We are trying to make a slideshow of pictures in iMovie HD. We first put the photos into iPhoto, and the pictures looked great. Then, after importing them into iMovie HD, we noticed that the pictures looked blurry. We compared the pictures imported into iMovie to the pictures in iPhoto, and the ones in iPhoto had much better quality. We into the playback button in the preferences of iMovie HD to make sure that it was at the highest quality, and it was. We are very confused, and it will be greatly appreciated if someone can tell us the answer to our problem. Thanks! 🙂
Hello Dereck,
I have found it much better to create slideshows in iPhoto and save them as a Quicktime movie. Then import them into iMovie to add titles, transititions and music. If you want to add a few titles and transitions just make short Quicktime versions of your series' of photos and join them up in iMovie. There is no comprimise in quality of the images in this proceedure.
I have made a family album DVD from old photos and 8mm film that was converted to digital. A major problem I had was being able to add captions to the old photos to identify individuals.
I am using a two-year old iMac with 10.4.3 installed, iLife 5, CanoScan 8400F, QuickTime Pro and Photoshop Elements 2. My harddrive has approximately 50 Gb of available space.
After scanning the photos, I duplicated, cropped as needed and resized the photos to maximum 655 or 480 pixels. I wanted to show the photo without caption and then transition to the one with caption so I duplicated the resized image and added a 0.35 inch canvas around the image. Then I added a 0.3 inch canvas to the bottom for the caption. After adding the caption, I resized the captioned image to the maximum 655 or 480 pixels. I found that if I did not add the border iMovie would not show the complete caption no matter what size I made the image.
If I used QuickTime Pro to make the movie from a slideshow created in iPhoto, the captions would all show without having to do all the borders and canvas changes. However, I would lose the capability of adding title pages. (Photos and sections of video are intertwined in the DVD.)
While creating the iMovie, I found that the captions became fussy/burry everytime the project was saved. If iMovie was closed and reopened, the fussy/burry captions became clear again. Go figure. Sometimes I had to do the empty trash-save-close reopen twice because something new would show up in the trash after the first empty trash-save-close-reopen process.
Also sometimes I would start to get stuttering/jumping images while checking music and images while in the Timeline Viewer. If I moved to the Clip Viewer the jumping would stop.
If I used RENDER CLIP when sending to the iDVD, the caption text became fussy/burry and the photos will have to be reinstalled in iMovie. I had to use PROCEED ANYWAY. The photo images appeared the same whether they were rendered or not. It was only the captions that changed.
I used Best Quality encoding for the final project. Best Quality actually took less time (about two hours less) burning the project than Best Performance. My final DVD is 26 minutes long with about 50% photos and 50% video. The caption text could be sligtly crisper but is more than readable for the family viewing. I did not experiment with different fonts to see which would be the best. (Getting to this point was flustrating enough and I was ready to see the project finished.)
I tried using the KB effect for rendering as mentioned in this thread but found it cumbersome to get the photo image timing where I wanted it and using KB did not improve the apperance of the caption text above not rendering when sending to iDVD. iMovie also crashed several times while working with KB effects. I did use some KB effects on some photos without text.
Maybe my experiences will help someone else who is working on this type of project.
The iMovie video images were darker than the digital images I imported into iMovie. However, the video images in the DVD I burned from iMovie matched the quality of the digital image that was imported into iMovie. The images were just darker in iMovie.
