Alternative to ProShow Gold

[cottage]

I've been using ProShow Gold to produce slideshow/video files. I really like the program but it seems to have a nasty habit of unexpectedly shutting down. I've been investigating but can't seem to find/fix the cause. Now the Photodex web site seems to be down. (out of business?)

My input to projects:
-JPG files
-Videos (AVI, MOV, MPG)
-Audio files (MP3)

Desired authoring:
-captions
-transitions
-photo/video manipulation (zooms, pans, etc)
-prefer audio transitions (fades. etc) ... bit ProShow can't do this

Desired Output:
-1080p video file

I've seen recommendations for:
-MemoriesonTV but many people report problems using the program
-TMPGEnc Authoring Works but can's find much feedback

Is TMPGEnc Authoring Works the best or are there better alternatives?

[smrpix]

TMPGenc Video Mastering Works is probably closer to what you're looking for creatively, though it won't author to DVD or BR. Try Also Sony Movie Studio and DVD Architect.

[ron spencer]

they do not seem to be out of business....website works

[pepegot1]

Any good NLE can do it. VideoStudio, Vegas, Pinnacle Studio, etc. and with more flexibility too!! I used ProShow along time ago and gave it up for a good NLE.

[cottage]

they do not seem to be out of business....website works

Just checked the web site again and it is working now.

Thank-you for the recommendations.

I've just installed the trial versions of Sony Vegas, TMPGenc Video Mastering Works and Photodex producer.

I'll test them and post back.

[cottage]

I've spent some time evaluating a few alternatives. Recognizing that this is only one person's opinion based on individual needs, here is my feedback:

Phododex Producer:
-Very similar to ProShow Gold
-It also shut down unexpectedly just like ProShow Gold
-Don't see any advantage is switching

Sony Vegas:
-Very professional program with a wealth of features
-Very steep learning curve
-A lot more complex that my needs

TMPGenc Video Mastering Works:
-Pretty good program with a lot of features but less complicated than Vegas
-Reasonably steep learning curve
-Awkward to place 4:3 photo in a 16:9 project and match photo to right aspect ratio
-Very flexible transitions but takes a lot of fussing to get them right
-Don't like any program that always requires internet access to verify legitimacy

Corel Video Studio:
-not a bad program but more complex than ProShow Gold
-more oriented toward video production than slideshow production
-difficult to coordinate titles with individual slides (eg. fade in/out with slide)

My Conclusion:
I'm going to stick with ProShow Gold and continue to find out why it unexpectedly shuts down. My needs are fairly simple and this program does what I want with a minimum of complexity.

However, thank-you to everyone who took the time to make suggestions.

[Brainiac]

Have you checked out the Proshow Enthusiasts website? Here is the url: http://www.proshowenthusiasts.com/

There are some knowledgeable folks there.

Brainiac

[cottage]

I believe that my issue with ProShow Gold is resolved.

I turned off "GPU acceleration" in the ProShow preferences.

So far - so good. It hasn't shut down since. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[cottage]

Well, crossing my fingers didn't work.

After working on another project for some time, ProShow Gold started to crash again. This only seems to happen after some time working on a project. It's almost like the program ultimately runs out of computer resources then crashes.

I have checked the http://www.proshowenthusiasts.com/ web site. That's where I found the suggestion to turn off GPU acceleration. I can't seem to find any other potential solution other than reinstalling ProShow. I also did that but it didn't help.

It's a shame because ProShow is the easiest program that I have found to produce a combination slideshow/video.

[coen99]

http://www.a4video.com/video-image-master-pro.htm

[pepegot1]

difficult to coordinate titles with individual slides (eg. fade in/out with slide)

That is just not true and it is an easier to program to use compared to Vegas.
It makes excellent slideshows.

[cottage]

difficult to coordinate titles with individual slides (eg. fade in/out with slide)

That is just not true and it is an easier to program to use compared to Vegas.
It makes excellent slideshows.

OK. Maybe I made a poor choice of words.
In Corel, the titles are placed in a separate track. In ProShow, they are placed in the slide. I found the ProShow process easier.

[MadMax79]

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