How to create a Photo CD with transition effects & music

[SingSing]

Is any of this type of tools ever bundled with digital camera ?

I got three cameras, and hardly find any of the bundled softwares useful.

I did not even open up the CD comes with my last camera. Becuase it likes all the new camera, just plug in the USB cable, and they become an external disk drive.

Sigh....

[joepic]

I have used both Ulead PictureShow and VideoStudio. VideoStudio is MUCH better.

VideoStudio allows multiple songs (.mp3, .wav, etc) per menu option and has selectable fade in/out time. The big PLUS is over 100 Hollywood-style transitions.

I have made some great SVCD's with this software. Also just purchased a Sony DRU500A DVD burner and will be moving the SVCD's to DVD's this winter.

Ulead VideoStudio 6
http://www.ulead.com/vs/runme.htm


Capture


Easily transfer video from DV/D8/Hi8 camcorders, VCRs, PC cameras and TV tuner cards
Save time and disk space by capturing DVD-ready MPEG video straight from your camcorder or other device
Automatically split captured video scenes into separate easy-to-manage files
Scan your DV/D8 tape and select the parts you want. Then batch capture the clips with a click of the mouse

Edit


Flow from scene to scene with over 100 Hollywood-style transitions
30 customizable filters for touching up video and adding creative effects
Animate text along motion paths for stunning results
Add voice narration, plus create soundtracks from favorite music CDs & MP3 files
Overlay video, images and 3D titles onto your movies for brilliant picture-in-picture effects
Preview editing changes in real-time at pixel-perfect, full video resolution
Arrange clips and add transitions with drag-and-drop ease using Storyboard layout
Edit audio, video and titles with frame-level accuracy in Timeline mode

Share


Produce videos for CD, DVD, tape, e-mail and Internet streaming
Record video back to DV/D8 tape for showing on TV or recording to VHS
Supports AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, Windows® Media™, RealVideo®, QuickTime® and more

DVD/Video CD Authoring Wizard

With ready-made templates, build interactive scene menus in just a few steps
Burn discs with CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW and DVD+RW drives
Play discs on home DVD players or computers using DVD playback softwar

[Bizuser]

I came to this forum looking for help on VCDEasy, but now I realise there are many different products to perform the same function.

Is VCDEasy not capable of doing what is being discussed here - creating a photo CD with transition effects and music?

If one uses ANY of these tools to create a VCD with transition effects, is it a given that you cannot have manual control of picture display - that is ... I would like transition effects, but I would also like to allow my user/viewer to be able to manually press next/previous to navigate the pictures. There's some suggestion here that, in order to use transition effects, the picture collection is burned as one big mpeg file, which makes some sense. I'd like transitions, but if it comes at a cost of no manual control then I'll give up on it.

Thanks!

[j2000]

i liked the nero pic to vcd but is it possible to put the pics into seperate folders with a menu?????

[neonflx]

I just created a Photo VCD with PicturetoTV and I was pleased with the results I used over 200 pictures taken with an Olympus 2500L digital camera (picture were on jpeg format and not edited on any way shape or form) and it looks very good as far as quality of the pictures I use 3 different songs and used the syncro function and it work great, same with the intro menu, I think that as this soft evolves it will become a popular choice among users.

[Tommybj]

I've tried Picturetotv, Photo2vcd standard and professional to make slideshow for my DVD-player and i must say, I like the transitioneffects and the possibility to add music, but i don't like the poor quality of the pictures.
And i must say, for me the quality of the pictures means most to me and therefore i go for Nero or VCDeasy, because they deliver high quality pictures, but saddly no options for making menus or adding music.
Hopes it vil be integrated in the future.

Tommybj

[MOVIEGEEK]

Unfortunatly you have to decide between quality(no transitions or sound) or features(poor quality).All slideshow programs will have the same quality
VCD or DVD because both support 704x480(NTSC)stills or 352x240(NTSC) video.I make high quality slideshows with sound and transitions by
using ArcSoft Showbiz(an example)and create an MPEG-2 720x480 44.1khz video which I burn on a cd-r,data and DAO.The disk will play on my Mintek and on certain Apexs' because they are made by Shinsonic.

[Cornucopia]

MOVIEGEEK and others--
That's not quite true. Most proggies won't let you do both. You can do both (with a few tools-VCDImager, VCD2Tlkt, Videopack), but even then you have to fool it...

Backup:
you said VCD and DVD stills are the same rez (704x480NTSC)-true. but VCD video is just 352x240, DVD is more than just that. We don't want to confuse anybody.
Also-PC computer-based multimedia slideshow programs can overcome some of the known limitations of settop standards, but there is a great deal more UNIVERSALITY in something that does adhere to the standards.

Back to our answer...

1st, make up a hi-rez high quality stills only slide show. MPEG stills will be 704x480. Good.
2nd, read up and follow MIKK's (sp?) guide on how to add audio to stills with VCDImager/VCDEasy (you could do similar things with other apps).
3rd, in a video editing app, create transitions as individual separate little segments each a few sec long. Export and convert to MPEG video.
4th, add between each pair of STILLfirst+AUDIOnext, the transition video.
5th, finish authoring links, create disc image, burn, and enjoy!

What you'll end up with will be high rez stills that remain on-screen as the audio is played, and has video/audio transitions. Granted the transitions are low-rez (VCD), but then they don't last very long anyway and most people arent paying as much attention to the quality as they are to the effect. This is still a completely standards compliant VCD (or SVCD or DVD), which should play correctly in settops.

