menu background image dimension compensation

[e-nation]

I have an old version of Photoshop... version 6. I also have Fireworks MX by Macromedia... similar in that they are both raster/ pixel image editors.

If i recall correctly, i believe it was Photoshop CS (or CS2)-- software that i don't own, but have used-- i recall using a feature that automatically adjusted the dimensions of an image to compensate for a standard television screen so that it has proper proportions in appearance to the original artwork.

i have tried to make an image to be used for a menu background, using a size based off of my Vision Express program files-- i see that their example background image, "island", is 768 x 576, so that's what i use.

but all guesswork was eliminated when i used that special setting in Photoshop CS. i recall that it took my image and made it appear to be widened (or is it squeezed?) on the screen, although i didn't physically change the proportions of the image. what i'm leading up to here is-- those of you who know and use that setting in Photoshop-- do you know what is actually going on there behind the scenes? is there a way to manually adjust as the software is doing automatically with that special feature, and if so, then what are the proper manual settings?

[guns1inger]

What is your authoring software ?
DVD Lab uses 720 x 540 images with 1:1 PAR. For 4:3 menus this size resizes exactly for both PAL and NTSC formats once the PAR for the format is taken into account.

[e-nation]

720x540 is an identical aspect ratio to 768x576, so we're talking about the same proportions as compared to my VE bg image which i use as a "standard"

but, are you suggesting that the image size is dependent upon the authoring software? i'm not sure why you've asked about my authoring software.

really, this hasn't been an issue for me in the past-- because most of the time, i was using Vision Express to both encode and burn, and i would simply point VE to an unadulterated image (meaning, i found a picture which would not otherwise have been intended for use in this process) and let it go, and the end-result would be a fine looking menu on my TV screen. only recently have i been trying different methods (procoder or MainConcept) to encode my original video media to DVD video.

actually, i made a menu last night for a DVD authored with TMPGEnc DVD Author. This was before i remembered to check the dimensions of the bg from NeroVision. I used 720x480 (for reasons you could expect), and started the authoring process even though i thought the menu as previewed in TDA looked a bit squashed horizontally-- that is, how should i say it... the images looked "taller" than they should be. but then when i viewed the menu on TV, it looked properly proportioned again. only at that intermediate moment of previewing in TDA did it look out of proportion.

really, i think the answer i'm looking for here is not relevant to authoring software, but to image editing. i'm looking for insight into how to prepare my image based off of the setting in Photoshop CS (if i'm correct in my recollection) which accounts for NTSC TV standards. i'm simply curious about what the photoshop setting is doing to the image. maybe i have no idea what i'm talking about. i don't think i imagined this image editing feature, but it is possible that it wasn't Photoshop CS, but another image edit app. no problem needs to be solved here, i don't think. it's just curiosity about this newer "automatic" image editing feature. i could have gone to a photoshopt forum, but i thought i'd have more luck here amongst the video gurus.

[dipstick]

If you're going to use it as a still menu, then use a 720 x 540 image. The DVD Authoring app should accept this and modify as needed.

If you don't trust the app to do it correctly, then create the image @ 720 x 540. After you're all done with it, resize it to 720 x 480 (with preserve aspect ratio unchecked). This will look a little squashed, but will look fine when viewed on TV.

[edDV]

Backup, why are you using 768x576? Are you trying to author a PAL DVD?

NTSC DVD only has 480 active lines.

4:3 square pixel = 640x480
4:3 DVD non-square = 720x480
16:9 square pixel = 853x480
16:9 DVD non-square = 720x480

[e-nation]

create the image @ 720 x 540. After you're all done with it, resize it to 720 x 480 (with preserve aspect ratio unchecked). This will look a little squashed, but will look fine when viewed on TV.

i think this is what i was looking for. yes, i use a still menu.

[skeg64]

I think the Photoshop setting you are talking about is "Image>Pixel Aspect Ratio". This has default settings for NTSC/PAL DV (dvd).

It changes the way the image is displayed as you edit it, without changing the dimensions of the image. All that is happening is Photoshop is stretching the image that is displayed as you work on it.

Photoshop CS also has default image sizes and PAR settings when you choose "File>New". You can create a blank canvas with the proper sizes for dvd menus.

[e-nation]

yes! this is what i was referring to. i was thinking that it only changed the appearance on-screen, but i wasn't sure.

i assume, as dipstik said above, this is because using the appropriate proportions might cause the image to look squashed.