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07-17-2007, 12:25 PM
Hampton80 Hampton80 is offline
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So I got a new scanner (CannoScan 4400F) and I would like to start scanning some old photos/negatives. The purpose of this would be to eventually create a video slide show to put on a Family DVD.

What settings should I use on the scanner (dpi, 24bit or 48bit) and what should I resize the image to for the DVD? Also, do these settings change if I'm preparing this DVD on an HDTV with 1024 x 768 resolution? I know dpi is more of a printing specification, but does this matter when I scan images for use on a computer/TV? A lot of questions, I know

I've seen several debates on this topic on the "other sites" but I'd like your $0.02

Thanks!
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  #2  
07-18-2007, 01:53 AM
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My background is very heavy in photography, even more than video, so I can definitely give you a good answer on this one. I'd dealt with scanners and digital slideshows for about 13 years now.

The problem with flatbed scanners is that they are designed for scanning papers, and negative scanning is a bit of an afterthought. The quality of the scan is not the greatest (as compared to a negative/slide scanner), so you really want to scan as high a quality as you can. If you had a negative/slide scanner, you could get away with the lower quality scan settings. For example, I use the Nikon Coolscan V ED for my slides and negatives.

The other aspect to keep in mind is video is fairly low resolution by still image standards, a max of 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL) for DVD-Video. The effect of downsizing an image is you'll cover up some noise, so you'll be okay in the end.

Between a less-than-optimal scanner, scanning as best as possible, and viewing in relatively low resolution DVD output, you'll still end up with a clean-looking slideshow. So that's the good news.

By not using the better scan settings on that flatbed, you'll potentially end up with various noise patterns: moire, grain, color imbalance, tonal loss, etc. Flatbeds are infamous for these flaws, even on papers, but especially on films.

DPI is a print spec, yes, but many people use it incorrectly, including those who make scanners. Some scanners show both DPI and resolution together (because an increase in DPI increases the resolution too), but not many. I would scan at 600dpi, and then crop and downsize the image in image software like Photoshop (or the cheaper Photoshop Elements), down to your precise DVD resolution.

The color depth is really up to you. At 48-bit, it might create a 16-bit RGB image that can only be opened in Photoshop or similar high-end imaging software. You'll have to downconvert to an 8-bit image (24-bit colorspace). Your final DVD slideshow with have an MPEG-2 file with 24-bit depth. I'd be tempted to scan at 48-bit, but let your eyes be your guide.

Sometimes higher res and bits makes an image look better, sometimes it just makes the scan take longer.

Remember the images will be much clearer on a larger screen, or on an LCD or other high-res device.

I create slideshows in Adobe Premiere, which creates a video file. Images are spread apart by several seconds. And then I author the final DVD with two audio tracks, one music, one as commentary from family members. They always turn out great. There's several ways to go about doing those projects.



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  #3  
07-28-2007, 05:57 AM
Kent Kent is offline
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I am new to Adobe premiere pro. We just purchased CS3.

I understand how you can place photos on the time line in Premiere pro. Do you use transitions? If so how are they achieved? I played with a few slide shows in Encore. The shows turned out nice, but Encore didn't has the ease of use Proshow Producer has.

Kent
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07-29-2007, 03:40 PM
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My copy of CS3 is not here yet, even though I pre-ordered it in May. I'm still using Premiere 6 at the moment. I'll get back to you on the current method here soon.

In Premiere 6, you grab a transition, and place it on the transition timeline, double-click on it to make changes to the settings. Not sure if it's still the same.


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