Seeking slideshow software advise

TomaSTomaS Registered Users Posts: 314 Major grins
edited February 7, 2006 in Finishing School
I hope this is the right place to post this...

I need to make a CD of shots from my son's swim team events to show at the final team dinner and perhaps sell at cost to parents. I know I can use Powerpoint, but am wondering if there is something specific to photo presentaions that: looks cool with nice transitions / production values; allows music; is easy to use; is not too expensive. I have Windows XP.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Tomas
TomsProPhoto

Comments

  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2006
    TomaS wrote:
    I hope this is the right place to post this...

    I need to make a CD of shots from my son's swim team events to show at the final team dinner and perhaps sell at cost to parents. I know I can use Powerpoint, but am wondering if there is something specific to photo presentaions that: looks cool with nice transitions / production values; allows music; is easy to use; is not too expensive. I have Windows XP.

    Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

    Couple years ago, I used Ulead, pretty darn good. The problem with this software category, is that there are just so many darn choices! Good luck in your quest. You might try Microsoft's Photostory, it's free or really cheap... I used that, also, and it was perfect for my needs at the time - though it is less function than the more expensive packages.
    Andy

    Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
  • 4labs4labs Registered Users Posts: 2,089 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2006
    Look at Photodex, someone from Dgrin whose name escapes me used this and it is really cool. They have a free trial period.
  • cmasoncmason Registered Users Posts: 2,506 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2006
    Check out Microsoft Photo Story 3. It is free if you have Windows XP, and it is a nice package....

    Here is a demo I thought was rather good...
    Photos
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2006
    Check out FLIP ALBUM 6.0 PRO.....IT IS QUITE COOL...
    FlipALBUM 6 PRO FEATURES
    Intuitive Viewing Experience
    bullet_ltteal_circle.gifRealistic 3D Page-Flipping gives you a natural and intuitive viewing experience.
    bullet_ltteal_circle.gifMulti-page rapid flipping for album browsing.
    bullet_ltteal_circle.gifPreview individual image in full screen mode.
    bullet_ltteal_circle.gifHold album pages. Hold and compare contents of different album pages.



    ...as you can lock the cd so no one can make copies of pics at local wally world....LINK:

    http://www.ebooksys.com/ebooksys/products/flipalbum_pro.php
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • Lee MasseyLee Massey Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2006
    Hi Tom,

    I have used Proshow Gold from Photodex and it is quite nice. It meets my particular needs quite well and I would suggest that you check it out. You can make CD/DVD/EXE's and it is quite user friendly. Unfortunately I can't reliably comment on how it compares to other products.

    http://www.photodex.com/products/proshowgold/features.html

    Thanks,

    Lee
    TomaS wrote:
    I hope this is the right place to post this...

    I need to make a CD of shots from my son's swim team events to show at the final team dinner and perhaps sell at cost to parents. I know I can use Powerpoint, but am wondering if there is something specific to photo presentaions that: looks cool with nice transitions / production values; allows music; is easy to use; is not too expensive. I have Windows XP.

    Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
  • imaximax Registered Users Posts: 691 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2006
    Hey Tom, here is something that I made a few years ago with windows movie maker. The image quality is bad because of the images I pulled from the web and not knowing much about pixels at the time. Time to redo it. Click on this link

    http://members.tripod.com/nicodemon33020/

    and then click on my public service announcement. The video was made using single images that I found on the net.

    You can add pictures, music, alot of things that can be done with Movie Maker. It can be found in your accessories file on your computer. Best of luck to you

    Joe
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2006
    cmason wrote:
    Check out Microsoft Photo Story 3. It is free if you have Windows XP, and it is a nice package....

    Here is a demo I thought was rather good...

    15524779-Ti.gif You can't beat the price and it is actually a very complete program.
  • DigitalDevoDigitalDevo Registered Users Posts: 22 Big grins
    edited February 3, 2006
    http://www.jalbum.net There are two skins for it CDShow and DVDShow I think are the names. Works very well. You could also do it in Flash and then use some freeware to convert it to a sideshow. You can also find 2Flyer Freeware version around the web if you look hard enough. The current version of it costs money though.

    Edit: Also as for locking the CD/DVD so it can't be copied, that is a waste of time. There are tons for freeware applications available that will defeat any and all copy protection schemes on CDs as well as DVDs :(
    "It is the Photographer that makes the equipment, not the equipment that makes the photographer." -JKS
  • Aaron WilsonAaron Wilson Registered Users Posts: 339 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2006
    Love it!
    Pro show gold works geat!
    www.dipphoto.com
    All feed back is welcomed!!

    http://www.dipphoto.com/

    :lust :lust
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,245 moderator
    edited February 3, 2006
    Isn't there an application in Microsoft's Powertoys for Windows XP that will do what you want? And free.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • TomaSTomaS Registered Users Posts: 314 Major grins
    edited February 4, 2006
    Some very good suggestions - so glad I am a part of this helpful community!cheerleader.gif

    I would like to offer my reviews of what I have discovered so far as a followup. Hope it helps someone else....

