Cropping of DVD-menu background.

yeahwow wrote on 9/7/2011, 3:34 PM

I am importing some movies with a 640x360 resolution into MEP 17 and I create a DVD from them. That all goes well, thanks to members of this forum.

In the DVD menu I set an image, also with 640x360 resolution as background. When I burn the DVD the image gets cropped on all sides, although the video displays as it should.

Any ideas how to correct this? Do I need to make my own DVD-menu template? Or is there a setting or anything else that I am overlooking?

By the way: I have set the DVD menu to be 16:9.

Any help is appreciated.

Comments

terrypin wrote on 9/12/2011, 5:18 AM

Hi,

I've hesitated in replying as I suspect I don't quite understand what you mean.

But, as a starter, I don't follow why are you trying to add non-spec resolution images of 640x360 to the DVD menu? I think the standard for 16:9 is 720x576 (for PAL, as we have in UK). But as DVD menus use non-square pixels you should first make the image 1024x576 (or higher, but just making sure the AR is 16:9), then use your image editor to resize that to 720x576.

Try that anyway and report back!

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Last changed by terrypin on 9/12/2011, 5:18 AM, changed a total of 1 times.

Terry, East Grinstead, UK. PC: i7 6700K, 4.0 GHz, 32GB with Win 10 pro. Used many earlier versions of MEPP, currently mainly MEPP 2016 & 2017 (Using scores of macro scripts to add functionality, tailored to these versions.)

terrypin wrote on 9/13/2011, 11:16 AM

I took a closer look at MEP's DVD menu backgrounds. It seems to me that, like some other video editors and players, MEP might automatically recognise such images when loaded and intelligently resize them. Avoiding the chore of allowing for this in advance in the way i suggested.

I added a background of 640 x 360 and its 16:9 AR was apparently faithfully maintained. No black borders like those you were getting.

But there are several aspects of MEP's DVD menu authoring interface that I for one find very inconsistent and/or confusing. So it's hardly surprising that unexpected results frequently occur. If you've still got the problem I'd suggest you provide full details of the steps you're taking. In particular:

1. What template are you using?
2. Where/how do you "...set an image, also with 640x360 resolution as background,"?
3. What other relevant settings have you made? (TV border cropping, Automatically adjust new images, Movie resolution, etc.)

Screenshots are always a good idea when there's any possible ambiguity.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Last changed by terrypin on 9/13/2011, 11:18 AM, changed a total of 2 times.

Terry, East Grinstead, UK. PC: i7 6700K, 4.0 GHz, 32GB with Win 10 pro. Used many earlier versions of MEPP, currently mainly MEPP 2016 & 2017 (Using scores of macro scripts to add functionality, tailored to these versions.)

Scenestealer wrote on 9/15/2011, 12:59 AM

In respect of your chapter thumbnail pictures showing the TV border cropping - I can confirm that this happens but I can see no way of fixing this. I do not think the cropping of your back ground has anything to do with the TV border adjustment though as it has no effect on my system.

Best

Ss

Last changed by Scenestealer on 9/15/2011, 12:59 AM, changed a total of 1 times.

System Specs: Intel 6th Gen i7 6700K 4Ghz O.C.4.6GHz, Asus Z170 Pro Gaming MoBo, 16GB DDR4 2133Mhz RAM, Samsung 850 EVO 512GB SSD system disc WD Black 4TB HDD Video Storage, Nvidia GTX1060 OC 6GB, Win10 Pro 2004, MEP2016, 2022 (V21.0.1.92) Premium and prior, VPX7, VPX12 (V18.0.1.85). Microsoft Surface Pro3 i5 4300U 1.9GHz Max 2.6Ghz, HDGraphics 4400, 4GB Ram 128GB SSD + 64GB Strontium Micro SD card, Win 10Pro 2004, MEP2015 Premium.

terrypin wrote on 9/15/2011, 7:15 AM

Hi Peter,

There seem to be several ways of changing the DVD menu background, such as in the Arranger or using Photo Designer. How exactly did you test the cropping mentioned above please?

BTW, re my post 'Editing DVD menus with alternative image editors', have you ever tried that?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Last changed by terrypin on 9/15/2011, 7:15 AM, changed a total of 1 times.

Terry, East Grinstead, UK. PC: i7 6700K, 4.0 GHz, 32GB with Win 10 pro. Used many earlier versions of MEPP, currently mainly MEPP 2016 & 2017 (Using scores of macro scripts to add functionality, tailored to these versions.)

terrypin wrote on 9/26/2011, 7:15 AM

"Any help is appreciated."

But some feedback or a 'thanks' would be good too!

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Last changed by terrypin on 9/26/2011, 7:15 AM, changed a total of 1 times.

Terry, East Grinstead, UK. PC: i7 6700K, 4.0 GHz, 32GB with Win 10 pro. Used many earlier versions of MEPP, currently mainly MEPP 2016 & 2017 (Using scores of macro scripts to add functionality, tailored to these versions.)

yeahwow wrote on 9/26/2011, 7:52 PM

"Any help is appreciated."

But some feedback or a 'thanks' would be good too!

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Hi Terry,

Your help is very much appreciated. I have been away for a while AND have been busy with other things. I will come back to your remarks this week and do some testing along the lines you indicate. So I'll report back in a few days.

Bye for now,

Lesley

yeahwow wrote on 9/27/2011, 9:18 AM

In respect of your chapter thumbnail pictures showing the TV border cropping - I can confirm that this happens but I can see no way of fixing this. I do not think the cropping of your back ground has anything to do with the TV border adjustment though as it has no effect on my system.

Best

Ss

Hi Scenestealer,

Thanks for your reply. I consider the TV border cropping in the thumbnail pictures a bug. I hope Magix reads this, or is there a way to add this to a list of "known bugs"? I will try to resolve this by cutting a frame out of the movie, get it in the right resolution and put that in it's place. A lot more work, but well....

 

yeahwow wrote on 9/27/2011, 9:28 AM

Hi Terry,

I have done some further testing, and no matter what I do my background still gets cropped. I found out that I really need a 16:9 AR. The 720x576 ratio just results in black borders on the left and right.

I suspect that the 10% setting that I have for TV cropping is not used in the DVD menu. I regard this as a bug, but luckily it is a bug with a workaround: there is a small button when you are editing a menu (on the right of the "chain"-button, it is a rectangle in a rectangle). If that is on you get to see what is being cut off due to TV cropping. That will help to design a nice looking menu.

Thanks very much for your help. Als thanks go to scenestealer.

Lesley

terrypin wrote on 9/27/2011, 5:00 PM

Hi Lesley,

1. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was a bug as there seem to be quite a few in the Burn dialogs. But I'm unable to reproduce it as I don't properly understand what you're doing. In particular, you haven't answered the 3 questions I raised up-thread (13th Sep). And, to repeat, screenshots are good!

2. That icon you mentioned, very interesting. It's one of two that doesn't generate any hover help, but its design (a border within a rectangle) clearly matches what you've discovered. The puzzle for me is that it does nothing here!

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Last changed by terrypin on 9/27/2011, 5:00 PM, changed a total of 1 times.

Terry, East Grinstead, UK. PC: i7 6700K, 4.0 GHz, 32GB with Win 10 pro. Used many earlier versions of MEPP, currently mainly MEPP 2016 & 2017 (Using scores of macro scripts to add functionality, tailored to these versions.)