Digital Still Image(Slide Show) to DVD

[DvDguy04]

Hello All,

Would you please tell me, what is the best software that can be used to burn the digital still image/ Embbed music to DVD, so the family can what the slide show on the stand a lone DVD.

I have try using the DVDStana 3.45, but program keep hanging and its took about 8 hours for the DVDSanta to encode 400 images. I try the latest Nero, but its limited to 99 pictures only.

Thank you

[mats.hogberg]

ProShow Gold. Ulead Video Studio isn't half bad for this purpose either.

/Mats

[Garibaldi]

Would you please tell me, what is the best software that can be used to burn the digital still image/ Embbed music to DVD, so the family can what the slide show on the stand a lone DVD.

I have try using the DVDStana 3.45, but program keep hanging and its took about 8 hours for the DVDSanta to encode 400 images. I try the latest Nero, but its limited to 99 pictures only.

I would highly recommend Slide Show Movie Maker. Its a great piece of freeware that does just this, but also lets you add many extra features to your slideshows that really enhance them and make them even more enjoyable. I would be happy to post some screenshots from some projects I've done with SSMM or send you a demo vid.

Here are some of the features in SSMM:
-> many many many transitions (random transitions too)
-> text overlay (text on the pictures)
-> add music
-> Ken Burns Effects! This is a pan and zooming technique that really makes the slideshow look cool

You can encode alot of pictures, 400 should be no problem. The only limit it has is that the avi cannot be more than 2 GB, but you can just use a good codec like XviD and you won't have any problems. Once it exports to the avi just run that through TMPGENC or avidemux or something and encode it to mpeg 2 dvd (d1 or 1/2 d1) and burn.

[DvDguy04]

Mats.hogberg and Garibaldi,

Thank you both for your suggestion.

[Garibaldi]

Mats.hogberg and Garibaldi,

Thank you both for your suggestion.

No Problem, glad I could help!

[DvDguy04]

Garibaldi,

I'm very new to the DVD world. Please help me with those questions in regarding to Slide Show Movie Maker:

1. How do you know when the AVI exceed 2GB
2. What is XviD? Why do I need it?
3. What is TMPGENC

Thank You

[Garibaldi]

Garibaldi,

I'm very new to the DVD world. Please help me with those questions in regarding to Slide Show Movie Maker:

1. How do you know when the AVI exceed 2GB
2. What is XviD? Why do I need it?
3. What is TMPGENC

Thank You

Sure, glad to help. I wasn't sure how much you had done with video editing, but that's fine.

First off, you will know when the avi exceeds 2 GB because it won't get any larger, and I believe you may get an error message in SSMM (Slide Show Movie Maker). You probably also will not be able to convert the avi to another format or edit it well. I believe a part of the avi container file called the header gets corrupt. I wouldn't worry about it if you use XviD. If you think your going to have a problem just encode a couple seperate smaller slideshows, and you can put them together later.

XviD is a video codec for encoding video to avi format. There are many many different video codecs for encoding to avi, each with their own balance between quality and compression. I personally like XviD for a couple reasons:
1. Its opensource, which means its free
2. It has a great compression ratio, but also has really good quality
The reason that you need it is because if you don't use XviD (or some other video codec) when you encode, if you pass the 2 GB limit in SSMM the file will be corrupted. Plus XviD is cross-platform, which makes it nice if you want to share a movie with a firend who has a mac.

TMPGENC is one considered by alot of people to be one of the best video encoders. It will let you encode several different formats (including avi) to mpeg 2 for dvd or svcd, or mpeg 1 for vcd. I had the trial of it but never bought it. For encoding I use several freeware tools, including bbmpeg, avidemux, tovid, and ffmpeg. You might want to give avidemux a try before you buy TMPGENC, just to see if a piece of freeware will do what you want. I had some problems using bbmpeg to encode files from SSMM, so I wouldn't use that for this application. ffmpeg is good but its a command line program, maybe a little too advanced. And tovid is a great little app but its only available for linux, I use it on my Slackware install.

So what you will want to do is:
1. import your jpgs into SSMM by going to Wizards, and My First Video
2. Select all the images and erase anything in the title box and click update. This removes the filename from the pictures.
3. Have all the pictures selected and go to Random Fadings
4. The way I add audio is to compile all the songs that will fit in the length of the slideshow in a program called Audacity first, export all of them as a wav, and then import that file into SSMM
5. Click on the 1st picture and add whatever text you want with whatever settings you want.
6. Add any special features like Ken Burns Effects.
7. Go to Start Creation, select the XviD codec, and Final Production, and go.

I'm glad to see that your using SSMM. Let me know what other questions you have.

[rubberman]

ProSHow SUCKS! I have ProShow Gold and included 180 images and 5 MPG video clips (under 6MB each) and it freezes up when its Rendering Video at 90%. Im using my laptop (athlon 2500) so not sure why it does that. Does the same on my DELL desktop with windows ME. It works fine doing a VideoCD. Stupid ass program!

[mats.hogberg]

ProSHow SUCKS! I have ProShow Gold and included 180 images and 5 MPG video clips (under 6MB each) and it freezes up when its Rendering Video at 90%. Im using my laptop (athlon 2500) so not sure why it does that. Does the same on my DELL desktop with windows ME. It works fine doing a VideoCD. Stupid ass program!

Our milage seem to vary...

/Mats

[Outback Paul]

SSMM always crashes on me when doing a final production version. I don't get a message other than it just crashes. I've tried this using different codecs but it always seems to crash around the same point each time. Anyone know of a way to fix this? Is there something else I can use? I used my Adobe Premiere Elements but the pictures where real blurry.

Thanks

[Sifaga]

MemoriesOnTv
ProShow GOld
Ulead PictureShow

These are the ones ive used and like

[Garibaldi]

SSMM always crashes on me when doing a final production version. I don't get a message other than it just crashes. I've tried this using different codecs but it always seems to crash around the same point each time. Anyone know of a way to fix this? Is there something else I can use? I used my Adobe Premiere Elements but the pictures where real blurry.

Thanks

That is really weird! Have you tried XviD? it sounds like a problem with the original images. Are you using any avi videos in the slideshow? If so I would reencode those. You might try redoing the whole SSMM project... maybe there is an error there. Can you get regular Production to work? I've found that this is fine for your final piece... the quality is great on it- especially with XviD

[stehemar]

I have the tried the following software with good results:
Photo Story 3 (free) good
ProShow Gold (excellent)
Ulead Pucture Show (very good)
Magix Photo Story on CD & DVD EXCELLENT

[MOVIEGEEK]

Sonic MyDVD(highly recommend,up to 999 photos per show)
NeoDVD(less features but faster encoding)

[Outback Paul]

SSMM always crashes on me when doing a final production version. I don't get a message other than it just crashes. I've tried this using different codecs but it always seems to crash around the same point each time. Anyone know of a way to fix this? Is there something else I can use? I used my Adobe Premiere Elements but the pictures where real blurry.

Thanks

That is really weird! Have you tried XviD? it sounds like a problem with the original images. Are you using any avi videos in the slideshow? If so I would reencode those. You might try redoing the whole SSMM project... maybe there is an error there. Can you get regular Production to work? I've found that this is fine for your final piece... the quality is great on it- especially with XviD

Regular Production works. It may be a picture but not sure. I installed this and had the same problem on my laptop.

I'm trying ProShow Gold and it looks good but can't find a way to export to AVI. I'd rather convert using TMPGEnc after I add the audio in Adobe Premiere Elements.

Paul