Project and Render Settings for Photo Slideshow

AceCo55 wrote on 4/24/2012, 11:03 PM

Hi -
I am using Vegus Movie Studio Version 11 (Build 322)
I want to make a photo slideshows that will be played via DVD's onto widescreen PAL TV's.
Some of them consist of 1000+ photos. There will be NO video clips used - ONLY still photos. The DVD's will consist of two or three menu based slideshows.
I can resize the photos to any pixel dimensions but I would like to know WHAT pixel dimensions I should batch resize them so that I get the best quality on PAL, widescreen TV's.
I also need to know what is the best render setting for this output.
I will be authoring menu based DVD's using DVD Architect Studio 5.0 for use on widescreen PAL TVs.

Should I be using SD or HD for PAL widescreen TV output?
What size should I batch my photos to for PAL widescreen output?
What project settings should I use for these photo slideshows?
What render settings should I use for these photo slideshows?
Kicker: IF you can tell me how to AUTOMATE pan/zoom (or just zoom) for a photo slideshow of 1000+ photos, what pixel size should I use for the photos?
Thank you very much for any help - I have spent hours on the forums but am totally confused!

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 4/25/2012, 5:20 AM

The key to your puzzle is your desired output: PAL DVD. Set your project properties to PAL DV Widescreen. That takes care of almost everything for you.

Note that DVDs have a resolution of 720x576 so your pictures should be about this size, unless you're planning on zooming in. You'll need to make them big enough so that the smallest section you zoom in on is around 720x576.

Render to MPEG2 using the DVD Architect PAL widescreen template. The bitrate will be determined by the length of the slideshow, but if you're under 75 minutes or so then the default will be fine.

Slideshows are definitely not a strength in Vegas and you're up for a lot of manual work. With Vegas Pro you can get some scripts that automate panning, zooming, transitions, etc. but with the Studio versions you're pretty much stuck doing every one manually and individually.

Jack S wrote on 4/25/2012, 6:54 AM

The OP doesn't mention if his version is the Platinum version. If it is, this version has a very good slideshow creator that will do most of the work for him. It has the option to create pan/zoom transitions between the sildes automatically.

AceCo55 wrote on 4/25/2012, 8:42 AM

Thanks for the replies.
Yes, I have the Platinum version.

AceCo55 wrote on 4/25/2012, 8:48 AM

PAL widescreen version is only 720x??? So this is the best quality I can get on a DVD for playing to a TV?
What is the 1440x??? used for - would I get a better quality slideshow?

I have been resizing my photos to 1800px on long side, then I changed it to 2400px on the long side thinking I would get better quality ... sounds like "ooops that's wrong"

As far as rendering: I thought I needed to render in Movie Studio?
In the past, I just used "make .avi movie" and then imported that into DVD Architect.
Then I found, through the forums, that Movie Studio had "File > Render" ... is this is where I should render the slideshow as MPEG2/PAL Widescreen , and then import that render into Architect?

Thank-you for your patience with this simple mind of mine. I'm 100% sure I am ignorant of what all the different project settings and render settings mean.

Jack S wrote on 4/25/2012, 10:24 AM

If you're creating a DVD it has to be 720x576 (PAL) because this is the standard for PAL DVD. If you render at a different ratio DVDAS will just render it down to the correct size.
I always render in VMS then import into DVDAS. If you choose the correct rendering template in VMS, DVDAS will not recompress.

Chienworks wrote on 4/25/2012, 12:02 PM

If you have the facilities for burning BluRay discs you can make an HD version at 1920x1080, but of course you'd need an HD television for full resolution playback as well.

You will render in Movie Studio, but the MPEG2 template you'll use says "DVD Architect PAL widescreen". If you make an audio track as well then render that separately to AC3 and give it the same filename.

DVD Architect will take the MPEG (and optionally AC3) file and allow you to create the DVD layout and burn the disc.

AceCo55 wrote on 4/25/2012, 9:35 PM

Thank you so much for making the murky waters much clearer.
OK 720x576 (PAL) it is.
If I do want my digital still photos to zoom, am I better off resizing them to a multiple of 720pixels? ie resize them to be 1440pixels x 1152 rather than say 1400 pixels
... or won't it make much difference?

AceCo55 wrote on 4/25/2012, 9:39 PM

No, I don't have BluRay and I can't be sure the recipients will have HD television ... looks it it was my muddled thinking in that "bigger must be better" aaagh!!!

So in Movie Studio would you suggest I render as mpeg2 or avi ready to import into Architect Studio?

THANKYOU BOTH for explaining this in simple terms - I REALLY do appreciate you sharing your expertise.

AlanADale wrote on 4/26/2012, 12:43 AM

Chienworks answered that question 2 posts back.

AceCo55 wrote on 4/26/2012, 3:03 AM

Doh!!! (slaps head). Of course he did. Thankyou for pointing that out.

Just have the one query and I will leave you good people alone for this problem.

If I want to have a zoom transition, I need a still photo greater than 720pixels.
Would I get a better quality result if I resized the still photos to a multiple of the 720x576pixels (eg 1440x1152pixels) or would say 1400 pixels or 1200 pixels be just as good?

Thank you ... thank you ... I REALLY do appreciate your time and patience.

Chienworks wrote on 4/26/2012, 5:18 AM

Nope, doesn't really matter. The idea is that the picture needs to be big enough so that the small section you zoom in on is still bigger than the output frame. The exact value will be determined by the size of that small section, and how much sanity you're willing to forgo while doing the calculations. Personally, i tend to guess and overestimate a tad.

AceCo55 wrote on 4/26/2012, 7:37 AM

Terrific

Thank you all so much. Thanks to you at least my settings will right (now it's the content I have to worry about!!!!)

Jack S wrote on 4/26/2012, 1:33 PM

Ace, don't worry about resizing your photos. I create a slideshow at the end of every project of mine (I call it a Photo Gallery on my DVD menus). If I use the pan/zoom transition in the slideshow creator I find that most of the photos display Ok (providing they have the same aspect ratio of your finished video). The auto pan/zoom doesn't cut much off the photo and most of the photos can cope with this. The ones that don't cope, ie if some important part on an edge of a photo gets cut off, can have their keyframe points altered so the pan/crop doesn't cut it off.
Experiment a little. I found the learning curve for keyframe manipulation very easy to climb.
Have fun.

rjkowalski wrote on 5/2/2012, 10:44 PM

Do you happen to know if I can save a slideshow in the process of creation? I'm adding lots of photos & I like moving them around in the slideshow creator before I "Create" the slideshow, adding it to the timeline. If I'm using the slideshow creator & Save Project, it doesn't save anything I'm doing in the Slideshow creator. That means I would need to shuffle everything around & create the show before I could shut down the program. Am I missing something?