getting. I understand the DVD will "never" be as technically high quality as our high res monitors, but the extent to which that difference is visible and important may be quite an individual thing. At this point, my best results come from "PTE all the way", ie. using Igor's Video Builder in PTE Beta #8. It will finally be useful if you share your eventual conclusions with us.

[Lin Evans]

Let me add a bit to the already excellent answer...

I find PTE4 and PTE5 are both excellent for producing slideshows for viewing on a PC (not up to Barry Beckham's standard of course) but adequate in terms of sharpness, colour rendition and layout etc to please the discerning viewer.

Unfortunately, in my case, the same can't be said for the same slideshows that are output as avi's and then burnt to CD/DVDs and displayed on a domestic TV. The output loses it's crispness and there is a fall off in colour reproduction. I have tried several different 'output' routes using a variety of software (up to and including Adobe Encore DVD v2) without any real success.

So my questions are these:

1. Is it possible to get the same high quality that is obtainable on a PC CRT when played back on a domestic DVD player and viewed on a TV. If YES what is the secret?

No, it's not possible nor will it likely be so in the forseeable future. Television, including the new so called Hi Definition TV is a long, long way from the resolution now possibe on computer monitors. Normal U.S. NTSC is 525 lines interlaced and PAL isn't a great deal better. High Definition television falls short of even two megapixel (1200x1600) resolution and there are computer monitors which have nine megapixel resolution, but they are very expensive. So we probably will not see television with resolution matching today's computer monitors for a long, long time because it takes years and billions of dollars, euros, pounds sterling, etc., to convert over to even the current broadcast transmission standards and that is truly what drives the production of the viewing device..There is a move toward having higher resolution available on new DVD - like standards, but no one outside the industry and even few in it have a great deal of knowledge about how this will break down.

.

2. Does it depend on the codec selected in PTE? If YES, which one?

The default codec's for the Beta are about as good as it gets...

3. If NO, does it depend on the authoring software? If YES, which one?

Yes, somewhat, and the new built-in authoring software is top-notch and produces images as good as I've seen regardless of authoring software used (I have almost every type).

4. Is the choice of DVD player important, If YES, which one?

As far as quality of image, not really. They are all quite good today.

5. If NO, is the choice of TV type important, ie CRT, CRT high definition, or LD/plasma?

Not for standard DVD, though the new Plasma screens have very good resolution, the images are presently rendered in the usable resolutions which comply with PAL and NTSC. The future may see changes....

6. Does the image type, size, cropping, resolution etc have a bearing on the result?

Using a resolution somewhat close to DVD will save lots of work for the engine but if you have large zoom in on your slideshow, you will see better results by using a higher resolution which will allow the image fed to the rendering engine sufficient resolution to keep the detail as good as it can be rendered at the relatively low DVD resolution. I find 1024x768 for "most" images works well but for tight zooms I use higher resolutions. There is no need for "all" images to be the same resolution, the rendering engine will take care of the leveling and interpolation (downsampling).

6. Are there any other factors that may contribute to this 'problem'?

The quality of your original photos....

I should add I use the PAL TV standard.

Depends on where you live and who will be looking at your slideshows. If your typical user will be viewing on a PAL standard television then set the control appropriately.

I would be grateful if the membership could supply answers in sufficient detail to enable me to solve my problem.

leonard

Best regards,

Lin

[leonard]

Hi LumenLux,

Thanks for your input. I've written to Barry Beckham to ask if he sells a slideshow video DVD that I can play back on my set up (PAL). I'll let you know how I get on.

In the meantime, could you please comment on the following list of items that you use when producing your slideshow Video DVDs:

1. What software program do you use when authoring your PTE avi?

2. What DVD media do you use?

3. Do you use a standard domestic DVD player?

4. What type of domestic TV do you use, standard CRT TV, HD CRT TV, or LCD/Plasma?

5. How does your TV display compare to that seen on your PC monitor in terms of image sharpness and colour reproduction?

6. What type of PC monitor do you use, CRT or TFT?

Please add any further comments you consider relevant.

Thanks for your interest in this subject.

leonard

[leonard]

Hi Lin,

Thanks for your in depth response to my questions.

In a word, given the present technological status in the industry, it is your opinion that PC slideshow AVIs burnt to CD/DVDs will not produce the same quality image as seen on a PC monitor when displayed on a TV screen.

So it is all a matter of compromise and in the end is down to what the viewer considers acceptable in terms of image sharpness and colour reproduction. And as we know it's all in the eye of the beholder. All very subjective and personally I find it most unsatisfactory.

Thanks for your time. I hope other members will add their views and keep the debate alive.

leonard

[leonard]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the info, it look as though there is light at the end of the tunnel. It does beg the question - how long will it be before the software/hardware becomes available, and at a reasonable/affordable price.

This supports the notion that today's technology is just not good enough for the discerning viewer.

leonard

[Grumpygrandad]

I have tried to burn a DVD in PTE5 8a but can only get up to 52 secs. No matter what I try I cannot increase this time, this also applies when I try an AVI file.

Is there a setting I am missing to give me more time?

George

[Grumpygrandad]

Thanks Tom

Have tried but can not install 8b it goes through the setup but still shows V 8a and still will not go longer than 52 secs.

George

[Igor]

George,

Please describe me in more details this problem with strange limitation to 52 seconds.

1) Does it stops when converting video of long slide show?

2) Burned DVD-Video disc contains only 52 seconds of video?

3) Same problem if you add .pte projects file or AVI to Video Builder?

4) Is there a problem if you create AVI file and add it to another DVD program, for example Ulead, Pinnacle?

[leonard]

As this topic of mine has been 'hi-jacked' I will raise this subject again in the 'How to Create a Video Forum' under the heading 'Displaying Slideshows - on a PC or TV?'.

The initial response was less than I was hoping for, so I will open the discussion by asking the Question - Why not both?

[Grumpygrandad]

Sorry for delay in replying, I have now found the reason for 52 sec.

I made a show of 13 slides at 4 sec. display therefoe52sec duration, I then added music of 2 min 50sec and pressed sync slides to music. In preview mode the shoe lasted 2 min 50 so I tried to burn to DVD and also AVI but both would only burn for 52 secs.

When I opened the timeline it showed slide duration as 4 sec each, so I increased slide duration to 13 secs. I.e. 2min 49 duration. Unchecked the sync to music box and then burned a DVD to full duration with perfect result.

I thought that checking the sync to music automatically changed the slide display time.

George

[Ken Cox]

George

sync is not enabled in ver 8

you can get it tho with a lot of dinkin' around

i finaly did it but it is not easy

Al and Hawk have done it as well

ken

[bmccammon]

I think getting shows synchronized to music in Version 5 is a lot easier than "a lot of dinkin' around" as Ken indicates. Select "Timeline, Timed Points, Add Arranged Points" and it's done. Sure seems to work for me in all the betas of version 5.

Happy Holidays,

Bruce

[Igor]

I just reproduced bug when AVI had only 58 seconds although it's 12 minute's slide show. Video Builder burned 12 minutes. Problem was with AVI only for not synchronized show. I'll fix it in the next beta.