Conflow

Andre and Ronnie, Andre, I appreciate that you have 'calibrated' your Monitor and it will be OK with your Printer which you can run from 72.dpi to +300.dpi but these are Printer attributes solely. This has nothing to do with your 'Monitor Resolution Calibration' where 1st. you must get the Brightness & Contrast set to ISO Standard and to do this the Monitor must be capable of resolving the 13 Bar Grey Scale Test and in perfecting that Test you will be 'forced' to adjust the Brightness & Contrast to achieve success. The Monitor must be capable of resolving from Black(0%) to White(100%) but 5%~95% is adequate. These Grey Scale Factors:- White to Black encompass all the visible Colours which make White and consequently the 'Colour Luminance' is restored to normal. Because you are running in "sRGB" I recommended that Brightness=30 and Contrast=70 because if you switch the Monitor over to "Expert Mode" you will find the default Setting for Red-Green-Blue Bias will be about 50 and the Gain for Red-Green-Blue will be about 50 and this mode recommends the appropriate settings for the User-sRGB Mode. In the "Expert Mode" you can adjust the "Chromonance" of each Colour (Bias & Gain Controls) so that each of the 8.Box Colours are shown with equal Chromonance & Luminance. (Professionals use 16.Box) This all assumes that your Monitor Focus and Convergence are correct. (So back to the Test Card) Ronnie, Andre is shooting his Pics in "RAW" and then correcting in Lightoom-1.2 down to JPegs. If he is using Adobe Jpegs these have unnecessary 'scripts' embedded within the images and if you 'screen-capture' a Test Card and save these images in Adobe-Jpegs you will find 'smear & ringing effects' when the Card is reproduced on the Host Monitor. Always better to use an uncompressed Format (Bitmap etc;) when using Test Cards. You ask why "sRGB" rather than Adobe RGB -(well part of the answer is above)- Jpegs in sRGB are clean compared to Jpegs in Adobe RGB ~and~ sRGB is associated with Monitor Expert Mode, which is adjustable in all respects of Colour Bias & Gain and furthermore recommends the settings for the User sRGB Mode. Lo-Cost Monitors:- The 'Easy/Normal-Monitor Mode' is very limited to 3 Primary-Colour correction and all it adjusts is the Colour Temperature (Brilliance) based on White Light from 5000K. ~ 6500k. and if this is set much above 5500K you get "Image Flaring' and Washout and general loss of detail and if you correct this with Brightness and Contrast Controls you reproduce the same 'defects' which Andre has described. CRT Monitors are quite forgiving in this respect ~ LCD Monitors cant handle Colour-Temp much above 5500K so they are generally Factory pre-set. ATI Graphic Cards:- Some of these Cards have serious-problems which cant be corrected by altering the 'Firmware' because the problems are associated with the Hardware Chip-Set. In my opinion these will never be corrected and indeed I think the Manufacturer(s) never foresaw these problems in the first instance ~ time will tell. Running a 'Test-Card' schedule as I described will very quickly show Andre whether its the ATI Card or some other simple mal-adjustment. Brian.Conflow.

