What is the best Picture format to import?

[John Ward]

What is the recommended lossless picture format to import into MovieMaker 2?

Should I use .jpg or something else?

Also, for best results in the video, should I size the pictures (before
importing) to 800x600 or 640x480?

A related question, should I just use my Photostory to transition the
pictures and just import the .AVI file?

Thanks,

John W

 

[Rehan]

What is the recommended lossless picture format to import into MovieMaker
2?
Should I use .jpg or something else?

BMP format is reported to be the best. However I never had any issues with
JPGs either...
What do you mean lossless? If the source is originally captured in JPG (as
most digital cameras do), then you wont increase any quality by just
converting it to a lossless format.

Also, for best results in the video, should I size the pictures (before
importing) to 800x600 or 640x480?

If you do resize the pictures then use a good quality preserving resizing
software. In my opinion best results are obtained with a custom profile
using width and height that are exactly equal or half or quarter size of the
original source pictures. The custom profile should not use the non-square
pixel encoding. Note DV-AVI uses non-squre pixel encoding as per its
definition, hence it is not the best choice for square-pixel source such as
still images.

A related question, should I just use my Photostory to transition the
pictures and just import the .AVI file?

Photostory does not produce .AVI files.
But yes you can apply the pan zoom effects in photostory and bring the
resultant clips (WMV) into Movie Maker. However the quality of the
Photostory wont be preserved when MovieMaker produces its movie since it
would encode using a different codec which is not as optimized as
Photostory's special codec.

You may be interested in my Pan Zoom effects for Movie Maker and other
utilities on my website.

 

[Karles]

Hi John and Rehan
This is excately the question I wanted answering in the
qustion I posted on the 21st August but maybee I did not
Explain myself corectly. The added question is which do I
do first convert from JPG [after download from camera] to
BMP/TIF and then re-size from 1280x960?
Thanks
Karles

 

[Rehan]

The added question is which do I
do first convert from JPG [after download from camera] to
BMP/TIF and then re-size from 1280x960?
Thanks

My advice would be preferably NOT to resize at all. Use the original.
Use a profile with output size of 640x480 in case your input stills are
1280x960 or a custom profile with output size of 1280x960 exactly.

After you save the WMV movie. Import it in TMPGenc to convert to MPEG2 or
use MyDVD etc to burn to the DVD, it would resize

 

[Diane]

Rehan

Sorry, I'm not very computer savy. I looked at your site
and downloaded your transitions but I don't know what to
do with all that coding???? Am I supposed to copy it
into a file or something?

Thanks
Diane

 

[Rehan]

Hi Diane

I don't know what to
do with all that coding???? Am I supposed to copy it
into a file or something?

I have provided the detailed instructions for installing each package on its
page. Please have a look again where you downloaded from. Which one did you
get in particular?

If it is an xml file. Then it needs to be copied into "C:\Program
Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX" folder. If that folder is not there then
create a new one and name it so.

If it is a zip file then it would have an xml inside. Uncompress and do as
above.

Mostly I provide an self extracting zip files (exe) which should extract
into the correct folder.

Just restart Windows Movie maker to see the new effects/transitions.

 

[Diane]

Hi Rehan

I downloaded the transitions from the page you have
listed on the bottom of this email . I have something in
my shared folder called Plus!_TransFX.xml and a bunch of
Pixelan effects listed-- all from demos I downloaded and
don't know how to get rid of. I went to my downloads
folder and moved your file into the shared folder. When
I click on the opened zip file to install your setup it
comes up with a message >>"unable to find C:\Documents
and Settings\Local settings\Temp\setupRehanPZ.msi" could
not be found. Verify that the file has not been deleted,
moved or renamed. and then try again.>> I am seeing the
folder in my shared file but it's not opening. Maybe the
other transitions are interfering, or maybe cos I'm also
getting a lot of messages that some programs cannot find
the Shell.dll file whatever that is.

Diane

-Original Message-----

 

[Rehan]

This seems a specific issue with your computer and my package. So please
contact me directly by send an email to support at rehanfx.org. Thanks.

--
Rehan
www.rehanfx.org - get more effects and transitions for movie maker