Problem with Slide show image quality

[ghamer]

Hello,

I just created a slide show w/ PTE ver 5.5. Everything went well until I previewed the show. Each slide looks overexposed by about 1 stop. The images (1280x800) look fine when using any other viewer like Photoshop, Bridge, Windows Explorer, etc.

In fact, when I select any individual slide in PTE, it looks fine in the main control panel. But when I start the slideshow, the images become over exposed. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

[JPD]

Hello,

I just created a slide show w/ PTE ver 5.5. Everything went well until I previewed the show. Each slide looks overexposed by about 1 stop. The images (1280x800) look fine when using any other viewer like Photoshop, Bridge, Windows Explorer, etc.

In fact, when I select any individual slide in PTE, it looks fine in the main control panel. But when I start the slideshow, the images become over exposed. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

I don't see anybody have this problem, PTE doesn't modify the pictures, so your problem is very incomprensible for me.

Make a screen copy and compare it with original picture in Photosop or other.

[Conflow]

gHamer,

Q.1

Firstly, are you using a Desktop or Laptop Computer to make the PTE Show ?

Q.2

Are you making the Show on a PC then showing it on a Laptop ?

Q.3

If you are using a Desktop PC what type of Monitor are you using ?

Q.3

Have you done any 'Graphic-Editing' on your original Images before importing them into Pte.5.5 ?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You mention a 'change' of 1f.Stop (relative to Lens-Aperture) thats a Brightness or Contrast change of 1:1.41 ratio, thats big !

Judging by your Image size 1280x800 thats a Standard 16:10 (ratio) Screen-Format used in 15" NotePad-Laptop Computers.

Correct me if I am wrong !

If we can have more details, I'm sure we can get to the bottom of this problem.

Brian.Conflow.

[ghamer]

gHamer,

Q.1

Firstly, are you using a Desktop or Laptop Computer to make the PTE Show ?

Q.2

Are you making the Show on a PC then showing it on a Laptop ?

Q.3

If you are using a Desktop PC what type of Monitor are you using ?

Q.3

Have you done any 'Graphic-Editing' on your original Images before importing them into Pte.5.5 ?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You mention a 'change' of 1f.Stop (relative to Lens-Aperture) thats a Brightness or Contrast change of 1:1.41 ratio, thats big !

Judging by your Image size 1280x800 thats a Standard 16:10 (ratio) Screen-Format used in 15" NotePad-Laptop Computers.

Correct me if I am wrong !

If we can have more details, I'm sure we can get to the bottom of this problem.

Brian.Conflow.

Thanks for the responses.

I am using a desktop with a Dell 19 inch ultra sharp monitor. No laptop involved in the process.

The 1 stop I mentioned is just an estimate of the brightness increase.

I am using Windows XP.

[nobeefstu]

ghamer,

Another thought ...

Do you have a ATI video card with screen calibration sottware?

Is your issue only in Full Screen with D3D Acceleration enabled on your slide show ?

Test your slide show in Window Mode to verify difference.

[Conflow]

gHamer,

Something 'strange' here ~ the Dell-19" is definitely 16:10 Wide-Image at 1280x800

however this is not a Factory Menu-Setting:- nearest is 1152x864 and 1280x1024

and to be honest I'm puzzled as to how its running 1280x800 pixel size.

Q.1

Did this Monitor come with the Desktop or did you purchase it seperately ?

The reason I ask - if it was purchased seperately, did you download its Drivers

from its CD-Disc or did you simply plug it in and Windows found a set of Drivers for it ?

Q.2

Also did you perform a 'General-Reset' followed by 'Auto-Adjust' ? after you found

this problem ?

This is a good Monitor with many facilities but I have a suspition that its not set-up

properly or else you have a Graphics-Card problem (if there is one installed) in the PC.

There are known issues with certain Graphic-Cards and the hi-demands of version Pte 5.5.

Also some PC's have 'Graphic-Chipsets' instead of Graphic-Cards and these Chip-Sets do

demand 'matching-drivers' for Monitors such as your Dell. (XP drivers simply won't do)

Sorry I can't be of more help because there are so many factors I don't know but I hope

the above gives you something to go on.