Andre, I have been looking at your Post and the replies concerning your poor HD Images on a TV Set. I think you meant to say that the....Images are washed out...no Cromonance nor Luminance data nor Highlights nor Shadow detail in the Images...am I correct ? This problem is common in many LCD TV's~PC Setups, and there are many reasons why it happens. You won't solve this problem by 'experimenting' with PTE and Burners and DVDs and settings etc,etc. Forget about PTE for the time being until you resolve the cause of the problem and may I suggest the following course of actions. 1) Get a copy of a good 'Video Test Card' such as the Nokia Test Card shown below in the 'Attachment" 2) You are using sRGB Setup for your Monitor. Adjust the sRGB-Settings as follows:- Set the 'Brightness' to 30 and the 'Contrast' to 70. Now open the Video Test Card Program. 3) With a Screen-Capture Tool capture a Screenshot of the 11.Bar GreyScale Tool and "Save As" a Bitmap-Image use nothing else. Do the same for the MainScreen Tool and the ColouBar Tool. Image Sizes should be about 1024x768 pixel ~ Max size not more than 2048x1536. 4) With these 3 or 4 Images make a PTE Slideshow, each Image about 10/15 seconds each, No Music, No Effects, but activate the Navigation Bar in PTE so you can go forward and back with the Images. 5) Burn the Show to a standard CD-Disc and also a 2nd copy to a DVD-Disc. DO NOT USE THE MAXIMUM BURNER SPEED ~ Use about ½ Speed Range for each Disc. Now:- Replay each Disc on your PC Monitor and take note of the results of each CD. (Monitor settings as above) If there is anything wrong between the AVI rendering and the Burner product it will show up here. Now Replay the DVD through your Player to the LCD-TV (You will need to adjust the Brightness & Contrast) Again observe the results as described above ~ any defects will show up in this part of the Test. If all is well:- I would look at your origional Image Sizes or Burner Speed or RAW Conversion. Note:-The dark shadow in the middle of the Test Card clearly shows ageing of my 21" Monitor. Brian.Conflow. P.s Sorry about that, the 2.9mB File would not upload as a BMP so PNG used instead.

Hi Ron, I had looked at your queries on HD-TV/DVD earlier on this afternoon and at that time I decided not to get involved with that subject, then I saw Lin had the courage to jump in and I said to myself 'AAhh Heck' throw in your tuppence-worth, so here it is ~ I'm not too sure what you want to do ?...If you simply want to show your Slides on a HD-TV simply connect your Camera to it through a Skart Connector. If you want to run a Slideshow on to the same HD-TV there are many ways of doing that which Lin has already described but all of these require you to make an AVI File in the 1st instance. You can also 'burn' that Show to a DVD Disc and Lin has also described that method. All of these methods suffer significant 'quality-loss' compared to the origional PTE Slideshow. If you want to run your Slideshow as a ~ HD-Television Program ~ with the quality of the HD System thats an entirely different matter. Yes it can be done, but its costly, because the PTE Avi-File has to be changed from its 'Progressive Scan Format' into the HD-TV System of 'Interlace-Scan Format' and then you have to choose a HD-TV System ~ there are 18 different types. To do this properly you will need a Home/Small-Business Video Mixer Desk which will convert the whole thing into a HD-Pal TV Video Signal, but you are talking a starting price somewhere in the region £1000 for that Desk. Be warned:- You cant reverse the process and then decide to re-play this Video-Show on your Computer with the same HD-Quality through the Windows Media Player. For information purposes I attach a simple descriptive List of the most common TV and Computer Formats. Brian.Conflow.

Hi Colin, In fact it was a large Semi-State Company in the Transport sector ~ and yes you are correct the PCs were promptly replaced with XP-Pro. Concerning the Memory-Stik it seems that the PC has finally recognised its existance and registered the contents to its 'File of Types' Library. All the best... Brian.

Hi Colin, Congrats on the New Laptop ~ you made a very good choice there. That PC was also featured in my recent Post:- 'LAPTOP COMPUTERS' (reviews) from Digital World Expo 2007 (Topic below this thread). I do hope it will help resolve some of your other issues with the Flash Drive problem. Best regards, Brian.Conflow.

Hi Colin, I can't answer that question because I don't know what USB.2 Protocol the Flash Drive is using. There are many types of 'Flash Drives' very much like the old USB1.0 and USB1.1 Systems, thankfully all these varients are now unified into the Industrial USB.2 Standard. Flash Drives never got to that stage of Standardisation due to the various 'reading-speeds' used by different Manufacturers and the different driver requirements of each. On the other hand USB.2 is automatically recognised by 99% of PCs ~except Vista~ which makes a great song and dance about checking this and checking that etc,etc and Bla..Bla..Bla ! What a load of 'old-cobblers' because I have just spent the entire Friday installing 3 New Dell Vistas and each in turn "stalled" when asked to read & run 2 different makes of (expensive) Memory-Pens. My Industrial Client was rather shaken with this experience and I know what he is going to do next. Vista is mis-named, it should have been called the "Narcissus Operating System" because it loves itself......too much !! Brian.Conflow.

