creating a slideshow and video on dvd

[mpack]

Ignore the little interlude that went on - you've got an AVI from SlideShow Movie Maker.

Uh.. the message that started this thread says nothing about SlideShow Movie Maker, nor did it mention a need to create transitions between slides. It mentions slides and video clips on the same DVD, and it mentions a menu to select either the slideshow or the video: all of which requirements are catered for by standard DVD authoring features.

Yes, the author mentions Slideshow Movie Maker in a later message, but I believe he has been sent down that track by bad advice.

[daamon]

...but I believe he has been sent down that track by bad advice.

Really? And where exactly in the thread does anyone specifically say "Use SlideShow Movie Maker"? If you read the responses of tin2tin, lordsmurf, nomads, Garibaldi, MOVIEGEEK and myself prior to the post you reference where SSMM is first mentioned by the original poster, the closest is when lordsmurf provides a link to a load of tools, and SSMM isn't even listed in there.

I would say that AeR0 has chosen SSMM himself and we've followed that with help and suggestions based on what was subsequently posted.

Get your facts right before criticising and not offering anything instead...

[mpack]

And where exactly in the thread does anyone specifically say "Use SlideShow Movie Maker"?

Well, since you ask: nobody specifically mentioned SSMM, but immediately before AeR0 mentioned SlideShow Movie Maker is your own message, which is a good case in point: because it says that his slideshow needs to be in "DVD compatible MPEG-2". In fact it doesn't need to be anything of the sort. DVDMaestro for example will accept JPEGs or BMPs for use as stills in a slideshow, and I doubt it is unique in that regard. Your message might well have got him thinking that he had to create the slideshow as an MPEG movie first, and then use that as an asset during authoring. That is certainly how I interpreted what you were saying.

Get your facts right before criticising and not offering anything instead...

In fact I offered two alternatives in my original response: I said that Audio DVD Creator could create slideshows with a soundtrack (but not handle the video clip requirement). Or, that any semi-pro DVD authoring app could do everything that he asked for.

[daamon]

In fact it doesn't need to be anything of the sort. DVDMaestro for example will accept JPEGs or BMPs for use as stills in a slideshow, and I doubt it is unique in that regard.

And what do you think DVDMaestro does with the JPEGs and BMPs? It encodes them to DVD compliant MPEG2 - just behind the scenes. Only MPEG2 can be authored to create VOBs etc.

In fact I offered two alternatives in my original response: I said that Audio DVD Creator could create slideshows with a soundtrack (but not handle the video clip requirement). Or, that any semi-pro DVD authoring app could do everything that he asked for.

So, your suggestion of Audio DVD Creator only half addressed his need - not much use really, is it?

And you then go on to make a sweeping general statement which encompasses all of the more precise previously suggested tools - repetition, useful...

Admit it - you fired from the hip and you're in an indefensible position. Let it go and let's got on with helping people...

[mpack]

Admit it - you fired from the hip and you're in an indefensible position. Let it go and let's got on with helping people...

I don't admit anything of the sort. I have provided an answer to the question at the root of this thread, and clarified it at your request. Now, whether AeR0 finds my contribution useful is up to him. Your opinion is somewhat less relevant.

[mpack]

Actually, shortly after posting that last message it struck me that your comments are still curiously ambiguous. Yes, each slide in the slideshow must ultimately be rendered in MPEG-2 form by the authoring app... but why would you feel the need to highlight just that part of the authoring apps responsibility and not others??

Then it struck me... you do realise that each slide is encoded as an MPEG-2 still don't you, and not as an MPEG-2 movie? In other words, you do understand that a slideshow is a series of stills and hold times, and is not a synthesized movie, right?

Perhaps the recent confusion has been due to my crediting you with more knowledge than you actually have.

[daamon]

Your opinion is somewhat less relevant.

My opinion is relevant when you directly quote me and then erroneously accuse me of providing bad advice, and then you insist on arrogantly defending yourself when I merely asked you to get your facts right.

...you do realise that each slide is encoded as an MPEG-2 still don't you, and not as an MPEG-2 movie? In other words, you do understand that a slideshow is a series of stills and hold times, and is not a synthesized movie, right?

No...? Really? I felt it was more appropriate to answer the questions and not to introduce confusion by introducing alternatives - the "learning one step at a time" philosophy. Whereas you disagree - fine, we have different views. Let's agree to disagree.

Perhaps the recent confusion has been due to my crediting you with more knowledge than you actually have.

Ah, not a bad attempt at getting close to a riposte. Good effort - B+.

I shall ask again - please leave it now. This is of no use to AeR0 (apart from, perhaps, mild amusement at your vain attempts at jibes). If you want to carry on this "off topic" crusade, start a thread in the Off Topic forum. Don't expect me to join in - I'd rather be helping people than being distracted.

[jimmalenko]

I, for one, don't have $5K to spend on DVDMaestro, when Slide Show Movie Maker is free and can do the job I need it to do ...

I know which one I'd choose, but that's just me

[mpack]

I, for one, don't have $5K to spend on DVDMaestro, when Slide Show Movie Maker is free and can do the job I need it to do ...

Don't have $5k to spend? I'm sure you don't, and in any case Maestro is no longer sold, and besides which I'm sure its features are not unique (eg. no doubt DVD-Lab would do just as well). Unfortunately, Maestro is the DVD Authoring tool I'm familiar with, so I'm not in a position to recommend alternatives - which is why I did not do so...

