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Peter, For the TV, at least at this point, the black boarders don't bother me because the 40" LED is so large, it isn't a big deal, so far. If I keep the border in black (left and right sides), it just blends into the frame of the TV. I am coming to the conclusion that you can't make a PTE .exe file that will show exactly the same on a CRT PC monitor and an LED PC monitor, when making it at 16:9, unless you expand each image to the left and right edges of the screen and lose portions of the top and bottom parts of the image. Gary =========================

Dave, Thanks for your files. I took a look at it. I added one of my images to your .pte file to see what would happen. When I Previewed it, your red image filled the screen; however, my image, as usual, had black boarders all the way around. I checked your image in Photoshop and it is 1920x1080. My image, full original Nikon image, is 3872x2592. When I resized my image to 1920x1080, it filled the screen, as yours did, but the image was stretched...I don't want the distortion. What do you do to your images to get them to fit the 1920x1080 screen size? Do you resize them or crop them??? It seems the only way to fill the screen with my images (losing all black boarders) when using 1920x1080 16:9 is to expand each image in O&A until the left and right edges of the image fill the area (losing some of the top and bottom portions of the image). But this would work for playing on CRT PC monitors; I wonder what it would look like on an LCD PC monitor? Gary =========================

Peter, My concern is not so much playing the show on my TV. What I would like is to create one show that can be played on a CRT, an LCD and the TV, without having to make different shows in different aspect ratios to suit different screens. The MP4 created in HD at 16:9 looks great on my LED TV. If I play the exe that was made using the default 16:9, it puts black boarders all around the images. So, to get the show to play on the PC (CRT monitor) with black boarder only on the top and bottom, I have to use 4:3. But from talking to Brian, the 16:9 show, when played on an LCD PC monitor, would give the results I am looking for (black boarder only on the top and bottom, not the sides, too). So maybe, I still have one foot in the 'old world' with my CRT monitor. I was hoping to be able to use one aspect ratio of 16:9 that would work on all monitors and TVs. Maybe not??? Am I closer to understanding all of this???? Gary =============

Eric and Dave... Sorry for my added confusion. Yes, I meant to say my camera is 3:2. My PC's monitor is set at 1024x768. At this point, I can make MP4 slideshows 16:9 for the TV. However, when I create the 16:9 version for playing on the PC, when I look at it in O&A, the black border are only on the left and right sides of the images. But, when I Preview it on my computer, black borders are all around. I have created it as you have indicated. If I keep the show at 4:3, the black boarders are only at the top and bottom, and fill the screen from left to right. I just want the 16:9 version to have black boarder on the left and right sides BUT not also have the black boarder at the top and bottom (as I see in the O&A), when played on the PC. I don't understand why the Preview results are different from what I see in the O&A. I'd like to be able to stick to the same aspect ratio for viewing on the PC and on the TV, and avoid the result of getting black borders all around the images. I hope I am stating this clearly. Maybe not. Let me know. Gary Edited later: Actually, what I meant is that I'd like to have the 16:9 version to have black boarders only on the 'top and bottom'. My monitor is a CRT so maybe that is what happens with a CRT (boarders all around) as opposed to if it is played on an LCD? Brian has educated me that what I see in the O&A will be different that what I will see in Preview. =======================================

Dave and Brian... I tried out the settings but no luck. I still get black borders around each entire image. The only way I can see it working is to, first, set your settings as you stated, and then, zoom in each image to eliminate the left and right black boarders. But this will crop out the upper and lower parts of each image. It seems that this is the results of trying to get a camera's 4:3 into a 16:9 aspect ratio. This should work but in many images, I can't crop the top and bottom because it would crop out important parts of the image. Am I missing something here??? I don't see any other way of preparing a show that will be as full screen as possible, at least on the left and right sides. Thanks... Gary =======================