Hi All, I see that the subject of Laptop Computers and PCs has raised its head again ~ The 'Links' below may be of interest to many Forum Members as they were derived from the recent "Digital Life Expo~New York 2007" which was the Showcase for all New Laptops and PC's and other exotic devices. I hope you have time to 'drill-down' through the many Links and in particular the Voodoo Site has all the Reviews on the new Laptops and the HP Site shows off the new Blackbird PC ~ thats some animal of a PC. Enjoy and dream... Brian.Conflow. Note: These Links need Full Screen Display. Note: Recommend you look at the CNet Blackbird Video in Link. Link:- http://laptoping.com/voodoo-envy-m152.html Link:- http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/hp-blackb...ag=nefdprod.rev

Colin and Peter, Yes both of you are correct for different reasons due to different approach's to the problem. Peters assumption is correct, the PC treats a Memory-Pen as a HD under USB.2 Protocol and will drive directly from the Pen. ~ USB.2 has a max transfer speed of 480mB/sec ~ When playing directly from the Pen the Shows are not registered in the Registry -no need to- because the Pen goes through the PCs 'USB Root Hub' which is already a pre-registered device. Colin~ The easiest way out of your dilema without having to 'Load' the Shows on to your PC without always having to invoke a 'Restart' of your PC is to load the Shows on to a 1.Gb Memory-Pen. It costs about £12 from Argus. Now go down to the Club and Transfer the Files to a 'Temp-Folder' on the Clubs PC. name this folder 'Download'. (You can reuse the Pen over and over) Create this in Win.Explorer on the HD and send a Shortcut to the Desktop, you will reuse it again. Simply load the Memory-Pen into the Shortcut and restart the PC ~ all will work fine for you. When finished -->Open Folder-->Edit-->Select All-->File-->Delete. This clears the Folder which is left intact for the next user. It takes longer to explain how, but doing it is a few seconds. Hope this is of some help... Brian.Conflow.

Veronica, Sad to hear that you have given up with PTE on your Mac PC. If you know anyone near you who is running a Program called "Parallels" you might like to contact them concerning Windows Operations on a Mac PC. By the way you can not 'Load' a Windows Operating System on to a Mac PC as you wish "per-se" ~ the reason being that both the Firmware-Bios and methology of the Op.Systems are as diverse as chalk and cheese ~ The Mac being a Unix/Linux System and Windows is Windows. However if you wish to pursue and contact those who have succeeded with Windows/Mac interfaces here below are 'Links' to the Parallels Software Community ~ they also offer a Free Trial:- Parallels Software Link:- http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop Parallels Forum Link:- http://community.parallels.com/forum These 'Links' will be of great help to you in getting to know your Mac and its great powerful Utilities. Best of Luck, Brian.Conflow.

Hi Colin, Thanks for the quick replies ~ the "Attachment" below will show the most likely cause for the Exe 'Lockup' ~ there are other reasons, but the attachment explaination is the most likely culprit. Brian.Conflow.

Colin, Just had a look at your problem ~ interesting one is that ~ and you are using Win 2000 and XP-Pro which I also use and the common PTE Source File(s) are copied from your Flash Drive Memory. You say that this happens to other Shows randomly when these are replayed on the XP and 2000. QUESTION Are all these Shows origionally sourced from the Flash Drive Memory ? or External Sources ? You are using USB.2 Protocol to transfer the Shows from the Flash Drive to the other PCs' ? QUESTION How are you running the USB...In direct Play Mode thro' the PC ?....Or transfer to PC Hard Drives ? Assuming you are running the 'Copy Shows' from the XP and 2000 Hard Drives ! QUESTION Did you replay the 'Copy Shows' directly from the XP and 2000 HD's without Re-starting the PC ? What Anti-Virus are you using ?..... QUESTION Is this Anti-Virus running when the Copy Shows are Playing ? Forgive the questions, I am simply trying to zero-in on to a possible cause & effect situation. Brian.Conflow.

