TV Safe Area

John Ruscigno · Post by **John Ruscigno** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:07 am

I'm trying to burn a group of slideshows to a dual-layer DVD and having trouble with the descriptions on the individual pictures within the slideshows being cut off when viewed on a TV. I'm running VideoStudio 11 plus on a new computer. I created the slideshows using Ulead Photo Explorer 8.5, added descriptions to each photo, and then created a video file for each slideshow. I collected the 12 slideshow video files into a project in VideoStudio and added music. When burning to a DVD, I created a menu and I see where I can set the TV Safe Area under the project preferences right before I start the actual burn but no matter what I change the TV Safe Area to, it make no difference in the final product when I view it on my TV. Is there another place in the process I should be setting the TV Safe Area? Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:26 am

You set the TV safe area in the editing phase by clicking
file | Preferences

For further details of this setting please view:
Overlay tracks

You set the TV safe area in the burning phase here:

GeorgeW · Post by **GeorgeW** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:49 am

Keep in mind that setting the "safe" areas really doesn't do anything to the video/dvd. It just gives you a guideline for the "boundaries" for what will be seen on a TV (and anything outside the "safe" areas might not be viewable on a TV).

So, you have to plan accordingly to expect around 10-20% of the outer edges to be in the "overscan" area (and not viewable when played on a TV).

Regards,
George

John Ruscigno · Post by **John Ruscigno** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:12 am

I checked and I already have checked the "Display the safe area in the preview window". Is there another step in the process I should be using?

Post by **lancecarr** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:47 am

Where exactly did you add the titles?
In Photo Explorer or VS?

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:52 am

There seems to be some cross-purposes here. Clicking safe area on does nothing except show a line on Preview. It is up to you to ensure that everything you want to see, including titles, are within that area. It does not magically shift/resize titles into the area.

Sorry to restate what George said.

John Ruscigno · Post by **John Ruscigno** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:36 am

Thanks for the replies and I think I may have solved the problem. Maybe you can confirm it for me. When I created the project in VS, I dropped all the video files of my slideshows on the Video track. I see when I drop them onto the overlay track, I can see the TV safe area limits and move the pictures around to stay within it. Is it that simple? For novices like me, it isn't intuitive to drop all your videos onto the overlay track when you create a project.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:55 am

There are several ways to do the same thing.
Perhaps most users would place their photographs on the video track and then place any writing on the title track. When doing this the TV safe area will show up whilst dealing with the writing on the title track.

Another way is the method you have used where you put the writing on the pictures with your image editor. If you do things that way then one solution is to create a TV safe area overlay and temporarily drop it as an object or layer (dependant upon which image editor you are using) so that you can place the writing accordingly, then delete that overlay.

I have previously made such an overlay available here:
Layout Guides

Clevo · Post by **Clevo** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:10 am

John Ruscigno wrote:Thanks for the replies and I think I may have solved the problem. Maybe you can confirm it for me. When I created the project in VS, I dropped all the video files of my slideshows on the Video track. I see when I drop them onto the overlay track, I can see the TV safe area limits and move the pictures around to stay within it. Is it that simple? For novices like me, it isn't intuitive to drop all your videos onto the overlay track when you create a project.

That's it...but after a few projects you get a sense that the TV safe area is roughly |_____| much from the edge of the screen.

Wait till you do a project that needs to allow for title safe area for a CRT monitor and also a plasma Screen which doesn't need that sort of consideration.