Are images cropped when creating a video?

[PhilW]

Hi,

I've just used Video Builder for the first time and I'm very pleased with the result but for one 'problem'. The images shown in the video (burned to DVD) are cropped with respect to the original. The originals are 1024x768 pixels, i.e. 4:3 ratio. I set this aspect in the project options, and again in the project options for the video. I show the video on a tv set at 4:3. I get definite cropping, maybe around 5% margin or so. I haven't fully analyzed it - I notice it particularly on the left margin but it may be all round.

Creating an exe file from the same project and images does not produce this cropping.

Is this a problem anyone else has come across? Is there a fix? Have I set something wrong?

Phil.

[jfa]

Welcome to the world of PTE A-Vs and the user forum Phil, you will find lots of friendly help and advice here.

Try these threads they may be useful to you.

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5408

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7089

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6965

also the PTE Users Guide from here:

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7202

[Hawk]

Hi Phil, welcome to the forum.

If you know ahead of time that you are going to be creating a DVD I would recommend when constructing your show in PTE in the “ Object Editor section “ under “ Tools “ to check mark “ Show TV safe zone “ to see the actual TV image.

Sometimes I leave this on or check periodically when making an EXE presentation in case I decide later to burn a DVD.

You can turn it off and on at anytime.

Also in Video Builder second page “ Menu Page “ it can be turned on under “ Edit “ to view lost section of the menu.

This would explain why your images look perfect in the .EXE and cropped smaller on the TV if this is the case.

** Safe TV zone

[PhilW]

Thanks for the responses, guys. Food for thought, here.

The tip about "TV safe zone" prompted me to have another look at my video using Windows Media Player. I had already done this but not looked closely enough. I now see that the images are not cropped by Video Builder - it's all there and it's the display device (in my case a flat-screen tv set at 4:3) that is cropping the image. Clearly this is what the "TV safe zone" indication is for - to anticipate cropping by the display device.

I'm tempted at this point to take the view that there is no real problem to solve with video creation, and if anything try to get the tv to display the whole of the image. Not being a CRT it ought to be able to display the whole image I would have thought. If I really find it a problem I could resort to adding a border to all my input images to compensate but it barely seems worth it especially as I also like to create exe files from the same images, which don't produce the problem.

Thanks again,

Phil.

[nobeefstu]

Phil,

Televisions typically overscan/display an image that is larger than the physical screen itself. This overscan area can be anywhere from 5%-10% and this makes part of your image not viewable on your tv ... the image itself is not really cropped. This helps to hide distortion at the edges of the image, but it also means that part of the image cannot be seen on a television. The part of the image that can be seen on tv is within the safe zone.

Read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_area

[PhilW]

Thanks for this - I'm a little wiser now.

Phil.

[Ken Cox]

ALSO YOU MIGHT TRY this

on my dvd players/tv set ups the dvd player has 3 positions/screen settings

try all 3 to see which one shows best

ken

[ltdedorc]

quote name='PhilW' date='Oct 15 2007, 10:14 PM' post='46513']

Hi,

Is this a problem anyone else has come across? Is there a fix? Have I set something wrong?

Phil.

[targa912]

I have the PO options Screen set to 4:3 and 90%. This seems to work with less cropping for my show. I plan to put two of the same show on one DVD so people with different tv's can view it. One at 4:3 for old tv's and one at 16:9 for widescreens. Should I use 90% on the widescreen also? Or 100%?

Also when looking at "How auto aspect ratio mode works in VideoBuilder" I'm not sure I completly understand the last line. Does this mean I can't burn one show at 4:3 and another at 16:9 on the same DVD?

This issue is about how Video Builder auto aspect ratio mode works.

Each of the videos being located on DVD disc may have one of the following aspect ratio 4:3 or 16:9. For now VideoBuilder can't burn DVD with slide-shows use different aspect ratio. If you'll set aspect ratio 4:3 (VideoBuilder options) in options all presentations will be in 4:3, if you'll set 16:9 (VideoBuilder options) all will be 16:9.

Even if one from all presentations has aspect ratio differs from 16:9 (slide-show aspect ratio), all of them will be with 4:3 aspect ratio. Only in case then all slide-shows has 16:9 aspect ratio all slide-shows will be in 16:9. Therefore then you create DVD disc for wide width display there is a reason to set 16:9 aspect ratio for all slide-shows.

For the future we plan to develop feature allows you to add different aspect ratio slide-shows to one DVD disc.

[nobeefstu]

bob w,

Should I use 90% on the widescreen also? Or 100%?

All tv mfgr. brands will overscan at diff %. Newer digital tvs seem to overscan at a lower %. So whatever setting you decide to use ... its each tv that has the final say of how much % its going to overscan its display. All you can do is realtime testing upon various makes and models to get your settings-best average to use.

Does this mean I can't burn one show at 4:3 and another at 16:9 on the same DVD?

Exactly. VideoBuilder currently does not support burning multi-ratio content dvds. However ... it is planned feature for future versions.