Picture compilation - how does it work?

Christian de Godzinsky wrote on 11/8/2011, 5:14 AM

Hi,

Just a simple question about the inner workings of the DVDA picture compilation feature (have not actually used it yet):

Assume I throw in a huge number of jpegs with a (unnecessary high) resolution of 3k x 2k. How does DVDA compile this onto the DVD? Do the jpegs get compressed to (PAL) resolution before the final compilation, or are they stored on the DVD as is (and then re-sized by the DVD-player during playback)?

In other words - would I benefit sizewise from downscaling the jpegs to the final PAL resolution before throwing them into the picture compilation on order to save valuable DVD space?

Christian

Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 11/8/2011, 7:04 AM

There's no benefit to using huge photos in a picture compilation, Christian. All you'll do is slow down the program as it down-rezzes them.

Everything on a DVD is video resolution -- 720x480 NTSC or 720x576 PAL. Even an 800x600 photo has more than enough resolution.

You CAN add full-resolution photos as Extras on your disc. You won't be able to access or view them when you play the DVD -- but, if you put the disc into a computer's disc drive, you'll be able to browse to them.

I offer step-by-step instruction on how to use all of these features in my books, available on Amazon, if you're interested.

Christian de Godzinsky wrote on 11/8/2011, 11:22 AM

Hi Steve,

OK, so you say that DVDA will ALWAYS resize the original jpegs in a photo compilation to PAL or NTSC resolution?

Or is the opposite true - the DVDA will NOT resample jpegs if they are imported EXACTLY in the used (PAL or NTSC )?

What about pixel aspect ratio - probably DVDA will anyhow resample the photos to achieve the correct PAR - or what?

Is there a way to somehow control this down-sampling quality ?

Christian

Steve Grisetti wrote on 11/8/2011, 3:33 PM

Video is video. DVDs are standard definition video and BluRays are high-definition video.

You can't create slideshows or compositions for a DVD or BluRay disc that aren't video resolution, like everything else on the disc. The best way to control the downsampling quality is to provide photos that are as close to the finished video size as possible.

Don't worry about PAR. Like Vegas, DVD Architect will automatically adjust for the pixel aspect ratio. In other words, a 640x480 square pixel slide will fit perfectly in a 720x480 NTSC video frame. A 768x576 square pixel slide will fit perfectly in a 720x576 PAL video frame.

Christian de Godzinsky wrote on 11/9/2011, 2:42 AM

Hi,

Yes, that is understood that video is video...

However, the picture compilation during playback time is NOT video - as I see it! To my understanding the DVD player displays and decodes SEPARATE (jpeg?) images during a picture compilation and times them how long they show, together with a (optionally) playing audio track. Therefore the images are stored on the DVD as separate images, not as video.

I was just wondering if there is a way to throw original images to the DVDA in such a format that would result in NO re-encoding in DVDA? Additionally I just wanted to know that images are packed as efficiently as possible to the DVD to minimize the size they need...

Christian

TOG62 wrote on 11/9/2011, 4:43 AM

However, the picture compilation during playback time is NOT video - as I see it!

You do not see it correctly. When the images are compiled by DVDA they are downsized and converted to video. You could choose to copy the pictures to a data DVD and many players would be able to play them as a slide-show. That is not, however, what DVDA does.

david-w wrote on 2/17/2018, 3:33 PM

Is there a way to make a picture compilation into an MP4 or other standalone video format. I make some great slide shows using it, but want to be able to share them without a DVD.

2/18 Edit: I found the answer: Go to the DVD and look in the Video folder for the VOB files. Find the VOB that contains the picture compilation, then use a program like VLC to convert the VOB to an MP4 or whatever format you want. Works quickly and easily.