PPT storyboarding with Photo Story 3

[Mitch Gallant]

Adding to this, I tried creating the video as uncompressed DVD avi file in
Microsoft Movie Maker along with about 7 30 sec. mp3 audio clips. There were
22 slides exported from ppt.
Raw avi file generated was 1.5 Gb! (for a total slide show of 10 minutes).

Converted that to SVCD MPEG file format (using WinAVI) .. quite fast
.. --> 72 Mbytes
Imported that generated SVCD file into Ulead MovieFactory authoring tool and
burnt as SVCD.
Quality is good .. but not as sharp as the 2nd approach below where I
created photo story directly from ppt exported images in Ulead movie factory
(all other SVCD settings were the same).
Obviously, this current technique is not really a photo-album cd .. controls
on the SVCD are different also.

So the clear winner, if you want to do a slide show in either SVCD or DVD is
to create it directly from the exported images as a real photo CD slide show
and not a converted video file from the original images. Much faster also.

By comparison, the first technique (at bottom) which used MS Photo Story and
converted to wmv was 14 Mbytes and quite blurry on DVD player/TV.

- Mitch

OK .. i tried the following and the image quality is very good on my aging
standard TV:

(1) Using Ulead DVD MovieFactory, select "create a slide show" and SVCD
format
(2) Add the images (in this case 22 images exported as 960x720 from ppt
2003
(3) Unfortunately, Ulead slide-show designer does NOT let you adjust the
timing of each slide to accomodate synching with different added audio
files, so I didn't bother adding any sound files or track at all.
(4) burn the SVCD (fairly fast)
(5) view the SVCD on my Toshiba combo DVD/VCR and oldish TV

The visual quality and text is very sharp and readable and MUCH better
than the first approach where I create a video from Photo Story (as wmv).
Question: When you create a slide show in either a VCD, SVCD or DVD, what
format is that stored in?
Is it still MPEG2? what about bandwidth usage?

Since I am very happy with SVCD and the ppt converted presentations I am
targetting will mostly be less than 1/2 hour, that suites the bill and CDs
are cheaper than DVDs.
I just need to find a good DVD authoring tool, with slide-show design that
allows adjusting time of individual slides so can synch with audio clips.
Microsoft MovieMaker can export to huge high quality uncompressed avi ..
and it has nice control of individual picture interval ... audio clip,
cropping etc.. but is using that MovieMaker exported slide-show as avi and
then importing into say Ulead DVD slide-show the same as creating a slide
show from images directly in Ulead MovieFactory?

- Mitch Gallant

Well I think the exported ppt images at 960x720 should be sufficient
quality
for input to any DVD slideshow authoring tool.

Just for grins, I'd also try PNGs or BMPs if the authoring tool will eat
'em.
These use lossless or no compression compared to JPG's lossy compression.
With text and other small, 'hard-eged' graphics, JPG can give you
compression
artifacts ... stuff that looks like hairs or paramecia hovering around
your
graphics.

I next will try importing these images directly into the DVD authoring
tools
(Ulead MovieFactory or NeroVision Express 3SE). Not sure if it is worth
trying the Windows Movie Maker and create a large avi first with the
images.
Any ideas or suggestions on 2nd try ??
Actually I looked at my first attempt below with 640X480 and it isn't
too
shabby except for some small text problems, border clipping etc..

Question: Since I am burning a few expendable DVD -R for this, if I get
a
bad DVD video burn, is there a way to easily add some BACKUP data to
that
disk so if the video created is no good, at least I have some backup
data
and the disk isn't a complete writeoff? The slideshows only use a small
part of the DVD.

- Mitch Gallant

PPT 2003 exports jpg images by default on my system as 960x720 (1.333
aspect), and the quality of the generated images is quite impressive.
Is
that exported jpg resolution configurable?
(My current LCD monitor size is 17" with the display resolution set at
1280x1024).

As I mentioned in my OP on this thread, with MS PhotoStory I used the
save
setting "Profile for creating DVDs" NTSC 640x480 which is WMV Q=98
4:3
aspect ration and 30 ffs. That suggested resolution seems somewhat low
(DVD is 720X480?).