Brian, It is interesting to see the Medion device. My WD HDTV has only 1 USB port, 1 HDMI and 1 optical port and the ports are in the rear of the device. I also got the "Live" version that will let me access media from a PC in my network (but I have not tried it yet). It really opens up the possibilities for showing PTE shows. I tried your setting on my monitor. But it does not seem to be doing what I expect. The image just shifts to the left, leaving a larger black boarder on the right. The PTE show was created using the 16:9 (1280x720) Screen setting. So my concern is if I make shows at 16:9, and give it to someone who plays it on a PC, it won't fill the screen as a show made in 4:3. So it seem like I have to always make 2 versions; a 4:3 for computer viewing and a 16:9 version for playing on my LED TV? Maybe I am still doing something wrong? Gary ===========================

Greetings, Since I started using PTE many years ago, I created my shows for viewing primarily on my PC. However, I have recently come into the 21st century!!! I purchased a 40” Samsung LED TV and the WD TV HD Media Player. With the combination of the LED TV and the WD TV HD player, I feel more like a Spielburg! The results are stunning! I formerly produced my shows for viewing on my PC, using the 4:3 aspect ratio because it filled the monitor, with only a minimal black border at the top and the bottom of the images. Now with the 40” LED, I have reworked several of my old slideshows using the 16:9 aspect ratio. Then I create an MP4 file using that I can play from a memory stick that is inserted in the WD TV HD player. When this is played on the 40” LED, I can’t tell you how incredible the results are. I have been giddy with glee!! So I am now going back and reworking more old slideshows in 16:9 and as an MP4 (HD 1920x1080 HQ). I just want to pass this ‘discovery’ I have made so others might be encouraged to try this combination. The 40” screen is filled completely with the slideshow. The WD TV HD player makes it very convenient to update shows because I only have to copy any revised show to the memory stick. And the WD TV HD player is easily transportable and you can connect it to a TV with an HDMI cable for HD (or RCA cables (included)for SD). This reduces the need to create DVDs to play on the TV. So now my question: If I play a slideshow on my PC monitor that was created using 4:3, the black borders are only on the top and the bottom of the images. However, if I play (on the same monitor) the same slideshow created using 16:9, the larger black borders are not only on the top and bottom, but also on the left and right sides of the images. I expected the 16:9 slideshow to still have black borders on the top and bottom, but not to have them on the left and right sides. Why does the 16:9 have black boarder all the way around the images when played on a PC monitor??? My current monitor (CRT)setting is 1024x768. I am not sure what to change it to (if I should) to get no black borders on the left/right sides when the shows are created using 16:9, and played on a PC. The highest monitor resolution setting I have is 1600x1200. Thanks…. Gary

Lin... Not to start any argument, but I think anything that 'autocrops' my images as a default is a really big no-no, no matter what aspect ratio is used. I think if someone does not like the black boarders, the person should then make his own decision to crop his images. I would think that most photographers would do their compositions in the camera and not leave much, if any, wasted space. The term 'pan and scan' is not very intuitive and it probably might take most people a while to figure out what is going on...at least it did for me. Gary ======================

Lin, Thanks for the site. It confirms what I have been questioning. When it says 'pan and scan' "cropp(s) off the sides of the original widescreen image. This is considered destructive...", I wonder again why 'Enabled' is the default in PTE. I didn't realize that 'pan and scan' was an official video term. Still not sure why those terms are use, but I'll leave that be. Doesn't it make more sense to have the default to be 'Disabled'? Gary ==================

Greetings, I have tried to find any discussion on 'Pan and Scan' (in the Create HD Video) but the Search engine comes up with nothing useful nor could I find anything in the Tutorials. When I use the default 'Pan and Scan Enabled', all I see is that the show is zoomed in and you lose the edges of the images. When I have text at the top or the bottom of images, they get partially or fully cropped out. It seems to me that the default should be 'Pan and Scan Disabled', so you get what you expect with no cropping of the images. Am I missing something here? It took me a while to see what the 'Pan and Scan' was doing. I don't even understand why it is called 'Pan and Scan'. Under what circumstances would anyone what the 'Pan and Scan' to be enabled??? Thanks...Gary

Igor, When I go to create an HD video, there is no default filename shown in the output window. The only thing shown is the Output Folder. When I try to make several different shows using different Presets, I have to go find the file and remember which Preset I used to edit the filename so I can distinguish between them. It would be nice if I could do this as I initially create each mp4 file. So my suggestion is have the default filename automatically added in the 'Output Folder' window as you do when you do a 'Create As'. Then we can simply modify the filename with information, such as 'c:\PTE shows\filename-HD1920x1080HQ.mp4'. Thanks...Gary

