Strange color shift

[lathompson]

The last 3 shows I have created with the latest version of P2Exe have resulted in some strange results. I do the show, it plays fine. I make the temp AVI and go into Movie Factory 3 to make the DVD. Once completed, I take it to another machine and play it to see if it is okay. Using Windows Media Player, it plays lousy... Reds are dark blue and the overall coloration is a light blue. Nothing is right.

Choosing another player, the DVD plays fine with all colors okay. Taking the disc to a freestanding DVD player (actually 4 different machines) the DVD plays fine.

The DVD has been made the same way and with the same tools and programs used to make others in the past and this has not been a problem. I have not knowingly updated Microsofts media player lately and I don't even have the same version on all my computers, but before Tuesday, I have never experienced this problem.

Anyone have any idea what might have started this?

Larry

[alrobin]

Larry,

I would guess that it has something to do with the way the different monitors are calibrated; or else different video card characteristics and settings.

By playing around with the video settings (e.g. brightness, contrast, etc), can you get the show to look the same on the other pc monitor as on the original one?

[lathompson]

No Al, it doesn't have anything *directly* to do with the video card and definitely not the monitor. Playing the DVD through Ulead's player (and others) it is fine. Using Windows Media player it is not. It is predictable.

Re-doing the full show from scratch doesn't affect anything. From a free standing DVD player, it is fine.

The finished P2EXE file plays fine through everything. It is the finished DVD that has a problem. I've used 3 different blanks to burn onto, none of which have ever given me this problem. The only variable is using the latest version of P2Exe and, recently replacing my main HD on my main PC in the video dept.

Larry

[Ken Cox]

Larry

adjust the colours in wmp

very simple to do in the video settings section

if i had your email addie i would send a screenshot

ken

[Ken Cox]

Larry

adjust the colours in wmp

very simple to do in the video settings section

if i had your email addie i would send a screenshot

ken

i just made 35 kb gif showing controls

[lathompson]

Ken, with all due respect, if I should adjust the colors in WMP just to play a DVD, what must my client do when I deliver it to him? I need to know that my DVD is burned correctly and that it will play right when delivered. Other DVDs play fine with WMP and all my P2Exe shows play without color problems as well, so I don't think this is a cure.

I really need to know how to stop this from happening. My purpose of this question in the forum was to see if anyone else was experiencing this and whether it might be a bug in the latest version. It might well be a question to post in the CD-DVD Forum, as it might well be a function of the burn.

I'm sure this is going to boil down to user error of some kind, but in the meantime, I have a client that is going to take a finished DVD to her mothers 50th wedding anniversary party. Another is buying multiple copies for his family as well as playing it at their family reunion party. These folks don't want to get there, play the show from their computer and have it play with reversed colors; and none of them know how to set the time on their VCRs, much less troubleshoot a color problem with their DVD, computer or player software.

I do appreciate the suggestion, however, as I didn't know you could change color settings in WMP. Send that screen shot to larry@tphoto.net as I would like to see it.

Thanks again,

Larry

[agrob]

Sounds like you have a lot of angst about the client playing the show on the computer, as it plays fine on the free standing DVD player. Why don't you put both the P2exe file and DVD file on the same DVD and an autoplay file for the exe file in the interim. That way, if they use the computer the exe file should come up automatically and run fine, and if they use the free standing DVD player, it should recognize that file, and it would not matter what time it says on the DVD player.

[Ken Cox]

Larry

gif is on its way

ken

[lathompson]

Yes Alan, I suppose I am a little excited about products that I deliver to my customers. Most are very dependant on things being simple. Behind the scenes, I try to provide as much simplicity in design as possible, as customers don't like to bring things back thinking it's broke. And explanations delivered after a complaint is given generally come off like it is an excuse instead of an explanation.

Yes, since this has happened with the last 4 shows I've burned to DVD, I have provided an autorun CD along with a receipe for taking the .exe off the disc to their hard drive (in cases of CD playability problems). The only person to complain was the first customer I had this happen to. They had asked me to preview it with them before taking it home with them. It was a surprise when I demoed it at the front desk... The red title page was totally blue. Nothing I could say made them feel secure to play it the next evening at their party. I gave them a VHS copy as a backup. They called the next day and said it played just fine on their freestanding player.

KEN... Thanks for the screen grab!

Larry T

[agrob]

I believe Granot, in one of his many utilities, has one that will automatically, temporarily load the show to the hard drive, play the show, then remove the show from the hard drive, if that helps. Doesn't solve your original question, but may be another work around if CD playability is a concern.