User manual

ManualsBrandsSharp ManualsDVD PlayerDV-720H

DVD authoring software makes it easy to create and design template-based DVD menus. But many of those

templates have limitations and drawbacks that may produce a less-than-acceptable DVD menu. At some

point you may need to abandon templates and create your own custom designed menu. This may seem

With the advent of desktop video editing, it’s quite common that a DVD producer does not come from a video

it’s essential that you understand the basic principles of designing graphics for TV.

Square Pixel vs. Non-Square Pixel

the way a computer displays an image. TV uses a non-square pixel (1.0 high x 0.9 wide) while a computer

uses a square pixel (1.0 x 1.0). If you were to create a DVD menu

on a computer and import it into your DVD authoring software,

the menu would be squeezed horizontally and appear elongated

vertically.

Your graphics must be designed with the non-square pixel

especially if you have Photoshop™ CS or CS2. These versions

of Photoshop come with a series of templates that allow you to

design a non-square pixel menu on the computer.

and each has it’s own template. To keep things simple, we will

design in the NTSC DV format. (NTSC stands for National Television Systems Committee.)

[Ed. note: There are many formats and screen sizes associated with DVDs, including widescreen and PAL.

Consult our DVD Authoring FAQ for more information.]

In Photoshop, go to the File menu and choose “New.” In the “Preset Size” drop down box, select “NTSC DV

720 x 480 (with guides).” This template ensures you’re

working in a non-square pixel format and your graphics

will display correctly on a TV. In the “Color Mode” drop

down, choose 16bit. (If possible, modify your document

to 24 bit color by selecting “Mode” in the “Image” menu.)

Finally, in the “Advanced” drop down menu, select “NTSC

After clicking OK, a warning dialog box appears. This is

nothing to worry about. Click OK. The pixel aspect ratio

correction shows you the menu as it will appear on a TV.

Designing Custom DVD Menus: Part I

By Craig Elliott Hanna

Manager, The Authoring House at Disc Makers

(Left) Square pixel image displayed

on a computer. (Right) Square pixel

image displayed on a TV.

Summary of content (8 pages)

PAGE 1
Designing Custom DVD Menus: Part I By Craig Elliott Hanna Manager, The Authoring House at Disc Makers DVD authoring software makes it easy to create and design template-based DVD menus. But many of those templates have limitations and drawbacks that may produce a less-than-acceptable DVD menu. At some point you may need to abandon templates and create your own custom designed menu.
PAGE 2
Remember, you are designing with square pixels. Photoshop is compensating for this and has automatically adjusted your design. If you turn the preview function off, the image will appear stretched horizontally. Leave this pixel aspect ratio on. You’ll want to see your menu as it will appear on a TV. If you are working in an older version of Photoshop or using software that doesn’t support the non-square pixel format, you can still make adjustments that will ensure your menu displays correctly.
PAGE 3
Broadcast Safe Colors Televisions have a limited range of colors that can correctly be displayed on a picture tube. This color range is referred to as Broadcast Safe Colors. Since NTSC is the standard for North American television, we will only discuss NTSC Broadcast Safe Colors in this article. If you are designing a DVD that will be sent to a non-NTSC country, click here for more information. When setting up your DVD menu, choose at least 24bit (if possible) and limit your RGB colors to 233 or below.
PAGE 4
On professional DVDs, designers often use something as simple as a small square to indicate button states. A square does not have any diagonal lines so the edges won’t appear jagged or rough. As you become more familiar with DVD menu design and understand ways to work around these limitations, you may find you can start to use more intricate shapes. (We will discuss this in Part II of this article.) Because of limitations with subpicture overlays, designers may opt for another option.
PAGE 5
Designing Custom DVD Menus: Part 2 By Craig Elliott Hanna Manager, The Authoring House at Disc Makers In Part I, we discussed some of the basics for designing DVD menus. In Part II, we’ll expand on these basics and by discussing some of the rules and tips that will help you create professional DVD menus. for video production. With the advances in video editing applications for the PC, you’re going to create all of your graphics on a computer.
PAGE 6
When testing your menu, there are several factors that will effect how your menu will appear. The type of cable used to connect to the monitor or TV can effect how well it displays. Your options (from worst to best) are: 1. Composite (RCA connector) 2. S-video 3. Component (professional analog) 4. SDI (Serial Digital Interface) The lowest quality image will be created using a composite cable. This is the same type used in the majority of home viewing situations.
PAGE 7
Figure 1A – Odd. Figure 1B – Even. Figure 1C – Interlaced. Designing a menu Now that you better understand how images display on a TV, let’s present some guidelines for designing DVD menus. Horizontal Lines Horizontal lines present one of the most common issues with DVD menus. During scanning, if a horizontal line is too thin it can be visible in only 1 field of video.
PAGE 8
Luminance (brightness) As with color, white levels that are too bright can cause issues. Again, adjusting to NTSC safe levels is a good start, but you may need to do more. White on “TV White” is actually gray. If your white levels in your fonts or images don’t look adequate, drop the brightness down until it’s slightly gray. When you view this on a TV, it will look white. Sharp Edges As with horizontal lines, sharp edges, either in a font or in the design, can twitter or buzz.