Note, as before, most apps won't let you do this. You've got to have an app that allows you full access to all the features and options available to the standard.

Also, there can be lags at each edit/segment point. Minimize this by making everything a "SEGMENT" item and not a "SEQUENCE" item (using (S)VCD terms here). Similar features can be realized in DVD-land.

One last thing-- I never said it would be easy. This is very much like hand-coding. The output is great and versatile, but you gotta work at it.

HTH,

Scott

[caddog]

Has anyone tried the svcd plugin for picture2tv that was released on Dec, 6th. I downloaded the example they had on their site. The quality was excellent compared to the vcd's I have been trying to make. Hopefully this can be tested to see if it is a good value or not.
Thanks

[JoZ]

I did not, but after trying Picture2TV I tried Ulead DVD PictureShow. The result is WOW. I cannot compare. Picture2TV is a program with very VERY VERY poor quality!!! Ulead PictureShow is just perfect. Simple huh!

I only tried VCDs with both programs.

With Ulead you can have in music in menu background for vcd with Pciture2tv cannot.

What are you looking guys? For fancy effects or for pictures quality? If you are looking for quality don't waste your time with Picture2TV.

[JoZ]

Looks like UleadDVD PictureShow with transitions.
Note to Ulead:Make a transition patch.

http://www.ulead.com/dps/faq1.htm#1

Q: Can I add transitions between photos?
A: No. DVD PictureShow slideshows do not include transitions between photos. Transitions require the slideshow files to be in video format, which means lost resolution and larger file sizes. We've chosen to keep files in photo format so you can create a top resolution slideshows.

[Cornucopia]

Ya know, if Ulead DVDPictureShow took a hint from this forum/site and incorporated the Stills+Audio+Transitions setup I was mentioning in my previous post, they'd make a killing!

Having an app that retained HiRez, but helped you choose from palette of transition effects, and then automatically created the correct transition video and menus would certainly beat hand-coding.

In the meantime, I'll continue use WinOnCD3.8PE for quick and easy or VCDImager for slick and intricate.

[jogroch]

photo cd seemed to work great till i went to burn a vcd wont let me do it keeps giving me an error

[xxiangg]

I bought Pinnacle Expression from Fry's last weekend. It is $5 after
rebate. (It is $30 with $25 rebate). The original version is a little buggy.
After I downloaded the newest patch from www.pinnaclesys.com, I was
able to create some picture CDs in both VCD and SVCD format. They
both play fine on my DVD players (Apex1500 and Sampo 601).

The program probably does not have many advanced features. But you
can add different transitions between pictures and you can add back-
groud music. You can do some simple editing for the pictures.

[jtbterri]

Be careful about Pinnacle Expression. I purchased it from CompUSA in December, burned a couple of VCDs for a Xmas present to go along with a new JVC XV-S502-SL DVD Xmas present. Ruined Christmas day because neither the VCD or SVCD produced by Pinnacle Expression will run on the new JVC DVD. As a matter of fact the actually stopped it completely. Tried to access information from the Pinnacle web site but was unable to send a email and they had no pertinent information on my problem. Finally yesterday, I called their support desk, and after waiting an hour and a half I was curtly advised they don't support this DVD player!! That's it, sorry about that. Give it to a neighbor. 8)

[drjlogan7]

Picturetotv.com is a WONDEFUL program!!! It does everything for you!! The menu with background music is very nice.

Yes- the vcds and svcds work very well on apex players. I have a JVC xv500 and it works Great with it.

I recommend getting the svcd plugin. the pics are very crisp.

Highly rec this product

[drjlogan7]

Correction- menu music is available on picturetotv and works very nice.

[whatname]

How long it takes to complete 700MB CD on average? I know it's also depend on the writer . . .

When you load tons of files, it'll mess up your order (1st file goes last, last file goes first)

[geniv]

hehe Photo2VCD is even far worse video quality..

hmm funny I just tired the latest version of Picture2VCD and it lets you put music to the background on the menu..

XatShow is pretty good cause it let you do a "mix mode" high res vcd that can be displayed/autorun on the pc with transition (transision on PC only)
but what sucks about XatShow is it can only do one tack, no menu

[kitty]

Some people don't realize. VCDs with transitions are MPEG movies and are limited to 352x240 NTSC /x288 PAL. SVCD is 480x480 NTSC x576 PAL. So NTSC VCD at standard bitrates will be pretty low res. No beautifying a turd.

Programs that use MPEG stills are at DVD resolution on a VCD 2.0 compatible CDR - 704x480 and will of course be crisper. The tradeoff is these stills cannot have a real transition in the VCD spec. Ulead DVD Pictureshow uses stills.

Ultimately let's dump CDRs. DVD-R is the future and stills and movies are the same size, no quality loss if you make motion MPEGs (just space which is still copious). Where are the programs that will allow full customization on DVD-R? Here us a booming market segment. VCDs are there but read the disappointments (I have a holiday disappointment story on VCDs also).

[moaner101]

Try the SVCD plugin before ................
Where can i find it ??

[koic]

Well, I tried this one (2.0.4) as well as Ulead PictureShow (2.0).
Greate Pros of Memories are:
1. Menu customization
2. Transition effects between photos (smoke is the best)
3. Ken Burns Effect
4. Photo and movie combination on the same track.
Now what's not good, - something wrong with fitting photo in the frame.
Same with panning.