Also, I noticed that my DVD authoring/burning app (ULead MovieFactory
3
SE) has ability to directly create image slide-shows, so maybe
PhotoStory
isn't necessary. I also have NeroVision Express 3SE and it also has
slide-show capability, but haven't tried it. I imagine these apps. are
similar in their results. Maybe importing PPT exported images directly
into these tools makes more sense than using MS as intermediate
slideshow
generator.
I didn't see any "safe area" setting, to assist with managing unwanted
display cropping in Ulead's product.

- Mitch Gallant


I didn't see any "preview what this will roughly look likeon your
TV" in
MovieFactory before committing to burn to DVD. That might have
showed
the edge problems.

When you create stuff for TV display, you want to put nonimportant
parts
of the pictures in the margins because, while that area may show on
some
TVs, it may not show on others. And, as far as I know, there's really
no
way to tell ahead of time. So some products (Adobe products being
some of
them) have what's called a "safe area" indicator you can turn on.
One's
for titles, one's for margins. Anything inside the margin area will
show
on most (all?) TVs, and anything inside the "title safe area" is
where
you want any text to be if you want to be sure it will show on most
(all?) TVs.

I don't know the ULead products, but you might look for something
like a
"safe area" option in them.

I think sometimes when people user PowerPoint for too long, it tends
to
blind people as to the only way to go as the source slide authoring
approach.

Totally agree. (I might say "source screen authoring," though.)

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/powerpointannoy/
PPTLive! Sept 17-20, 2006 http://www.pptlive.com

-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Echo S]

Well I think the exported ppt images at 960x720 should be sufficient
quality for input to any DVD slideshow authoring tool.
I next will try importing these images directly into the DVD authoring
tools (Ulead MovieFactory or NeroVision Express 3SE). Not sure if it is
worth trying the Windows Movie Maker and create a large avi first with the
images. Any ideas or suggestions on 2nd try ??

As Steve mentioned, PNG may be the way to go for text slides. I know I
rarely export as JPG because the text is usually incredibly jaggy. PNG does
a much better job. (Actually, WMF/EMF does the best with text, but I don't
know that you can import that format into most DVD authoring software. So my
next choice for text is PNG. I use both PNG and WMF/EMF, depending on what I
need the images for.)

At any rate, I would try to use as little software as possible -- if you can
go directly into your DVD authoring software and it does what you need, then
do that. It's like making a copy of a copy of a copy -- a copy of an
original will always be better quality.

 

[Echo S]

Question: When you create a slide show in either a VCD, SVCD or DVD, what
format is that stored in?
Is it still MPEG2? what about bandwidth usage?

Should be MPEG2. What do you mean about bandwidth usage?

I just need to find a good DVD authoring tool, with slide-show design that
allows adjusting time of individual slides so can synch with audio clips.

Not sure what pricerange you're looking at, but Adobe Encore DVD should fit
the bill. It's about $350, I believe. Otherwise, see if you can find trial
versions of Movie Studio + DVD (Sony Media Software), MyDVD Studio (Roxio),
or Sonic DVDit (Sonic). Ulead has DVD Workshop (as opposed to DVD Workshop
Express), and I bet it will do what you need. Of course, it's also twice the
price ($400-ish).

Microsoft MovieMaker can export to huge high quality uncompressed avi ..
and it has nice control of individual picture interval ... audio clip,
cropping etc.. but is using that MovieMaker exported slide-show as avi and
then importing into say Ulead DVD slide-show the same as creating a slide
show from images directly in Ulead MovieFactory?

Well, I guess it's pretty much the same, but it's the "copy of a copy" thing
again -- if you can go directly into the DVD software, it's going to be
better quality-wise.

 

[Mitch Gallant]

Should be MPEG2. What do you mean about bandwidth usage?

Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking by that! (and VCD is MPEG1). Ignore
that one.
I think what I meant to saw was the difference in space requirements for a
slide-show versus a simple single video conversion. I know that the are all
basically all MPEG2 but they are organized differently in folders on the
SVCD/DVD. The VCD created from the exported avi file has a single MPEG in
the D:\segment burnt cd folder, but creating the slide show directly in DVD
authoring tool creates a bunch of MPEG files in the segment so navigation to
each slide is possible. I was referring to space difference due to "slides"
versus single video file generation.

Not sure what pricerange you're looking at, but Adobe Encore DVD should
fit the bill. It's about $350, I believe. Otherwise, see if you can find
trial versions of Movie Studio + DVD (Sony Media Software), MyDVD Studio
(Roxio), or Sonic DVDit (Sonic). Ulead has DVD Workshop (as opposed to DVD
Workshop Express), and I bet it will do what you need. Of course, it's
also twice the price ($400-ish).

