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Bernie157
USA
11 Posts |
 Posted - May 08 2008 : 13:23:01
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I'm a DVD PixPlay newbie (although certainly not a newbie at computers or videos) having just downloaded and installed it yesterday and having created two projects so far written to DVD and/or Video CD.
The two projects are basically the same information. However with the first project I took a number of scanned-in images and pasted them each into Powerpoint slides with added text, some transitions, etc. and didn't quite like the results. That was yesterday afternoon and at that time, I had never heard of DVD PixPlay.
So I Googled for some way to convert Powerpoint to video DVD so's I could play the project without a computer. Of course one of the hits was for DVD PixPlay so I downloaded it. First I wrote the Powerpoint presentation as JPGs and imported into PixPlay and still didn't quite like it.
Then I imported the original JPG images directly into PixPlay, played with music backgrounds and transitions and wrote a DVD which will work very well for the non-profit benefit that it is intended for.
Will consider paying and keeping. Thanks.
Bernie in CT |
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xequte
7042 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2008 : 00:21:56
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Hi Bernie
Glad to hear that all went well. If you have any difficulties be sure to let us know.
Nigel
Xequte Software
www.xequte.com
nigel@xequte.com
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Bernie157
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2008 : 07:23:56
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Probably the biggest thing I don't like is about the Title Page slide. While I am editing it and getting the text to appear as I want it, it looks OK so I save it. But then the actual slide doesn't contain the words on the same lines as in edit mode.
As far as I can tell, you can only expand the text box, change font size and other characteristics, but not some other functions.
In general I would like more flexibility and/or sophistication in editing the text of the title page, such as being able to insert newline characters (by pressing Enter), bolding or underlining specific characters or words rather than the whole thing. Maybe I am just missing how to do this.
Otherwise I like DVD PixPlay a lot. By the way, can I buy and pay for it once and register it on both of my home computers, used pretty much interchangeably. Thanks.
Bernie in CT |
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Liz Downs
United Kingdom
37 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2008 : 08:09:07
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| I had that problem, the best way around it is to add a second text block for the next line. |
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Bernie157
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2008 : 09:59:14
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Liz, obviously I didn't/don't know all I need to know about the existing "feechurs" of DVD PixPlay. But now I taken advantage of your pointer to set up several separate text blocks to come up with a nice title page, using one of PixPlay's backgrounds and some music that I got from elsewhere.
I wanted to show you but haven't figured how to paste the image here.
Bernie in CT |
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Bernie157
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2008 : 10:41:10
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I'm still having some trouble with picture size as described below.
I continue to work on a project where I have jpg images scanned in from documents, and then edited -- stitching, cropping, changing resolutions, etc. -- using a photo edit program.
I have added those images to DVD PixPlay. When viewed in PixPlay editing mode or running Preview, each frame contains the entire image.
I then wrote this iteration of the project to a DVD. When viewed on either of my computers (using Cyberlink PowerDVD), the frames still show in their entirety.
But when viewed using either of my DVD player/TV setups, the frames are chopped off slightly (but significantly) at top and bottom. One TV is standard 4:3 while the other is wide-screen LCD viewed in all of its picture modes.
Any help on this, please?
Bernie in CT |
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JIMD
USA
499 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2008 : 13:54:10
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BERNIE157
There are two main possibilities for images being cut-off:
- The image is being "Auto-cropped": On Step 3 of the Burn DVD format wizard, click the "Other Settings" button and adjust the horitzontal and vertical margins option. Also under "Other" check the box for reformating on widescreen TV.
- Your DVD Player/TV does not display the full frame of the DVD: You may be able to adjust this on your TV, but alternatively on EDIT>REMOVE BORDER WIZARD specify a fram margin to add a border area around the frame.
JIM DALTON |
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xequte
7042 Posts |
Posted - May 13 2008 : 20:57:30
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Hi Bernie
Regarding the text of your title pages not appearing as you describe them:
At the bottom left of the Title Page dialog is a link that says "Optimize Display for...". If you click that you can choose your primary output format, such as DVD. This changes the designer to match the dimensions of the output format, so that when you burn your slideshow text resizing should not need to occur.
Nigel
Xequte Software
www.xequte.com
nigel@xequte.com
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Bernie157
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - May 14 2008 : 05:47:22
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Thanks but Liz' suggestion to use multiple text boxes solved that problem. But wouldn't it still make sense to allow press of Enter key cause new lines within each text box?
Also, I sued some of Jim's suggestions to create (I believe) a slide show w/o any of the images chopped off at top and bottom as viewed with DVD player and TV.
Thanks.
Bernie in CT |
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Bernie157
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - May 14 2008 : 05:49:31
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Or maybe press of Ctrl-Enter for new line. Maybe this exists and I just don't know about it? Any other special key combos while typing in text box that I don't know about?
Bernie in CT |
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xequte
7042 Posts |
Posted - May 14 2008 : 21:24:59
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Hi Bernie
We don't offer a multiple line box there because TV resolution is not overly kind to small text and we don't want to tempt users to try and output their life story there 
Just between you and me, in the update coming out around the end of this month, you can insert a line break using a double slash (//).
Nigel
Xequte Software
www.xequte.com
nigel@xequte.com
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Bernie157
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2008 : 05:38:08
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I wanted to mention something that I thought was odd. Early on in creating my project, I mistakenly put a blank CD-R disk in. I got a prompt about this which I didn't read very carefully and clicked OK (or whatever it said). DVD Pixplay went ahead and wrote to the CD which actually worked as a DVD. I didn't know that this was even possible.
Bernie in CT |
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JIMD
USA
499 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2008 : 07:12:57
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BERNIE157
Q If I chose the DVD format, can I write to a CD-R disk instead of a DVD-R?
Generally, yes. A DVD written to a CD disk is called MiniDVD format and is supported by many DVD players.
JIM DALTON |
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Topic |
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Newbie likes DVD PixPlay so far