Veronica, There is an alternative RegKey 'technique' I use from time to time when I change my Laptops. I have 3 Acers which I use as 'cross-transfer' PC's ~ these are used for swopping and testing and changing Data and Programs on Site with Irish railways. One of these is running '98Se and is my most reliable Laptop for Data Files but it is an absolute 'so-an-so' to load anything on to it. In my case I copy the entire (working) Program Folder from my 2000 or XP on to a Memory-Pen and transfer that entire working Folder over on to the '98Se Acer including the hidden Files. I shut-down and then Re-Start and everything works on the Re-Boot. Just a thought, It might work for you.... Brian.Conflow.

Veronica, I believe your name is Yvonne ? ~ as a matter of course we on the Forum tend to use our real names rather than our Handle Names, now concerning the Reg Key, try this:- On your Windows.PC find "Notepad" it will be listed in the:- Start Button-->Programs-->Accessories -->double clk on Notepad, when it opens go to File-->select Save As-->give it a name-->Regkey. Now get your Reg Key from the PC, highlight the entire string of characters, RH.Click the highlight and select 'Copy'. Now open Notepad Regkey, RH.Clk anywhere within it and select 'Paste' from the drop down Menu....Now the Regkey is within the Notepad.....'Save As' again. Now transfer this 'Notepad Regkey' into the (Mac) PTE Folder (make sure you are in Windows mode) close the PTE Folder, now close down the Mac, now Start the Mac. (Do NOT use Restart) Example shown in the "Attachment" below ~ This should work ~ if not you need to contact Igor in WnSoft. Brian.Conflow.

Veronica, If you are using one of the 'New iMacs' in fact you are using Windows but you don't know it ~ All the New iMacs run a variant of a Program called "Parallels" ~ you know it as "Crossover" and it invoke's a "Virtual Windows Op.System" allowing Windows Programs to run quite happily on the iMac's. The Intel Mac as you call it is in fact an Apple Mac and newer versions are iMac's. The Intel Corporation purely make the Microchips for the Machine. Reg Key:-Open the PTE Program Folder on the Mac and drop your Reg.Key into it. Brian.Conflow.

Hi All, For those of you using the "Vista Operating System" below is a Screen-Shot of the latest Vista Updates/Upgrades which are now available from the Microsoft Download Centre ~ You download and install these yourself with the Vista Wizard. Microsoft will not be releasing a "Vista Automatic SP1 Upgrade" until early 2008. Brian.Conflow

Albert, I have sent you a Personal EMail "Off-Forum" concerning Dell. Brian.Conflow.

Albert, I'm so sorry to hear your 'bad news' ~ I did warn you about Vista Memory Leaks ~ and it is one of the primary reasons that the PC Technology World has "major" issues with Microsoft Vista and I am afraid their new SP-1 (Service-Pak.1) does not correct this issue and the 'cure' is now promised for Service-Pak.2). Unfortunately this problem affects a number of Laptops on the Market and if your Laptop has a slow Hard-Drive it makes the problem become 'intermittent' and so frustrating. The problem starts when the Laptop has processed so many Files in one session, then when it is closed-down and given a fresh 'Start-up' it seems to disappear until it processes a number of new Files usually less than a 1000 Files ~ it your case it seems to be much less than that. This is a genuine Memory problem or that related to the Graphic Card Accelerator setting, again a Memory problem, but I cant help you there as I dont' know what Graphics Card is used ~ anyhow that would not be intermittent ! You can read all about this problem from a ZD-Net Report which was published last week. I enclose a "Link" below, simply click on the Link-Text and it will open for you. PRINT THIS OUT and bring it to your Retailer and demand a replacement or your Cash back. Microsoft have a "HOTFIX" for this with a Link to it in the Report ~ but better your Retailer attend to this. The Link:- http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=829 I hope this has been helpful, but at this stage I'm out of suggestions and ideas, but please let me know how you get on. Brian.Conflow.

