16:9 screens; image size and PAR?

[mandrix]

I've pretty much stuck to authoring for 4:3 screens for DVDA, although I have released some AVCHD's with graphics for 16:9.
IIRC authoring DVDA's for 16:9 limits the number of available buttons onscreen, but for me I don't think that will be a problem.

So the question is, what is the optimal image size and PAR (pixel aspect ratio) for graphics for the 16:9 format?
I'll be using DW Chrome, and have Photoshop CS5 for graphics "adjustments".
Thanks!

 

[neil wilkes]

For NTSC DVD, if using anamorphically corrected images they should be 720x480 with a PAR of 1.2121.
Alternatively, if in PAL it should be 720x576 at 1.4
(non square pixels are a true bastard)
Watch out for a Chrome "GOTCHA" here though, and avoid anything odd shaped ads button SPHL image as Chrome scales this automatically and it can look bloody awful on 4:3 with letterboxing (you must set either Letterbox or Letterbox/Pan & Scan, and never just Pan & Scan)
Sonic's DAC makes you add separate, scaled SPHL for letterboxes and for P&S too. You get more control....

 

[mandrix]

OK. Thanks!

 

[mandrix]

I took some images yesterday and resized as suggested. Looked terrible on my wide screen monitor. But, I copied to a flash drive and plugged it in the Oppo and the images on my TV look superb!
Haven't tried with Discwelder yet but I have an AVCHD project I may try these images in.

I just recently reinstalled Discwelder, V2.0.30, (I have several versions here somewhere) which begs the question, which version of Discwelder Chrome is considered the best overall?