Hi DallasDude -

I wouldn't be launching into panic mode just yet. As far as I can see, Facebook is still working out the finer details of this feature (adding a cover video to a Facebook page).

Plenty of discussion here & elsewhere. I haven't been able to find any reference to it in FB's help files, but I have worked out that the resolution is 820x312, which is (kinda) like 2x 4:3 videos side-by-side with a bit extra on the bottom.



I'm not sure that PDR would be able to do that, but I haven't tried.

Cheers - Tony
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Quote Facebook now allows cover videos (for pages not profiles), but I cannot seem to get PD to size the video right... Facebook says that a video should be 851 by 312 PIXELS! How the heck do we do that? That is really small compared to what is available. I mean... what aspect ratio IS 851 by 312 pixels? Everyone is going to be doing cover videos soon... can anyone help with some tutorials/settings/mods to make this easier. 640 by 480 and 1280 by 720 just don't look right when uploaded... there needs to be a setting just for this somewhere or even a new chouce what turning on PD... with 16:9 or 4:3 there might be a "Social Media" video creator setting!

This question has been asked of Cyberlink several times but I have yet to see a response - Cyberlink?

Hi Abodsford -

I've worked out the simplest way to do this... i.e. make a cover video for a Facebook page. N.B It has to be a "page", not a regular profile, so you first have to create a "page". I just did that, then made the video & uploaded it.

In PDR:

• create your video/slideshow with duration 20-90 seconds


• include whatever video, photo & audio content you wish


• make sure any text is vertically centred


• produce to AVC H.264 MP4 1920x1080


• upload to your Facebook page


• reposition in frame

If your 1920x1080 video looks like this...



... when it's upoaded as a cover video it will be cropped (top & bottom) like this...



It's so easy, even I could manage it. Here's the one I just put up.

Cheers - Tony
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Thank you for your reply.

I have also added a FB cover video this way. Unfortunaly resizing your video in FB after it has been created in PD crops the video and you end up losing part of what you have created. An option to add a custom video size in PD would be a great option. I know this can be done in Adobe Premiere.

Quote Hi Abodsford -

I've worked out the simplest way to do this... i.e. make a cover video for a Facebook page. N.B It has to be a "page", not a regular profile, so you first have to create a "page". I just did that, then made the video & uploaded it.

In PDR:

• create your video/slideshow with duration 20-90 seconds


• include whatever video, photo & audio content you wish


• make sure any text is vertically centred


• produce to AVC H.264 MP4 1920x1080


• upload to your Facebook page


• reposition in frame

If your 1920x1080 video looks like this...



... when it's upoaded as a cover video it will be cropped (top & bottom) like this...



It's so easy, even I could manage it. Here's the one I just put up.

Cheers - Tony

I agree it would be useful for PDR to be able to generate videos in aspect ratios other than 16:9 & 4:3, particularly for social media & websites which can cater for different options, like 1:1 or the (roughly) 8:3 FB cover videos.

Still, whatever software you used, you'd have to do a bit of resizing/rearranging/cropping/masking to get your 16:9/4:3 videos and photos of various ARs to fit into the 8:3 space. Yes - even with Adobe Premier.

I don't see too much wrong, for this purpose, of simply regarding to top & bottom spaces as "voids" because they won't be visible, & working within that limitation. You could easily use an overlay like the one attached as a guide for resizing, arranging & masking.

Cheers - Tony
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Hi ynotfish.

Thanks for building the Facebook mask. very helpful. Could you also build one for 1:1 for Facebook.
Again thank you for your guildance.

All the best,
Brad

No problem Brad There's one attached.

As an easy (rough) guide for setting up 1:1 video in a 16:9 frame, just set your grid lines to 9x9. For 1:1, the 2 grids on each side will be cropped off. That's not exact, of course...



Using the overlay (attached) and repositioning your video is just another way to achieve the same result...



An easy way to create the square video is to produce as 16:9 in PDR, then use VLC Player to convert it. The steps are shown in this tutorial. It's simple & works - here's a little example I just uploaded to Facebook.

Cheers - Tony
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I tried your suggestion , and facebook still will not publish the vido, even so it shows it perfect. Still says that it needs to be within their sizing. This is truly frustrating. Don't want to purchase another program. I have Power director 16, wonder if that is the problem

Hi ColoRiffic -

That's strange. I just did another check & it's not giving me any grief here.

I followed the steps exactly in the VLC tutorial, uploaded the converted file to FB then posted. FB gave me no alerts. It just posted the video.

Here's what happened after the upload was complete...



Here's the 1:1 video posted on Facebook & YouTube

Cheers - Tony
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I tried your suggestion, and it still shows the same error for sizing
I would hate to have to buy a converter program. and it should be so easy
for us to type in the custom sizing facebook cover videos require.
Anyone have any other suggestions, or is there a new update for PD?
Is the new suite able to do this

Martina


I've worked out the simplest way to do this... i.e. make a cover video for a Facebook page. N.B It has to be a "page", not a regular profile, so you first have to create a "page". I just did that, then made the video & uploaded it.

In PDR:

• create your video/slideshow with duration 20-90 seconds


• include whatever video, photo & audio content you wish


• make sure any text is vertically centred


• produce to AVC H.264 MP4 1920x1080


• upload to your Facebook page


• reposition in frame

If your 1920x1080 video looks like this...



... when it's upoaded as a cover video it will be cropped (top & bottom) like this...



It's so easy, even I could manage it. Here's the one I just put up.

Wonder if my problem is Power Director 16? Which version are you using ?

Martina

Quote Wonder if my problem is Power Director 16? Which version are you using ?

Martina

I don't think using different PD versions are the issue, since all you need to do produce a video before converting it.

Try the free, simple method I outlined in this new thread and see if that works better for you.

You may want to use ynotfish's nicely made masks to make sure your content is where you want it before producing in PD, then run it through VDub2 as described in the linked post and you should be all set!

YouTube/optodata

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After all of the back and forth, trying all kinds of settings, here is the actual solution:

1.) facebook is having a problem, all you have o do is go to videos, upload your video, give it whatever tags you want, post it, then close out your browser, you do not need to log out of facebook, just close the browser, and reopen, now when you click on the facebook cover on your facebook page, you canclick on chnage cover, chose from your videos and it is just fine, you do have to have it over 20 seconds and I would suggest to give it a black or white frame in PD if you are concerned about cutting things off.

It was that simple, found it under a youtube comments - someone else found the solution. Just reposting it in here

and here it is https://www.facebook.com/showlowfilmfestival/