jpegs being imported into iMovieHD...

[dvdguy24]

Hello,

I just purchased my first MAC computer - I got an iMac G5 and so far i'm loving it - I think the video effects and everything look great - however, i'm having one small issue.

I'm trying to put together a photo slide show but when I import the pictures into iMovie, they aren't as sharp as they are in iPhoto or anywhere else - they seem washed out a little. I tried cropping them in iPhoto choosing the "dvd" option, but it didn't do the trick. I can make the slide show in iPhoto, but I think iMovieHD has better effects.

any suggestions?

I tried to doing multiple searches online, and this forum - but nobody has come up with a solution that has worked for me, including myself (obviously).

thanks in advance.

[havema-1]

1st, iMovie display is just a preview so judge the quality on a TV screen. Also remember that video resolution is poor so the megapixel still images must be downsampled in the end, no matter what.

2nd iMovie 4-5 have an immortal bug where it renders jaggy still images:

http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/iMovie_HD_bugs.html#jaggy_stills

http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/iMovie_4_bugs.html#jagged_stills

So avoid letting iMovie do that when sending the project to iDVD or tape!

See also:

http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/SVCD_on_a_Macintosh.html#slideshow

[terryj]

Do you slide shows out of iPhoto, and then send those to iDVD. like havema said, iMovie isn't the best for stills.

[DanSlagle]

Use Photo to Movie or Still Life. Much better sub pixel rendering.
http://danslagle.com/blog/index.php?p=20

[dvdguy24]

Thanks - so, i'll just use iPhoto for the slide show - and send it to iDVD when i'm finished - I did like the effects iMovie had though.

can I add music from iTunes just like I can with iMovie? I haven't explored iPhoto that much.

[terryj]

You can in iPhoto:

*apply limited effects to photos
(ken burns, transitions such as fade, dissolve, blur)
*set music to the slideshow direct from your iTunes playlists
*with one click, send to iDVD.

[dvdguy24]

thanks - i'll do some more exploring tonight - i'll be back if I have anymore questions, everyone here seems very helpful!

[dvdguy24]

n/m

[Manny C]

Also, Roxio's Toast comes with a program called Motion Pictures that does a good job of putting together slideshows with effects and transitions. You can save your finished product as a DV clip that you can import into iMovie.

You should also keep in mind that even when working with video (not just still photos), iMovie's preview window will show you your work in low-quality view. It does this to save processing power, and allow the program to work more efficiently without slowing you down. The final result after you create your DVD or export the project to your camera will look much better than it does in iMovie.

And by the way, if you like iMovie's effects and transitions (very minimal if you ask me), you should definitely check out SLICK TRANSITIONS AND EFFECTS at www.geethree.com

It's like putting iMovie on steroids!

[willrob]

SInce no one has mentioned iDVD itself, I thought I'd fill the gap. You can build slideshows in iDVD directly (and also store high res copies of the images on the dvd, so viewers can have their own prints made, if they desire), synced to music of your choice. But there is a 99 image limit per slideshow (has something to do with the VD standard). So if you have a lot of images, you will have to organize them into multiple chapters, each accessed via a menu button. Also not as many fancy transitions, but it does allow the viewer to pause over a particular image; whereas a "move" based slideshow's pause wouldn't have the same picture quality.

[dvdguy24]

I'll keep all of those suggestions in mind. Thanks for the tips! One thing about iPhoto is that I can't apply titles to the actual pictures - like, apply text right on the photo.

[terryj]

in iPhoto ( version 5.04) under Slideshow Prefs,
click the checkbox that says
"Show Titles".