Brian.Conflow.

[ghamer]

ghamer,

Another thought ...

Do you have a ATI video card with screen calibration sottware?

Is your issue only in Full Screen with D3D Acceleration enabled on your slide show ?

Test your slide show in Window Mode to verify difference.

That was it!!! I unchecked the D3D Hardware Acceleration box and the video is now correct. Thank you so much for taking the time to help with this! BTW I use a Raedon X300 video card and use Spyder 3 calibration software.

Gary

[ghamer]

gHamer,

Something 'strange' here ~ the Dell-19" is definitely 16:10 Wide-Image at 1280x800

however this is not a Factory Menu-Setting:- nearest is 1152x864 and 1280x1024

and to be honest I'm puzzled as to how its running 1280x800 pixel size.

Q.1

Did this Monitor come with the Desktop or did you purchase it seperately ?

The reason I ask - if it was purchased seperately, did you download its Drivers

from its CD-Disc or did you simply plug it in and Windows found a set of Drivers for it ?

Q.2

Also did you perform a 'General-Reset' followed by 'Auto-Adjust' ? after you found

this problem ?

This is a good Monitor with many facilities but I have a suspition that its not set-up

properly or else you have a Graphics-Card problem (if there is one installed) in the PC.

There are known issues with certain Graphic-Cards and the hi-demands of version Pte 5.5.

Also some PC's have 'Graphic-Chipsets' instead of Graphic-Cards and these Chip-Sets do

demand 'matching-drivers' for Monitors such as your Dell. (XP drivers simply won't do)

Sorry I can't be of more help because there are so many factors I don't know but I hope

the above gives you something to go on.

Brian.Conflow.

You are correct, the monitor's native resolution is 1280x1024, but the images I uploaded to the slide show are approx. 1280x800 since that is closer to the aspect ratio of my Canon 5D full frame digital SLR sensor. It turns out the problem was the D3D hardware acceleration box that was checked in PTE 5.5. Thanks for your help!

[fh1805]

ghamer,

Sorry to disappoint you but turning off D3D acceleration is not the solution to your problem it is only a circumvention. You will need D3D turned back on again when you try and make use of PTE's Pan, Zoom and Rotate animation features.

The cause of your problem is well-known and well-documented. It is a problem with the ATi driver when using monitors that have been colour calibrated. I'm afraid I cannot give you any specific help but you could try searching the forum using keywords such as Radeon and Calibration to try and track down the relevant posts. WnSoft have written to ATi numerous times but ATi seem unwilling to address the problem.

regards,

Peter

[nobeefstu]

gHamer

Peter

I'm afraid I cannot give you any specific help but you could try searching the forum using keywords such as Radeon and Calibration to try and track down the relevant posts.

I tried quickly to track down these postings with no luck ... so I could add the link when I originally posted.

I do know it exists in the Pte User Guide ( 4mb version) bookmark under Problems (bottom page 9)

Link :WnSoft - PicturesToExe User Guide

[xahu34]

Hello all,

It is a sad story, reading again about problems of users with ATI cards on WinXP systems. Let me again make a suggestion concerning this topic. Why not introducing the Screen mode "Fixed size of slide" running inside a window without border which covers the screen. It is clear, as PTE has not been (like some highly priced products of competitors) optimized for windowed modes, that the performance would not be first class. But I'm still convinced that this particular mode would be of some help for ATI/WinXP users. This mode could be offered with a warning, to avoid it if possible.

Best regards,

Xaver

Munich

[fh1805]

Xaver,

Project Options...Screen...Screen Options...Windowed Mode...Without borders (tick/untick) already exists. Is this the option you want to have included? If so, it's already there.

regards,

Peter

[xahu34]

....Project Options...Screen...Screen Options...Windowed Mode...Without borders (tick/untick) already exists. Is this the option you want to have included? If so, it's already there....