I posted this comment earlier in iDVD but I thought it needs to be here to:
Should have updated this sooner but I think I finally may have figure out "MY" problem. It seems something has changed not with iDVD5 but with iMovie HD... I have been trying to work with Final Cut Express HD instead of iMovie HD. I have noticed that iMovie HD uses what Apple calls "nondestructive editing" in that it writes commands to do all the editing and no data (i.e. video) is deleted or erased, just like in FCE HD. However in FCE HD you can change what is called the "pixel aspect ratio" and the images (i.e. pictures, not video) will be changed to allow the picture a better image on tvs or NTSC tv/monitors. This is also called a non-square aspect ratio, where as a computer monitor/panel uses a square aspect ratio.The non-square aspect ratio enable the pictures to look normal (it wont look squashed) on Standard 4:3 ( or 1.33:1) tvs. This does not apply to 16:9 Hi Def tvs though. The images in FCE HD with a NTSC pixel aspect ratio looks like it may have some of the sawtooth pixelization during preview before the export to iDVD and even after it has been burned to a image and viewed on a computer monitor, HOWEVER when i viewed it on a SONY Vega 32" using a 5 disc Sony DVD changer that is 4 years old, the pictures look GREAT. NO sawtoothing/ pixelization. I have tested this also with iMovie 4 and iDVD5. Same result. So I think iMovie HD is the culprit. For the record, I always "Burn a Disk Image" in iDVD5, then burn the dvd disk later. I had to delete ALL aspects of iLife 05, including the newest iTunes, then reinstall all old iMovie3/iDVD3, then iLife 04, then iLife 05 but select customize and NOT install iMovie HD. By Installing iDVD3, then 4 & 5, I was able to retrieve all the older original iDVD templates. At least by new Chirstmas home movie with slideshows look as the should , GREAT!!!!!
Check out software "Photo to Movie" by LQ Graphics. It takes the Ken Burns effect to a different level and much better resolution rendering. You can't import it into iMove but you can move it into iDVD. Our Mac User's Group is high on this software.
Wow! What a data dump! I asked a question earlier, not realizing there were 39 pages of this topic already! I have read all of Ken's input (Ken, you are amazingly patient with us newbies! Thank you)
While I now have a lot of work to do my 350 image movie, at least I know where I went wrong! (ok'd the render button)
My question is about your point of viewing the movie,
choose window>show full video resolution.
When i go to do this, it is not an option (it is grayed)
Thanks.
My question is about your point of viewing the movie,
choose window>show full video resolution.
When i go to do this, it is not an option (it is grayed)
The menu option Window > Show Full Video Resolution -- which does nothing but change the size of the viewing window -- is enabled (black) only when the window is NOT already that size. If the window is already at that resolution, the menu item is disabled (gray).
Image quality would tend to worsen if the window is larger than "full resolution". That forces iMovie to display the movie larger than its natural size.
First of all, you have dominated these threads and seem to have the best knowledge as to the problems at hand and as few people have mentioned on previous threads, you have been a life saver... Apple should be giving you some kick back if they are not aleardy doing so - Thanks for the help!
I have read this whole thread top to bottom a few times... Unfortunately I became a "jaggy" victim before finding this thread. I have also created a Family documentary type project for a friend, using 400+ photo's, some video footage converted to DV, music, sound effects, etc. but made the dreaded render mistake going to iDVD...
Curiously, I had turned off the KBE for every still photo I brought into the project with plans to put the KBE to specific photos later... After viewing the DVD, the pictures that did not have the Ken Burns effect on them were jagged (obviously because I had iMovies render...), but the pictures that I later put a Ken Burns effect on were okay, also during every transition and/or title to a still photo (without the KBE) the pictures were fine. It wasn't until the transition was over that the "jagged edges would appear. I came to the conclusion that any transition, title, or KBE still were rendered fine (I guess because these tools automatically rendered them) but all other instances, the "jagged" edges appeared. Furthermore the titles that were done on non-photo backgrounds rendered the words jagged as well.
My questions are as follows...
1. I'd like to not have to start over, and try and recover the "rendered good" photos and just replace the "jagged" titles and the "jagged" rendered photos. Can I do this in the same project, by just re-importing the photos using the KBE effect and replacing the "jagged edge" photos, and just replacing the titles with new ones, but this time when I go to iDVD - DON'T agree to render them? Will this fix the problem, or do I have to start a whole new project over?
To add to this I grabbed a picture and dragged it to the clip boxes using the KBE (setting it correctly by moving it a little to the right and then all the way to the left at start & end, as well, doing the same with out the KBE effect on) and yet the picture still was "jagged". I then tried going to file and imported the image from there and the "jags" did not appear. Curious to why this happens? It was the same picture that was on my desktop.