Lin... I moved the keyframe back to the zero point but that did not make any difference. The text still jumped down. The text will move even before the image starts its zoom. I think if the problem was as you describe (the keyframe not starting at zero), the entire image and the text, together, would have 'twitched'. I just created a similar situation in a new slideshow and, again, the text moved before the image zoomed. I have used this method before in past versions and never had this problem. Gary ================

Peter... Did you get any feedback from Igor on this problem? Thanks... Gary ==============================

Davy, I have driven through Namibia. Burnt my feet in the sands. How in the heck did you come upon that leopard!!!!!! What an moment that must have been!!!! I am still waiting for that surprise. Very jealous!!!!!!!!! Gary ======================

Davy, Very nice and inviting show and perfect music. I was sure the sand dunes were in Namibia...with the Eland...yes, but then I saw the leopard (wow!). Maybe,... maybe not. Then I saw the camels. Is this a compilation of various desert scenes or are they all in the Sahara??? Got me guessing... Gary ===================================

Colin... Thanks for testing it. Good to get another confirmation that this is happening. I don't want to do any work-arounds to avoid this twitch. I have been using this 'method' for a long time and it has worked well for me for all past versions. I just did a second test by placing text in the last slide. I then copied the slide and put in a keyframe and the image to zoom (text as child). It happened again. There is something happening in the copying of first slide with text to create the second slide. If you don't create the second keyframe for the zooming, you don't see the twitch when you jump between the 2 slides. However, with the keyframe added for zooming, the twitch shows up with the text. I hope Igor will take a look at this. Gary ======================

Laszlo, I just tried it on another PC, which has WinXP. I still see the 'twitch'. Try looking at it within PTE and put the zoom to about 200%. And, in O&A, flip back and forth between the two slides of the map. It is very subtle but I think you should see tahe text move a hair. Gary =====================

Peter, Yahoo!! Thanks...I was going a bit crazy. I had run out of ideas to try. I am surprised that no one else has noticed it. I appreciate you stepping and and giving it a test. Calling it a 'twitch' is pretty accurate! We can't let Igor rest too much!!! Thanks...Gary =-=============================

Peter, Yes...it does not move much but it does. If you put the screen to about 200%, you can see it more clearly. I played the exe on my wife's XP and it shows the movement. I don't have PTE installed on her PC so I can't, yet, fiddle with it in PTE on the XP PC. On my Win7 PC, I changed the font from the Gabriola font to Times Roman. That did not resolve the problem. The text still shifted. But, I discovered something on my Win7 PC. I removed the second keyframe...the one that does the zooming. The movement of the text does not happen. So it seems it is not caused by the font, but it seems to be in the zooming action. What do you think? Also, if, in O&A, put the screen to 200%, switch back and forth between the 2 images of the map, and you can see the text move very clearly. Gary ======================

Peter... I downloaded the uploaded file and it does shows the slight shifting of the text. I wonder if this is a Windows 7 thing? Oh...Just had a thought...I will play it on my wife's PC (Windows XP) to see if the problem follows. I'll get back to you. The reason I used 2 slides is that I usually use the autospread function to space out the slides to the total music I have. I don't think I can use your method if I do that. You have a good point but it is easier for me to use the autospread function most of the time. I'll do some checking into your method. This movement of the text is really strange...never encountered it before. Thanks.... Gary ========================= Gary, I've just downloaded and checked your sequence. It behaves perfectly on my system. Have you downloaded and checked your own attachment? The only suggestion I can make is that perhaps you have more than one version of this project on your system and you are not opening the version that you think you are.

