Why should you create Photoshop menus at 720x534?

[sking1001]

The scenarist documentation says to create menus at 720x480, which makes more sense to me.

Why do all the guides I read say to create menus at 720x534? Where does that resolution fit in?
http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/mpg/photoshop.htm

I searched for this answer but have not found it. If it has already been answered, I apologize...please direct me to the proper thread.

sking

[Mac Sidewinder]

I seem to remember reading about this once that it has something to do with aspect ratio. If you add text at that resolution then resize it to a 480 width then the o's and zeros actually look like o's and zeros and not ovals.

Mac

[sking1001]

*** EDIT ***
Okay, now I just figured out why some believe 720x534 instead of 720x540 for 0.9 pixel aspect ration...480/0.9 = 533.333...duh...

Well, I assume that 720x540 is still correct as the 4:3 pixel aspect ratio is probably actually .888888888....???


*** ORIGINAL POST ***
Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I just figured it out, and you are right, but I would think that it is supposed to be 720x540 (1.33x1) as opposed to 720x534. That is the resolution for 1.0 square pixel aspect ratio, whereas NTSC video is 0.9 aspect ratio, i.e. the pixels are a little taller than they are wide.

However, the truly proper way to do it is to use a 720x480 canvas, and set the pixel aspect ratio to "D1/DV NTSC (0.9)" from the Photoshop Image menu. There is actually a preset in Photoshop for this, the first one is "NTSC DV 720 x 480 (with guides)".

If you use a sqare pixel aspect ratio for your .PSD file at 720x540, when you bring it into Scenarist it will get scrunched to 720x480, and the buttons get a little messed up and the highlights might not cover them.

If you use the Photoshop preset, "NTSC DV 720 x 480 (with guides)", you can, from the View menu, select "Pixel Aspect Ratio Correction", and it will show what your menu will like like on the TV with the 0.9 aspect ratio, although you are editing with a square pixel ratio.

...gotta love Photoshop!

sking