2. In reference to digital video that I have cut and spliced together. It seems when I put a transition in and dissolve into another frame, the audio on the video seems to click right at the transition, even if I fade it all the way down. I have even tried to extract the audio and delete it then add music to the scene via i tunes, and in the background were the transition is you can still here a click, like a scratch sound on a CD or record. How can I make this disappear???? I would like a smoother audio transition.
... also during every
transition and/or title to a still photo (without the
KBE) the pictures were fine. It wasn't until the
transition was over that the "jagged edges would
appear.
Good catch. Yes, iMovie renders transitions better than than it does the image itself. Apparently it doesn't use the same algorithm for both. Nor does it use the same algorithm when rendering with the Ken Burns Effect.
(Ironically, in iDVD the jaggies are reversed. I find transitions in standalone iDVD slideshows tend to show jaggies, while the images look fine.)
Furthermore the titles that were done on
non-photo backgrounds rendered the words jagged as
well.
Judging titles is tricky. Titles that appear to have jaggies in iMovie often look fine played on the TV. (They are affected by iMovie's marginal DISPLAY of the video.)
If they don't good on the TV, the title font may be the problem. Sans-serif fonts tend to look better -- they have straight edges, no curly-cues and doo-dads that tend to render poorly. Rendering one-pixel-wide lines of text with lots of curves is very, very tricky, so it's important to use a simple font. (Both rendering the clip in iMovie and encoding the video of the text in iDVD are difficult tasks.)
So I suggest you think of the title problem as a separate issue that is probably best solved by trying other fonts. I believe Dan Slagle's unofficial FAQ site offers some advice about that.
1. I'd like to not have to start over, and try and
recover the "rendered good" photos and just replace
the "jagged" titles and the "jagged" rendered photos.
Can I do this in the same project, by just
re-importing the photos using the KBE effect and
replacing the "jagged edge" photos,
Yes, that will work. There's no need to start over with a new project.
replacing the titles with new ones, but this time
when I go to iDVD - DON'T agree to render them?
Will this fix the problem, or do I have to start a
whole new project over?
All titles are rendered by iMovie when you create them. iDVD never renders your titles. (It encodes the video of the titles later, of course.)
To add to this I grabbed a picture and dragged it to
the clip boxes using the KBE (setting it correctly by
moving it a little to the right and then all the way
to the left at start & end, as well, doing the same
with out the KBE effect on) and yet the picture still
was "jagged". I then tried going to file and
imported the image from there and the "jags" did not
appear. Curious to why this happens? It was the
same picture that was on my desktop.
The method used to import the image shouldn't matter. (I've never noticed a difference.) If you can confirm that by testing other photos, please say. Don't be confused by how iMovie sometimes displays the first frame of a clip so poorly. Play the clip a bit to make an informed judgement.
2. In reference to digital video that I have cut and
spliced together. It seems when I put a transition in
and dissolve into another frame, the audio on the
video seems to click right at the transition, even if
I fade it all the way down. I have even tried to
extract the audio and delete it then add music to the
scene via i tunes, and in the background were the
transition is you can still here a click, like a
scratch sound on a CD or record. How can I make this
disappear???? I would like a smoother audio
transition.
Yes, that's a long-standing iMovie/QuickTime issue that some users have and some don't. (I haven't seen it since iMovie 3.) I recall someone recently posting what he/she considered a solution. You may want to search for it. Note that sometimes the problem doesn't follows the project onto the DVD, so listen to the DVD to be sure it exists there. Sometimes it's just a playback issue in iMovie that can be ignored. (Less true in iMovie HD, unfortunately.)
Hey, thanks again for getting back in such a timely matter...
Okay -
"Good catch. Yes, iMovie renders transitions better than than it does the image itself. Apparently it doesn't use the same algorithm for both. Nor does it use the same algorithm when rendering with the Ken Burns Effect."