    MS Photostory 3 - the clear winner among the free software for making slideshows. Creates WMV files that can be played on Mac or PC. Requires XP to be validated by King Bill. Whatever.

    JAlbum - very nice for creating web based slideshows. I have used it in the past. Less features and a bit too complex for CD presentations than Photostory.

    Windows Movie Maker - not nearly as good as PhotoStory for slideshows but excellent (free) video software.

    PowerToys - very limited slideshow program. But check out the 'Color Panel Applet', 'RAW Image Viewer', and 'Image Resizer' at
    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

    VERY COOL stuff for photographers using XP.

    Among the two commercial programs: ProShow Gold appears to be more flexible than FlipAlbum. Both cost $70 for versions than burn CDs.

    Another that was not mentioned here is Sony Vegas Movie Studio.
    http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/Products/ShowProduct.asp?PID=977

    That one is $90 retail but was highly recommended by a photographer friend.

    I am going with PhotoStory - can't beat the pricethumb.gif Thanks to all who replied for the help.
    Tomas
    TomsProPhoto
  • ebwestebwest Registered Users Posts: 416 Major grins
    edited February 4, 2006
    Take a look at Pictures to Exe at www.wnsoft.com

    It's very easy to use and the price gives you lifetime upgrades. I've used it for years and really like it. You can do anything from a real quick slide show to something very complicated. They are getting ready to release a new version with some major upgrades.

    As the name implies, you put together you show and then create an executable file that you can burn to a cd to do what ever you want with it. It can then be viewed without a viewer.
    E.B.

    http://ebinfl.smugmug.com/
  • jfriendjfriend Registered Users Posts: 8,097 Major grins
    edited February 4, 2006
    No EXE files for me
    ebwest wrote:
    Take a look at Pictures to Exe at www.wnsoft.com

    It's very easy to use and the price gives you lifetime upgrades. I've used it for years and really like it. You can do anything from a real quick slide show to something very complicated. They are getting ready to release a new version with some major upgrades.

    As the name implies, you put together you show and then create an executable file that you can burn to a cd to do what ever you want with it. It can then be viewed without a viewer.

    Some people, like myself, will not run strange EXE's that people send me (even people I know) and many email clients will no longer let people send/receive EXE files - all because of the threat of virus or spyware. So, the EXE options don't work well for me and I won't use them. Also not compatible with Macs too (and my mom has a Mac).
    --John
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  • dandilldandill Registered Users Posts: 102 Major grins
    edited February 4, 2006
    TomaS wrote:
    ...

    MS Photostory 3 - the clear winner among the free software for making slideshows. Creates WMV files that can be played on Mac or PC. Requires XP to be validated by King Bill. Whatever.
    I have used ProShow Gold on my XP machine and liked it very much. However, ProShow Gold doesn't export Mac friendly formats, so I thought I would give Photostory 3 a try. My first impression is that it is indeed very easy to use, and to the extent that .wmv files are accesible on Mac's, I am interested to pursue it more.

    Thanks for this lead.
    Dan Dill

    "It is a magical time. I am reluctant to leave. Yet the shooting becomes more difficult, the path back grows black as it is without this last light. I don't do it anymore unless my husband is with me, as I am still afraid of the dark, smile.

    This was truly last light, my legs were tired, my husband could no longer read and was anxious to leave, but the magic and I, we lingered........"
    Ginger Jones
  • ebwestebwest Registered Users Posts: 416 Major grins
    edited February 7, 2006
    jfriend wrote:
    Some people, like myself, will not run strange EXE's that people send me (even people I know) and many email clients will no longer let people send/receive EXE files - all because of the threat of virus or spyware. So, the EXE options don't work well for me and I won't use them. Also not compatible with Macs too (and my mom has a Mac).

    I agree with your caution, most (if not all) of the exe's that are created are too big to email any how, so emailing exe's is not a concern. If you have a small one that can be emailed, it's better to zip it. They keep asking Igor (the author) for a Mac version and he hasn't done it yet.
    E.B.

    http://ebinfl.smugmug.com/
  • StevenVStevenV Registered Users Posts: 1,174 Major grins
    edited February 7, 2006
    dandill wrote:
    and to the extent that .wmv files are accesible on Mac's, I am interested to pursue it more.
    I think that the most recent iTunes can convert wmv to it's video format, and QuickTime Pro can too perhaps.
    -Steven
    my words, my "pro"pictures, my "fun" pictures, my videos.

  • fairplayfairplay Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
    edited February 7, 2006
    pinnacle studio
    TomaS wrote:
    I hope this is the right place to post this...

    I need to make a CD of shots from my son's swim team events to show at the final team dinner and perhaps sell at cost to parents. I know I can use Powerpoint, but am wondering if there is something specific to photo presentaions that: looks cool with nice transitions / production values; allows music; is easy to use; is not too expensive. I have Windows XP.

    Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

    I use pinnacle studio for my slide shows and video you can put music in it and many transitions plus save it to dvd or cd
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