Hi All, I thought this might be of interest to those of you who would like to put your PTE Show on the U-Tube System. Here below is a "Link" to the U-Tube Tutorial ~ "How its done" The Link:- http://www.google.com/support/youtube/?hl=en_US Enjoy... Brian.Conflow.

Pyomomma, U-Tube is a Video submission and streaming Video System and you will find that the submitted Videos and Quasi-Stereo Sounds can't be copied ~ Copyright reasons. Firstly you will need to learn about U-Tube and how its done and they have an excellent Tutorial all about this. Secondly you will need to get your PTE Show into an acceptable Format suitable for U-Tube submission. This is indeed possible using the PTE Program but you will need to address your special query to the PTE Video Forum which is selectable when you "Log-On" to the Forums Web-Page. Below is a"Link" to the U-Tube Tutorial ~ How to do it ~ simply click on the Link. ! http://www.google.com/support/youtube/?hl=en_US Brian.Conflow.

Mike, I think you might just get away with 40.mS ~ As a "Prelim Test" get yourself a good 1.Gb Memory-Pen such as Belkin or Mikomi or Integral fetured on Page.1024 of the Argus Catalog ~ Price approx: £ 12 sterling or less. At this stage 'Load your Show on to the Pen' and 'Replay' it from the Pen ~ this avoids all the Mechanical problems with the Hard-Drive and uses very little RAM Memory. The Processor runs the Memory-Pen directly so you are running at USB Buss Speeds: 480mB/Sec and there is no 'mechanics' in the way. This is infinitely more stable and much faster that reading from the HardDrive into the RAM then via the Graphic Card to the Monitor and way,way, faster when you run it on a Host PC. You also avoid all the 'Mechanical Uncertainties' of Burning to a CD and then replaying that on the CD-Drive of the Host PC ~ this indeed could possibly be a slow CD-Drive ? If it runs from the Memory-Pen as you intended ~ then you are home and dry in more ways than one, and its a hell of a lot cheaper on your Time than the uncertainty of not knowing ? Let me know how you get on... Brian.Conflow.

Gilbert, I have already given the broad Specsifications for a good Laptop, in case you missed it, here it is:- Quoted:- For serious Video work the ideal Laptop/Desktop PC should have at least the following Specifications:- * Dual-Core +2 Gb. Processor with Heat-Pipe Cooling with XP-Pro/SP2 and Upgrades (Not Vista). * Data-Buss Speed of at least 677 mB/Sec, better still with 800 mB (Extreme). * 2 Gig of RAM with Read/Write Speed matching the Buss Speed (crucial). * Good Video Card such as the NVidia 7950 GTX. * Good Hard-Drive, choose 7200 RPM type, anything much lower than 6000 will cause Read/Write problems with RAW Imagery and TV.Video and Zoom/Pan with PTE, particularily with large Shows. Everything else is a matter of personal choice and what utilities you need. At the end of the day its all to do with "Read/Write Access Speed" between the Processor + Hard-Drive + User RAM. If any of these above are "Mismatched" the PC will run slow and choke the Processor and and as usual the Video Card will be blamed. Having said the above, its very difficult to find that type of Laptop/PC on the Domestic Market better you go and search the Business Markets,for example:- Hewlett-Packard (Business Division) and others and you will find that 'Prices' are generally in line with the top-end of the Domestic Market. Hope this gives you some idea of basic PC selection Specs for good Video performance... Brian.Conflow. P.S Majority of Laptops have Hard-Drives operating around 4000.rpm and they are NOT good with Video.