[jimmalenko]

This IS constructive .. .grain of salt please

I, for one, don't have $5K to spend on DVDMaestro, when Slide Show Movie Maker is free and can do the job I need it to do ...

Don't have $5k to spend? I'm sure you don't, and in any case Maestro is no longer sold, and besides which I'm sure its features are not unique (eg. no doubt DVD-Lab would do just as well).

I seriously doubt that - otherwise DVD-lab would be sold for a similar price instead of $100 (or $200 for the Pro version), no ? ... and given that you know nothing about the alternatives (see below), methinks someone was talking out their ass

Unfortunately, Maestro is the DVD Authoring tool I'm familiar with, so I'm not in a position to recommend alternatives - which is why I did not do so...

So why attack someone else for recommending alternatives (of which you know nothing about by your own admission) then ?

Please get your facts straight


*** Remember, it's better to let people think you are stupid, than opening your mouth and removing all doubt

[tin2tin]

Hi AeR0,

If you just need to throw down some slides and some video on a dvd(and the menus isn't all that important), I just want to mention, that I've added import/export of avi's to the DVD slideshow GUI now(6.jan). So avi's can be mixed with slides and music, rendered to mpeg2, muxed, authorised as a ready to burn dvd-.iso file. All in the same free proggy.

Have fun,

Tin2tin

[daamon]

Nice one tin2tin!!! I'm sure that'll prove very useful to alot of people.

[racer-x]

jimmalenko wrote:

I seriously doubt that - otherwise DVD-lab would be sold for a similar price instead of $100 (or $200 for the Pro version), no ? ... and given that you know nothing about the alternatives (see below), methinks someone was talking out their ass

Actually, DVD-Lab is closer to DVDMaestro than you think. But it is silly to recomend a $5,000 app to do something that simple. It's about as dumb as sugesting everyone use CCE SP($2000), when they can get as good or better quality from TMPGEnc or MainConcept for less than 10% of the cost.

[Safesurfer]

This might be of use/interest.

I had a 2.92GB file (video only) produced by SSMM using a DV codec for compression. I couldn't get it to open in anything, but then thought I'd try Virtualdub.

I checked the box "Ask for extended options after this dialog" in the Open Video File dialog box. Then I checked the "Re-derive keyframe flags" box. Vdub started reindexing the file, and then rebuilt the keyframes, and it seemed to work! I saved it out to a new file using "Direct stream copy", and I couldn't see any problems with the file - it played fine. It did take a while, maybe 30 mins to reindex and rekey.

I was able to add the file into my NLE to mix with some Video, and then output to MPEG2.

Not an ideal solution, but it did seem to work. Would be interested if it works for anyone else.

Really?! I'm going to give that a try! If I could have any size output from SSMM that would be great! Do you know why this works specifically (what is the technical reason)?

Sorry I don't, I was just blindly trying it hoping it would work!

I tried a test with a Huffyuv compressed file and this "fix" didn't work, neither did using uncompressed. I don't use xvid, or any Divx variants, so haven't tested them. Maybe it only works with DV encoded files!

[mpack]

So why attack someone else for recommending alternatives (of which you know nothing about by your own admission) then ?

Christ - is everyone participating in this thread a moron, or is it just great method acting?

Learn to read for gods sake! I did not recommend or attack any specific tool, I questioned the METHOD initially being promoted here of converting a slideshow into a synthesized movie: ie. a method of simulating a slideshow which is enormously wasteful of disk space (in order to get a 10 second pause with a synthesized movie you must provide 10 seconds of at least the minimum bit rate to avoid underflows - and as a side effect giving your slide minimum quality at the same time!) when DVD has a standard built-in slideshow feature which only requires one MPEG still per slide, occupies negligable disk space, gives maximum quality, leaves most of the disk space for a PCM soundtrack or whatever else you want, and can be accomplished with any worthwhile DVD Authoring app: meaning anything other than the "one button and its done" shit. One example not enough, or Maestro not the right example for you? Well fine! Take your pick of the decent authoring apps then you tell me which one you can't do it with!

[daamon]

Christ - is everyone participating in this thread a moron, or is it just great method acting?

You need to entertain the possibility that the fault lies with you and the way you present yourself... Consider the scenario where AeR0 says he's decided to use SlideShow Movie Maker and starts asking questions from there about AVIs (as actually happened).

At this point, are at any time later, you could've stepped in with words like:

"The way you're doing it will get the results you desire, however...

[that] method of simulating a slideshow is enormously wasteful of disk space (in order to get a 10 second pause with a synthesized movie you must provide 10 seconds of at least the minimum bit rate to avoid underflows - and as a side effect giving your slide minimum quality at the same time!) when DVD has a standard built-in slideshow feature which only requires one MPEG still per slide, occupies negligable disk space, gives maximum quality, leaves most of the disk space for a PCM soundtrack or whatever else you want, and can be accomplished with any worthwhile DVD Authoring app: meaning anything other than the "one button and its done" shit.

...and then go on to provide examples that you know of, or stating "Take your pick [from any] of the decent authoring apps".

Doesn't that make you sound like a much more reasonable and helpful person rather than how you actually came across? As evidenced by the similar replies, from more than one person, to your posts.

I agree with what you say - just not the way you chose to express it. And I'm sure AeR0 would be grateful for the information and any help on how to go about it...

[jimmalenko]

Christ - is everyone participating in this thread a moron, or is it just great method acting?

No ... it's just you

[mpack]

Diplomacy is not one of my skills. However, I apologise for losing my temper. And there was I thinking I had left flame wars behind me a decade ago...