Distorted pictures with a 8.0 megapixel camera?

tpinfo4 · Post by **tpinfo4** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 11:06 pm

I have tried everything. I am making a dvd file with jpg files. I took them on a sony 8.0 megapixel camera. Everytime I put them in the timeline they all look distroted. I have tried everything. I tried changing the resolutions. I switvhed it from 16x9 to 4x3. Flciker on then off and everyhting else. If I change the reseoltion to 1024x682 it looks a little better but when I make the screen bigger it gets distorted. Somebody please tell me what I am doing something wrong.
Thanks.

tpinfo4 · Post by **tpinfo4** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 11:12 pm

I forgot to mention when I am previewing the picture on quick play it looks a lot better. When it is on instant play it looks distorted. When I save the file it looks distorted. I tried saving it with various settings but all have failed and they all still look distorted.

GeorgeW · Post by **GeorgeW** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 11:20 pm

When importing an image, there's a little checkbox in the lower left corner that says "keep original size with moving path automatically' -- make sure you check that box...

tpinfo4 · Post by **tpinfo4** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 11:36 pm

I just tried that and it looks better but it zooms in 5 times the picture size. I tried reducing it to 1024 x 682 but it still zoomed in. What would I resize it to for a 16 x 9 project. I don't want it to be distorted on a big screen with a small file size. Thanks for your help. I think I'm getting closer.

Terry Stetler · Post by **Terry Stetler** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 6:24 am

Overlaying a large picture in a 720x480/576 video frame will make it spill over the edges. You could just resize it using an imaging program to something more appropriate.

Alternatively, and presuming you want to keep its detail in order to effectively zoom in on a portion of it at some point in the project, use the Width/Height controls in the 2D Moving Path dialog to zoom out on the full image.

tpinfo4 · Post by **tpinfo4** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:58 pm

If I use a photo editor to change the picture size to 720/480 it makes the file real small and the quality low. How do I change it so I have the same quality or close to it? I have Adobe Photoshop. Thanks.

Terry Stetler · Post by **Terry Stetler** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 7:20 pm

Obviously you can't resize it in an image editor and maintain the same quality, but you also have to take into account the display device and if it can actually show that high a quality. A TV cannot, even an HD one.

Also: if you're going to resize an image to fit the visible portion of the video frame a size of 640 wide is more appropriate because much of the typical 720 wide frame is invisible on a TV, laying outside of what's called the "title safe margin".

Perhaps the best option for you is to load in the full sised image and use a moving path to scale it to fit the visible portion of the video frame.

At least that way if you at some point have to zoom in on the image the quality won't suffer as much.