Main Menu formatting in Sony DVDA3

[scolew]

I have a photo that I scanned in Photoshop CS2 and added multiple layers. I want to use it as my main DVD menu on a project. The photo is in Potrait format. I selected to save it in NTSC D1/DV Pixel Aspect Ratio within Photoshop. I pulled this photo into DVDA3 and set it as my background image. I am able to put buttons on it, but it looks like it is stretched (squatty) if that makes sense. Is there something I need to do in PS CS2 that will tell it that it will be a DVD menu background? Or...how can I resize it to make it look normal on the screen in preview? Thanks to all of you! You have been a tremendous help to me!!!

[Cunhambebe]

You can do this in PS:
In your image-editing application, start a new image.

Your image size should match the height of the output format frame size, and the width should include compensation for the output format's pixel aspect ratio:

NTSC
Output Format
4:3 NTSC (720x480)

Aspect Ratio
.9091

Menu Size
655x480

And you can also try this:

[guns1inger]

In DVDA, make sure 'Simulate Device Aspect Ratio is ticked. It is under the Options menu. Changing the stretch option may result in lower quality or greater distortion.

[scolew]

Thanks for the help!!

Gunslinger... That box is checked...

Cunhambebe... dumb question... where in PS CS2 do I change the output format and menu size? I change the pixel aspect ratio to the number you showed. Still no effect. When I have the button set to "stretch to fit" .... I get the "squatty" looking image. When I change the setting to "Zoom to Fit" it looks to be in the right preportion but does not show all of the image. I have tried to crop and that does not do the trick. How can I use the zoom to fit and have the entire image show up in the menu background?

Thanks so much for all your great help!!!!

[guns1inger]

Create a new document in PS (File -> New) and select NTSC from the available preset sizes.

[Cunhambebe]

That is correct. I'd like to remark that I think there's no dumb questions here. Everybody is learning, and that of course includes me. I'd like to add something here:

When I change the setting to "Zoom to Fit" it looks to be in the right preportion but does not show all of the image.

- Sometimes this happens to me. I'm not an advanced user with PS but as they say in French, je me debrouille bien - or let's see... I can do it myself - lol - let's see if I can help you.

In PS (my version is CS) go to File>New>Preset>Select NTSC DV 720x480 (as guns1inger has well said) with Guides. At the bottom of the screen, please select the correct pixel aspect ratio for NTSC that is D1/DV NTSC 0.9. You can also try to do this: just resize you original image. Mouse-right-click on the guide of your image file and choose Image Size: then you can change values to 720x480 (but I guess this way you won't get the correct pixel aspect ratio which is 0.9). Anyway if you need some more help with PS, there's another forum called LWG3D where you can post your PS questions (you have to register). People there, like here, are very friendly. Here are the links. Hope this helps

Main Forum
http://www.lwg3d.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=294

PS Forum
http://www.lwg3d.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=389