Mike, I had a feeling you were doing that ~ 25 Frames/Sec is nearly akin to Cinema Projection of 24.Fps and as 1.Sec= 1000.millesec so each frame would be 40mS. In comparison "Home Video" would be 25.Fps + 25.Interlace Frames making 50.Fps or 20mS each, this to agree with the PAL TV Standard. If you get it right, the Cinematic idea would be less 'stressful' on the PC and would provide full Color with Hi-definition compared to a Home-DVD which is terrible because it cant imitate a TV Signal. Your project is a very clever idea and if I can be of help let me know. As to TV-v-Home DVD People forget that a TV Signals is "designed" to convey Movement/Pan/Zoom and it takes a full 6.Mb of Bandwidth to generate 1 Frame and at 50 Fps (+Interlace) it uses 300.Mb to execute all the 50 Frames. TV Sets also have an Image-Delay system so that the streaming RF.Video can be recomposed prior to projection on to the TV.Screen. TV Screen's also have Image-persistance to fool the eye and it also has a thing called Chroma-correction and also digital-data to compensate for Brightness and Contrast and a whole 'kit and bundle' of goodies transmitted over 13/16 Line Scans which can't be seen as they are off the top of the Screen. Sadly a Home-DVD Show can't emulate this sophisticated TV Signal and the very best one can expect is to make the PTE Slideshow as a simple DVD Slideshow then one would get reasonable results. Mike Pity you are not using a Mac Computer and their Mac Picture Program which made Starwars and most of George Lucas Productions, then you would be home and dry. I'm waiting for the day that one can run the PTE Program on a Mac ~ that would be something else ! As I said, If you need any help let me know... Brian.Conflow.

John, AAhh Shucks John ~ I was waiting for something like that ~ no better than coming from a Scotsman and you guys won. We always have great times in Dublin when you Scot's come over here ~ its many a lost night we have all enjoyed together ~ and may the best Team win. Now that you remarked the time, I was actually working on a brand-new 'Sony Vaio' with Vista Ultra for a Business Client. I won't comment any further about this particular debacle... Brian.

Hi Mike, As well as increasing the Memory you need to give the Processor a little more "breathing-space" as 40millsecs is very close to the 'Read/Write Access Speed' between the Processor and Memory and if your Image Display is less than 500mS ~ well you are really pushing it ~ but best of Luck anyhow. Brian.

John, I had forgotten to mention use modern SATA Drives for any HD's ~ do not mix the older IDE Drives with the modern SATA Drives ~ this is a recipe for intermittent "Vanishing Drives" sometimes visible and other times not visable (non-accessible). Many people fall into this trap of mixing Old with New Drives. The "secret" of an excellent PC Machine is to make everything compatible with each other in terms of Data Transfer Speeds and most important use the best possible internal "Interconnect-Cables" with Gold-Flashed Terminals as one would see on the Internal Plug-In Cards. Common usage 'Silver-Tin Terminals' become oxidised over time resulting in Hi-resistant mating surfaces which in turn cause imbalances on the control interconnects which effect the operation of the "Northbridge and Southbridge Data Buss's" ~ these are the Data arteries of the PC ~ Correct operation of these is critical in Video Applications. Any good "Build Company" would know what I am talking about, sadly Mass Manufacturers can not afford to make PC's this way and then again there is little Mass Market for such a PC. An OEM Built PC would be about 10% dearer that a mass production product, but OOhhh boy! ~ the performance is eons ahead and you really get the full power of XP.Pro Sp2 which is 'Flash-Fast' in such a PC. Brian.Conflow. P.S If you really want to buy an "Off the Shelf PC" with such Specs you need to look into the Business Market sectors such as Hewlett-Packard PC's (Business Division) ~ but for heavens sake stay away from Vista.