Slideshow Resolution

[nmikha]

Hi,

I looked through some of the threads, but didn't see anything on resolution.

I'm creating a slideshow of pictures for an anniversary party; however, when I drop the pictures into the sceneline and hit play, the resolution becomes very grainy.

I'm a new user and would appreciate any suggestions on how to improve the quality. The pictures by themselves are in good shape and appear nicely when just looking at them in a picture viewer.

Thanks for your help.
N

[ATR]

N

First please read this classic FAQ from the Premiere Elements User to User Forum at Adobe.
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/431851?tstart=0

I have lots of questions:

1. Do you have Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements (what versions)?

2. Where are you creating this slideshow, Photoshop Elements Slideshow Editor; Photoshop Elements Slideshow Editor, followed by sending the slideshow to Premiere Elements for export; or just Premiere Elements for creating the slideshow and export from there?

3. What do you want to create, a slideshow in DVD-VIDEO format (standard or widescreen) on a DVD disc for playback on the TV via its DVD player or something else?

4. What is the source and format of your source media, jpeg or psd. If jpeg, how many times have you applied a Save As to the jpeg file? If psd, are you using the flattened psd or a multi layer psd?

5. What is the typical pixel dimensions that you start with vs what you are bringing into Premiere Elements? Are you resizing before? If so, how?

6. Since you mentioned "Sceneline", I am assuming that you are in Premiere Elements. After you bring your picture into a spot in the Sceneline, you find it grainy, you Render by pressing the Enter key of the computer main keyboard, what happens to the quality...blurry as before, better??

I am not sure if we are looking at a jpeg degradation issue due to a lot of Save As which could be bypassed by use of .psd version of image or something else. Your answers will help me help you.

Also, I prefer the Timeline View since I believe it offers more control because you can see what is going on and other reasons as well. Timeline vs Sceneline is not the focus right now.

To be continued.....

ATR

[nmikha]

Thanks for your quick response. I will review the FAQ more tonight. It may be that the pictures are too big. In the meantime, here are the answers to your questions.

1. Do you have Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements (what versions)? Premiere Elements 7

2. Where are you creating this slideshow, Photoshop Elements Slideshow Editor; Photoshop Elements Slideshow Editor, followed by sending the slideshow to Premiere Elements for export; or just Premiere Elements for creating the slideshow and export from there? Just Premiere Elements

3. What do you want to create, a slideshow in DVD-VIDEO format (standard or widescreen) on a DVD disc for playback on the TV via its DVD player or something else? A slideshow in DVD for for TV playback. Does it matter for standard or widescreen TV?

4. What is the source and format of your source media, jpeg or psd. If jpeg, how many times have you applied a Save As to the jpeg file? If psd, are you using the flattened psd or a multi layer psd? JPEG. Not sure how many times. Some pictures none, some needed to be improved so they got saved over several times.

5. What is the typical pixel dimensions that you start with vs what you are bringing into Premiere Elements? Are you resizing before? If so, how? Some are coming from photo disks that were created at Walgreens or similiar places. Others are scans. Typical size varies greatly.

6. Since you mentioned "Sceneline", I am assuming that you are in Premiere Elements. After you bring your picture into a spot in the Sceneline, you find it grainy, you Render by pressing the Enter key of the computer main keyboard, what happens to the quality...blurry as before, better?? After they are in Sceneline, I click on them individually and they show up clear. When I press play to view the slideshow, they turn grainy.

I am not sure if we are looking at a jpeg degradation issue due to a lot of Save As which could be bypassed by use of .psd version of image or something else. Your answers will help me help you. The ones I'm having trouble with were right off of a photo CD. I didn't do any Save As. I think most are 1MB to 2MB. Is that to big and part of the problem?

Also, I prefer the Timeline View since I believe it offers more control because you can see what is going on and other reasons as well. Timeline vs Sceneline is not the focus right now.

[ATR]

N

Before you post again, could you take a sampling of your photos, for each:

1. First click on Edit Tab (Orange)
2. Then Project Tab (Black)
3. Right click an photo file in the Project Media View and select Properties
4. In Properties, please let me know what it says for:
Type:
File Size:
Image Size:

I have some old Walgreen photo CDs and will take a second look at them. I do not recall having problems with them, but...

To be continued....

ATR

[nmikha]

Here's what I have:

Type: JPEG
File Size: 56KB
Image Size: 1000 x 675

This is after running the pictures through Photoshop Elements 7 Process Multiple Files.

[ATR]

Here's what I have:

Type: JPEG
File Size: 56KB
Image Size: 1000 x 675

This is after running the pictures through Photoshop Elements 7 Process Multiple Files.

I have some things for you to do after you confirm what you have. Is the File Size really 56 KB? Take a look at the following AdobeTech Note on Resizing and Cropping in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/331/331327.html

Depending on how your project is going after reading the link and maybe following up on some of the comments in it, you could try the following:

1. Take one of the CD photos (not resized) to the Premiere Elements, and, in Project Media View, right click that photo, select Properties, and tell what its says for:
Type
File Size
Image Size

2. Drag that photo to the Sceneline's Filmstrip. Is it blurry in the Monitor when you hit the Monitor Play button? If so, press the Enter Key of the computer main keyboard? After that Rendering process is complete, try to play the photo again. Is it still blurry?

3. I would like you to check out the details of your Photoshop Elements 7, File Menu/Process Multiple Files for resizing. You can create two new folders on your computer Desktop, one "Original", the other "Resized".

a. In the Image Size Section, you check "resize Images"
For Width you set 1000 pixels and for Height you set 750 pixels. (I like to do this with Constrain Proportions unchecked.)
Resolution could be 250.
For Source, browse to the "Original" folder on the Desktop and set that. For Destination, browse to the "Resized" folder on the Desktop and set that.

b. In the File Type Section, check Convert Files To: and set for PSD. For now have a check next to Resample Image: Bicubic.

c. We could also experiment later with Convert Files To: JPEG High Quality if you have not done that in your resizing.

4. When you open Premiere Elements, what are you setting for the project preset in the New Project dialog...NTSC DV Standard or NTSC DV Widescreen? Also, if you right click the Monitor, select Playback Settings, for Desktop Display Mode what is dotted, Compatible, Standard, or Accelerated GPU Effects.

To be continued...

ATR