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More => Old Versions => Media Center 12 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: John Gateley on March 28, 2008, 02:27:09 pm

Title: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: John Gateley on March 28, 2008, 02:27:09 pm
Hi Y'all,

About one percent of our cover art files could be considered large (> 1megabyte). Is this too big?

When you look for cover art, do you want a fixed size (e.g. as close to 300x300 as possible), the biggest size, or the biggest size "within reason"?

j
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: Link on March 28, 2008, 02:48:05 pm
Biggest within reason - I am for 500X500 for all my files.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: Krazykanuck on March 28, 2008, 04:14:14 pm
I always look for the biggest size available.
It's much easier to make a good looking low res image from high res than the other way around.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: Vulcan on March 28, 2008, 05:04:46 pm
I try to use 800x800 for all my album art.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: tls62dk on March 28, 2008, 05:36:51 pm
Biggest size. Looks better on a big TV screen.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: darichman on March 28, 2008, 06:34:45 pm
Biggest size for me... as long as it's not bloated (poor quality stretched to be big... I hate it when people do that!)
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: Frobozz on March 28, 2008, 08:29:36 pm
I'm standardizing on 500x500 for my cover art.  That size is a good compromise for my needs.

Would be nice to have a configuration setting for your preferred cover art size.  I like 500x500.  If I end up with a bigger size I usually shrink it down.

Course file size and image dimensions aren't the only measure.  A big image that is poorly scanned is not something I want.  I'd rather have a good small image than a poor big image.

An idea that just hit me would be to have an automatic image analysis that can detect images that were scanned without descreening or images with high jpeg artifacts and give those images a lower priority even if they are big.  I don't know if that sort of automatic image analysis is practical or possible.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: Omni on March 28, 2008, 10:03:33 pm
Maybe it's because I'm an engineer, but I like things done to standard.  (This is why I do 100% of my cover art: scan, crop, touch-up, and then resize [if necessary].)

The standard dimensions for a CD jacket is 4.75" (W) x 4.715" (H).

Choosing a DPI of 72, this equates to 342 x 339.48 pixels, but because the round-off will lead to a slight error in scale, I tend to use a DPI of 200 which equates to 950 x 943 pixels.

So to sum up, on average, my 950 x 943 JPEGs are around 200 KB.  Anything more than that is just a waste of space. :P
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: ThoBar on March 29, 2008, 12:54:23 am
Using a HTPC on a 'Full HD' TV means that I like my cover art to be at least (X) x 1080.

Even if I dont want to display the image at such a high res by default, it's nice to have the option, and I'd rather have the option to resize down.

Perhaps an option to resize high quality covers to the desired resolution could be a compromise. i.e. Let me define my max resolution as 800x800, if I my desired cover art is at a higher res, it will automagically resize to my preferred res. Of course you would never want to resize UP.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: gappie on March 29, 2008, 06:24:14 am
i also use ? X 800. i scanned all my covers to that size (and submitted them).
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: dcwebman on March 29, 2008, 09:11:41 am
I have also standardized on 500x500 since that's what the big online websites use. 1MB is way too big for a cover art image.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: flac.rules on March 30, 2008, 04:00:25 pm
Biggest within reason. Fixed Size is also ok i guess, if its at least 500*500, I don't know whats the norm know, I tried downloading for one album, and the size was only 300*300.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: MrC on March 31, 2008, 12:02:08 pm
500x500 for me too has been sufficient.  I try for highest quality, but adjust compression to bring an image to <150k or so after scanning, color-correcting, touch-ups, etc.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: Doof on March 31, 2008, 01:54:39 pm
I pretty much just shoot for the largest, best looking image. I really don't care how much disk space it takes up.
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: tombert on March 31, 2008, 04:11:58 pm
I dont care for disk size either ...
(as I have currently 1,5 T netto *arg*arg*hhhhh*)
Title: Re: Cover Art size and large files
Post by: AndyCircuit on March 31, 2008, 04:32:59 pm
Maybe it's because I'm an engineer, but I like things done to standard.  (This is why I do 100% of my cover art: scan, crop, touch-up, and then resize [if necessary].)

The standard dimensions for a CD jacket is 4.75" (W) x 4.715" (H).

Choosing a DPI of 72, this equates to 342 x 339.48 pixels, but because the round-off will lead to a slight error in scale, I tend to use a DPI of 200 which equates to 950 x 943 pixels.

So to sum up, on average, my 950 x 943 JPEGs are around 200 KB.  Anything more than that is just a waste of space. :P
Same here, just that I scan with 300 DPI and use a 953x953 standard for some reasons. The other scans (back, cd + booklets) are stored as cover.rar archive in the album folder. I don't want to seperate music and album art but also don't want MC to import all this, only the front. This size looks best on TV and since I don't use a handheld I don't care the filesize.