Greetings and Happy New Year to all... I figure I'd start the new year off with a minor problem that I can not figure out. I have inserted text into a slide. I then copied the slide and made it zoom in. The text are children of the image. I removed the fade transition in the second slide so it changes smoothly. The problem is that the text ("Monfort-sur-Argens") shifts down a bit in the duplicated slide just before the zoom occurs. And the other text ("Provence") slightly shifts upward as it goes from the non-zoomed slide to the zoomed slide. (You can see this better when you use the slider beneath the mini-screen). I have tried to figure out what is causing this but I can not. I have attached a 3-slide example of what is going on. I'd appreciate it if someone could take a look at it. I am using PTE 6.0 and Windows 7. Thanks... Gary France Trip 2004-problem.zip

Ronnie... I just found this link to a Seagate Media Player. Looks like it is the competition to the WD version. Take a look at it. There is a 10% discount going on. I haven't seen them in the stores yet. Wonder if its 'mp4' format means it will play PTE's mp4 output. "FreeAgent Theater+™ HD Media Player Play your movies, music and photos on your TV in full HD" http://www.seagate.com/advisor/theaterplus/?cmpid=sac-theaterplus-122009 Formats: * Video: MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (VOB/ISO), MPEG-4 (DivX/Xvid), DivX HD, Xvid HD, AVI, MOV, MKV, RMVB Real Media, AVC HD, H.264, WMV9, VC-1, M2TS, TS/TP/M2T o Video Resolutions: NTSC 480i/480p, PAL 576i/576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p o Subtitles: SAMI (smi), SRT, SUB * Audio: AAC, MP3, Dolby® Digital, DTS, ASF, FLAC, WMA, LPCM, ADPCM, WAV, OGG o Playlist: M3U, PLS * Photo: JPEG files (up to 20 megapixels), BMP, GIF, PNG, TIFF Gary Added Later: I just found that the Seagate does not play some formats, such as H.264. That seems to me that it will not play PTE's output. Here is what the said: "As part of our tests for these products, we throw a few hard-to-read file formats at these players, and of the four files we loaded, the Seagate wasn't able to recognize any of them. Most notably, there's no support for H.264 and AVC, which have become increasingly popular. Nor does it support AAC audio, which is what you'll get from any iTunes purchase. And note that the "container" doesn't always imply support for the underlying format--for instance, one MKV file we had didn't play, because the underlying file used H.264 encoding. True, you can use a converter to make most video formats compatible with the FreeAgent Theater, but we're comparing native support to native support."... "A more significant problem: The Seagate simply doesn't decode as many file formats as the Western Digital does." ============================

Greetings, I don't know what might have happened or what exactly would fix it. But...until someone comes up with a real fix, try this: Uninstall PTE. Then reinstall it. Before you click on the file to reinstall it, right-click on the install file and go to the 'Compatibility' tab and select 'Windows XP'. Then continue with the install process. This might at least get it installed. I did not have any problems installing PTE with my original Windows 7 (not upgraded from Vista). But this process was useful when I had conflicts with other programs when I tried to install them in Windows 7. Hope this at least gets it installed. Hope it works. Gary ===================

Ronnie... Ah...the WD will play from a memory stick?! Now that brings it down in size as far as transporting the WD around and worrying about protecting the LaCinema's hard drive from being knocked around. I'm feeling you have a good point towards the WD media player. Thanks for the info. Gary P.S. I am not sure which model Geoff has, but there is a Western Digital WD TV Live Network-ready HD Media Player WDBAAN0000NBK-NESN model that has network capabilities. "Access files anywhere on your home network - Play movies, music, and photos from any PC or drive on your home network. The Ethernet port connects this player to your home network through a wired connection or via popular, supported WiFi adapters (sold separately). Ideal for use with WD's My Book World." Cool, if it works. =======================

Ronnie.. I looked on Amazon (USA) and found the Lacie LaCinema 1TB for $US175.99. I have not seen one in person but there are several user reviews available. It is kinda split. You might want to look there for some feedback. I have been trying to find a way to play video files created from PTE straight from a memory stick, such as into a DVD or Blu-ray player. I have found that this is not possible, so far. I like the idea of the Lacie where you have to carry around only one unit, as opposed to the WD, you'd need the WD unit and the HD. But I have not convinced myself which I would buy, at this point. And I'd like to stick with PTE's the mpeg 4 H.264 format output, since my experience in converting the PTE show to an AVI creates a way-to-big file. Gary ============================