So in lieu what you have stated as to these facts, if I were to do the correct importing and rendering, (by just replace the pictures with new correctly render ones through the KBE effect), when I get to my final product on DVD, am I to assume the difference will be much less (to almost non-visable) when the picture's now go through transition effects and such?
As for the titles, I had feeling it was something to do with what you have suggested. Thanks, for the info there, I will be looking into this link that you sent and the advatages of using Sans-serif fonts. When I back to the project, I post something to let people know the title fonts that I had found not to be good at all.
What I am finding is the titles, especially fonts over photos, look awesome on my apple screen, but after the transfer to DVD, they seem fuzzy and jagged. In some cases they look like old teleprompts from the early days of TV, where they seem to have some sort of shine or glare, and do not look naturally placed (if you get my drift). But either way, again I shall review that link and hopefully that will rectify the situation.
"Yes, that will work. There's no need to start over with a new project."
- THANK GOD!!! I kind of figured that out last night, but wanted to be sure. I have spent some long hours, nights early morning's doing this project and a previous project, I still need to go back now and correct the "badies", but at least the timeline is there and I don't need to start all over.
"All titles are rendered by iMovie when you create them. iDVD never renders your titles. (It encodes the video of the titles later, of course.)"
- GOT YA, I guess you actually covered part of this question above...
"The method used to import the image shouldn't matter. (I've never noticed a difference.) If you can confirm that by testing other photos, please say. Don't be confused by how iMovie sometimes displays the first frame of a clip so poorly. Play the clip a bit to make an informed judgement."
-- I thought this to be quite odd myself, and when I go home tonight I will check a few more pictures (I only checked one), it was late and I had to wake up early today... I'll let you know tonight.
I have to say though, there definitely was a difference, I'm pretty detail oriented as far as the cosmetic or aesthetic side to these types of things.
1. The picture was grabbed from the desk top, dragged and dropped into the iMovie windowpains and rendered through the KBE (correctly) and yet still had the jaggy's, through all frames.
2. I took the same picture, dragged and dropped it into iPhoto and it was crystal clear!
3. I then went to file import from iMovies and it appeared in a windowpain, went through the KBE and the end result was as good a picture as could be for iMovies(obviously not as clear as iPhoto) but definitely minus all jagged edges (basically normal).
I know that the picture on the final product DVD may turn out to be much different (clearer) regardless of the view on the monitor, but I thought this to be very odd that it would change significantly on the monitor by importing it with 2 different methods.
To add to this if I may, before I completed the project (that I eventually damaged when sending to iDVD and clicking the render button), every photo on that project looked smooth and clear on the computer monitor in iMovies (again as perfect as a photo could look in iMovie). BUT after converting the project to iDVD and clicking the "yes" render button. When eventually went back to my iMovies project, all the pictures with the jagged lines were now visible on the monitor (which to me, seemed logical because they were rendered in iMovies). Okay, now fastforward to what has been occurring (as I mention above) when dropping the photos into the windowpanes from the desktop (rendering through the KBE) they look exactly the same as the damaged stills that I was looking to replace. And as I said, when I go to file/import, and check the photo out in the windowpane, result: clear again, like new. VERY, VERY ODD TO ME!
Anyway, sorry for the ramble, but just looking to get things straight... Thanks again.
I still need to go back now and correct the "badies", but at least the timeline is there and I don't need to start all over
I'm a little concerned that attempting to replace the damaged clips without first removing their transitions may be problematic. I suggest you try a few before deciding how best to proceed. Note too that you may be able to do your replacement in such a way that iMovie will automatically update the transitions for you. It does that in certain situations.
Yes, I was concerned about that too... I didn't take any chances, I just started replacing everything. Besides when I remove the clip, the transitions that are attached usually get removed as well, but in some cases I notice that the portion of the clip that was transitioned is left behind. I just delete that as well and re-import.
I read that thread last night after I posted the message to you... I think I'm on my way for now, you've been a big help! I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again. This discussion board with all its posts and never ending threads (such as this one) has been extremely helpful! Are you sure Apple doesn't have you on their payroll...?
