video size & text

[valuenyc]

What I'm really looking for here is advice. The context is that my goal is a DVD with three tracks. Two already exist in standard, 4:3 size.

 

My current activity in VideoPad is the third track for this DVD. Windows and VideoPad say the source file (from a DVD) is 720 x 378 (or 40:21) but QuickTime calls it 640 x 378. When I make a DVD, it looks better in standard. All of the interest is in the center of the screen; the edges don't matter.

 

I also don't know who will view this on a consumer DVD player and who will view it on computer. So I'd like to set it all up to be as universal as possible.

 

The existing two have a little text at the beginning of each. But the current 10-min., 5-chapter VideoPad project will have four "title slides" (max. 60-70 char. but mostly much less) and a dozen or so subtitles in each of four chapters. And that's where the trouble starts.

 

When I produce standard size, all the title slides need to be made smaller, but they look great in widescreen. But in *BOTH* sizes, my subtitles are cut off at the bottom. I fiddled with picture size on my widescreen TV but didn't improve upon the TV's native intelligence.

 

All my subtitles are set at 5% size and I see that I can adjust the vertical margin. Setting it at 5 looks good on my computer screen. But I haven't gone and produced another two DVDs to check that out.

 

Sooooooo ... I'm trying to simplify my life here. Given no idea how/where a DVD will be played (and little taste for re-working old files):

1. I'm guessing that producing 4:3 is safest. Yes?

2. What size type would you use for title slides?

3. What size should subtitles be and what would be your ideal bottom margin?

4. Or, am I worrying to much? Will the lettering and margin in a 4:3 video look about the same size (in proportion) on any kind of machine?

5. And as long as I'm at it, my subtitles are readable but look quite blurry. Any advice about sharpening them? The underlying video is not super-sharp. The title slides (larger font) look better. (The original camera files (AVI) look blurrier than file ripped from the DVD, which baffles me.)

 

Apologies for such a long post and sincerest thanks,

 

Jeanne

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

 

Instead of using the subtitle option, (which I find a bit finnicky,) why not simply add text to the sections you require and adjust the position and duration to suit and keep the font the same for all of them. (Use the POSITION effect)

At the end of the day WYSIWYG.

As far as the aspect ratio is concerned, select what you think looks best.

If you want the same aspect ratio for all the clips and are not bothered about losing some of the edge in 4:3 then use the CROP effect forced to 16:9 and tick the "Fill cropped Area" box. Any titles / ST you make will then preview correctly

 

Nat.

[valuenyc]

Instead of using the subtitle option, (which I find a bit finnicky,) why not simply add text to the sections you require and adjust the position and duration to suite and keep the font the same for all of them. (Use the POSITION effect)

At the end of the day WYSIWYG.

 

Wow! I'd only gotten to superimposed segments on two video tracks yesterday and it didn't occur to me that I could use them this way. I was happy with subtitles because iMovie was hopelessly inadequate. This subtitling is not so much finicky as cumbersome, however, and your idea is much easier and more efficient. WYSIWYG *and* copy/paste.

 

Thank you so much, Nat. And thanks for the other advice as well.

 

Jeanne