Peter,

If you use the windowed mode, as it is given in 5.5 or 5.6, the window defines a kind of screen in which the show runs, e.g. 1280x853 for a show with aspect ratio 3/2. When you run the show on your 1280x1024 screen, you will see part of your desktop outside the window in which your show runs. Not very amusing!

What I would like to see is a kind of window-based fullscreen mode, sometimes called simulated fullscreen: The window should automatically fill the whole screen including a rectangle (mask) of given size or aspect ratio in which the show runs. Igor does not seem to like it, as in this mode PTE has reduced performance (compared to the gaming mode). On the other hand, for ATI/WinXP users this mode would be better than turning off D3D, or using the windowed mode as it presently is offered.

Regards,

Xaver

[JPD]

If you use the windowed mode, as it is given in 5.5 or 5.6, the window defines a kind of screen in which the show runs, e.g. 1280x853 for a show with aspect ratio 3/2. When you run the show on your 1280x1024 screen, you will see part of your desktop outside the window in which your show runs. Not very amusing!

These 2 versions of PTE don't work the same for this function.

In V5.5, as you explained, the window can be greater than the screen and can be display on others screens, very useful for some slideshows using several video-projectors (more than 2).

In V5.6 (beta 6) the windowed mode without a border is ajusted to the screen when screen definition smaller that PTE window, also very useful sometimes and with a border, the border is full screen when screen definition no enough great and inside we have 2 black parts when the format of screen different of the format of the slideshow. Try to put a window 1920 x 1080 with a border on a 1280 x 960 screen.

It's the reason for wich there are 2 options in my proposal, both are useful sometimes.

[xahu34]

Hello Jean-Pierre,

on a 1280x1024 screen version 5.6beta6 still behaves as I said: A windowed show (without border) of size 1280x853 is presented while showing part of the desktop.

Further observation on my 1280x1024 screen: As long as either the window height is smaller than 1024, or the window width is smaller that 1280 (or both), the window will be adjusted (if needed), still showing part of the desktop, and (depending on the taskbar configuration) the taskbar still is to be seen. I tested several window sizes, e.g. 1500x1000, 1500x1023, 1279x1080.

Window sizes like 1536x1024, or 1800x1200 behave well!

Best regards,

Xaver

[xahu34]

Hi,

Let me summarize the observations from above:

If you have trouble with the fullscreen mode because of an ATI card and Win XP, you can actually run your show in simulated fullscreen mode under 5.6.beta6, using D3D (with restricted performance, but hopefully better than avoiding D3D):

- Set screen mode to “Windowed mode”, tick "Without border", see Peter’s post from above.

- Choose window dimensions beyond those you ever intend to use: 2400x1600, 3000x2000, or 4500x3000 in case of an aspect ratio of 3/2 (something like 2400x1800, or 2800x2100 for aspect ratio 4/3).

So, Peter’s suggestion provides the solution, if we “misuse” the entries for the window size. Many thanks to Jean-Pierre for giving the hint on the adjustment of oversized windows!

Question: Are we happy with this procedure?

Best regards,

Xaver

[Conflow]

Xaver,

Like you, I also have done similar 'tests' both on my Desktop and my Laptop using V5.5.

And again I have similar results like yours.."Part of Desktop showing outside the Images"

Not nice!! and recently I looked at a show called 'NYMR Rail' from Peter ~ wonderful Show

in 800x600 (Web friendly) but it was ruined by the Desktop Images visible all around it when

running on Modern Screens of 16:10 ratio. (1280x800) and other similar sizes.

One can't adjust a downloaded Pte.Exe to run on those Screens against a 'Black-Background'

excepting where it is possible for a User to make such a 'Background'. Very few Users have that option,

nor indeed the skills or knowledge to make such a Background.

Other Programs offer this simple utility and the question is why can't PTE ??.....Yes I do appreciate the

demands of PZR and the needs of 'advanced users' . But they are in a minority compared to the mass

market of General User Licences issued who simply want an excellent Slide-Show Program which

will work on modern Wide Screens without 'side-artifacts' running against a 'Black-Background' irrespective

of size-format....it's not too much to ask ?

Brian.Conflow.