I currently have only DVD MovieFactory 3 se and the slide-show creating mode
is too limited (e.g. can't assign individual image duration; but if the
sound clip with a slide is LONGER than the default image duration, that
slide duration is automatically extended; sound clips can't overlap more
than one slide etc). I like the interface and logical layout. I tried
NeroVision Express but I don't like the interface design. Will look for next
step in in Ulead product line with $150 max as my limit.
The other thing that is neat about Ulead Moviefactory SVCD burns is you can
option to save, along with the MPEG video, the original images of the slide
show as well and also a personal data folder. Very cool. So that answers my
question: If you create a VCD you can store other data on that disk easily
during a VCD burn (say like a bunch of MP3 / wma files) if you have a bad
video burn

Well, I guess it's pretty much the same, but it's the "copy of a copy"
thing again -- if you can go directly into the DVD software, it's going to
be better quality-wise.

OK thanks. That copy of a copy makes sense. I would have thought that the
very high quality MovieFactory exported avi file would have very good image
quality.

- Mitch

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/powerpointannoy/
PPTLive! Sept 17-20, 2006 http://www.pptlive.com

 

[Echo S]

Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking by that! (and VCD is MPEG1).
Ignore that one.

My bad -- I did ignore that one (LOL!), because I was just answering for
DVD. Totally missed the VCD/SVCD!

 

[Mitch Gallant]

Yes .... but I don't like it .. it has poor flexibility (the SE version) and
I don't have the DVD encoder so can't create SVCD. Timing can't be
separately adjusted.
- Mitch

 

[Mitch Gallant]

Adding another question to your tidy slide:
...
Most DVD players not only support DVD, VCD, SVCD video disks, but also
support MP3 and JPEG data disks (CD-R, CD-R etc..) which are created simply
as data disks in yoru favorite disk burning software.

Of course this is very very cool:

Consider that you can simply create:
MP3 data disk with about 1500 typical length MP3 soundtracks!
JPEG data disk with about 13,000 images of typical good resolution.

and use your cheapo DVD player support for playing these jukeboxes-disks of
audio clips or huge slide shows.

So that begs the question about those JPEG image data disks. What is the
quality of these images compared to say a SVCD slide show where you convert
the JPEG images to MPEG2 for video disks?
Since the entire jpeg image is read by the DVD player, it does a hardware
video transform on the fly for display?
I gather that these JPEG data CDs/DVDs don't support any soundclip
synchronization capability (like DVD/SVCD slide show disks do).

- Mitch

 

[Mitch Gallant]

Once you get past a certain age, you ned a microscope to see *hairs*.

Are you suggesting that aging has its benefits? like intrinsic visual
"smoothing" ?
- Mitch

 

[Mitch Gallant]

You don't notice everyone around you getting gradually more attractive?

Or at least less wrinkly?

Are you referring to my better half? omg .. i don't dare fwd this to her!
I'd be in the dog house majorly! lol
- Mitch

 

[Mitch Gallant]

I seem to have the full version; I made a slide show CD/DVDthing earlier
today
out of curiosity. In it, if you rightclick a picture or transition and
choose
Properties, you can change the transition or picture display times.
Pretty
clumsy, that one.

Agreed on that one. I actually do like the MS Photo Story interface. Too bad
the conversoin results are not worthy.
- Mitch

 

[Mitch Gallant]

Or effects, transitions, user-friendly interface. On mine, the interface
is
downright opaque, in fact. I wouldn't dream of handing a cd full of JPGs
to my
mom and expecting her to be able to play it, where with a VCD slideshow,
navigation is pretty much like a DVD, or can be.

Actually that comment about navigating VCD slideshows is interesting. I
created a SVCD slide-show directly in my Ulead Movie Factory 3 SE, one with
sound clips tacked to the images, and the second one just the jpgs.
When I play the SVCD with JUST the images on my DVD player, the >>| (next
button) on my DVD remote control advances to the next slide as expected. But
with the mixed SVCD that button doesn't advance the slide at all! hmmm
sounds like something strange in the menuing of the SVCD!
So even VCDs are not without their own onscreen navigation glitches

- Mitch

 

[stancol]

Didn't have time to read through all the posts but one thing you have wrong
is 640X480. DVD's require 720X480.