As some of you may already know, I bought the Pinnacle Studio Plus Version 10 about a month ago. I have had nothing but problems with it from day one. I have downloaded 10.1, uninstalled and installed 3 times and it still will not work. Looking thru the paperwork that came with it, they give an address for a chat forum to use for customer service and help from others. So I go to the site and find out that just about everyone with this software is having the same problems and can't get any help from Pinnacle. One guy is actually threatening a law suit.

So I need to get another program ASAP. I have a project I need to complete by Thanksgiving. I need a program that will be able to put my digital pictures in a slide show, add titles, transitions, effects and music and be able to put it on a DVD that will play in any regular DVD player.

Without doing much research as of yet, I found Photshop Elements 4.0 bundled with Premiere Elements 2.0. It seems to have what Im looking for. At a reasonable price.

Questions....Do I have to have Photoshop for this program to work? Does anyone have any experience with these programs? Would you suggest anything different? Any help would be appreciated. Like I said, I need to find a program ASAP!!

Thanks


BREW

 

Picassa2

This will do many of the basics....and it is FREE




(have I mentioned that I Love Google?)

 

I know...google is great. I just like to hear it first hand from people here that have experience with it..

Thanks Wstahlm80....But im still interested in that photshop elements if anyone has any info on it.


BREW

Oh yeh...maybe a place to buy it for a decent price (cheap)

 

I am not sure Photoshop Elements with Priemere Elements will do all of what you want. It will allow you to edit photos, and burn a DVD. I am not sure whether it will allow you to burn a DVD Slideshow. I had the pervious version. Didn't like it that much. It seems to be very much a bloatware application. I use Roxio Easy Media Creator 8, which has a photo editor and and Sonics MYDVD, which will do regular DVD's and slideshows. It also hads a bunch of other software. Might want to look at it.
For serious photo editting, I use Corel PhotoPaint, which is part of the Corel Draw package. Unfortunately, I am not that good at it and don't do enough of it.

 

You won't be happy with Elements, installed it once when I was just getting started, and was able to do all of.... absolutely Jack Schit with it.

I don't know why you couldn't build your slide show in Power Point, "if it's just a slide show that you wanting to do". Then use Roxio or Nero DVD Rom to convert it and burn it to DVD. I dont have a DVD burner yet so when I do slide shows for events and dont want to take the laptop. Then I just burn it to cd as an SVCD, using Nero Burning Rom, then use a regular DVD player to view it.

 

I've experienced problems with Pinnacle software as well. I'd stay away from it as a rule of thumb.

 

Just as a side note, I just burned a slideshow with the Roxio software. The first I have done with version 8. Took all of 10 minutes after figuring out the new way they are doing things. Included 60 images. Edited with Videowave to add pictures and set how I want things done. Then take project into MYDVD and encode and burn to DVD. I do not have the Photo Editting software installed, so I can't say how good or bad it is.
One advantage to this package is you get a lot more than just CD/DVD burning software. Besides what I mentioned, you have Backup MYPC for backups and Disaster Recovery, Cineplayer for playing DVD's. Videowave, which is a movie editer.
They do have a way to go yet to get everything integrated as the software was the old Sonic products, MYDVD, Backup MYPC, Videowave, etc and the old Roxio package.
How new/old is your system. It does require a good sound and video graphics card with fairly recent drivers. Some have had problems with older video cards that only have 64mb of memory. Also there is a registry fix due to contention with Trend Micro Internet Security 2005.

 

I wish I would've known that BEFORE I spent my $100!!


Matt...I know im pretty picky at times. And this is one of them. I want something that I can put together a slide show, but I also want to add effects such as pan, zoom, etc. Plus cool transitions and what not. Most of what I do is for the kids, so they get a real kick out of all the "COOL" things I can do. I guess, I dont really need to "edit" persay, the photos, rather build a cool slide show with the photos I have. Does that make sense? Have you looked at the new elements 4.0 with Premiere 2.0? It seems like a pretty decent program. http://www.adobe.com/products/psprelements/main.html

Another question...would it be possible to create my slide show with Windows Movie Maker and then burn it to a DVD using Nero and be able to play it in any regular DVD player? If so, that would solve my problem...for know anyway!!

 

KINGFISH....I have a Sony VAIO, that is just about 1 year old. It was pretty much the top of the line when I got it, so I assume, it has all of what I need. I will have to look at it when I get home to make sure Its up to date and compatible with the new programs. Im sure it is. I just cant remember all the specs off hand right now.


BREW

 

Not to confuse you or make your choice harder, but there is another piece of software you might want to look at. Sony Vegas Movie Studio with DVD. It also has other software. This is what I use to edit mpegs. I didn't realize I could do slideshows with it. I am doing that right now. Also this has many different transitions you can put in the timeline. I think either the Roxio or the Sony will do what you want. IMO the Sony software will allow you more flexibility with the editting. At least I find it easier to do than the Videowave. Could just be a matter of I have been using it longer. The DVD software can then be used to burn the DVD. It also can do a slidwshow, but I don't believe it has the editting capability that Movie Studio part has.
With you Sony PC, you should be okay. Mine is 3 yrs old with a 128mb video card with the latest drivers and it has no problems with either of the these software.

Edit - Just finished the slideshow with Movie Studio. Worked well. One advantage the Movie studio is you get an excellent look at the timeline and can insert different transitions where ever you want. I really didn't take the time to do that, but have done it before. When you make the movie, it will create different types of files depending on what you want and what encoders are on your system. To do a .mov (Quicktime), you would have to but Quicktime, but for normal Mpegs, it is all there. Once you create the mpeg, you can use the DVD software or any other DVD creation software you want.

 

Depending on price it sounds like Kingfish's idea might be the best solution.

I know your picky, so am I, but I still "wow" people with power point slide shows often. You can download 1000's of transitions and effects for it. It's faster and easier than if I use Premier 6.5.
If I was going to spend a couple weeks on the project and do some special CG effects. Then I use Premier, with Adobe Image Ready and maybe even Cinema 4D. But that would be something like takeing someone out of a still photo and making them dance to the audio track for 30 seconds while still in the photo then going back to the still photo and on to the next one or something.

 

I think its just an operator error

But then again, thats just my .02 cents

 

Go Away....................


















BREW

 

Thats it...im sending your birthday present back to Mike Troyer. Or...i guess i will have to keep it for my own truck....

 

The Roxio package is $99.99 and the Sony has two different prices. The Standard is $89.99 and the platinum is $129.99. The Platinum alows for HD editting.
As far as Adobe, the Photoshop Elements with Premiere Elements is somewhere around $100-$150. I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that PSS-Mag is talking about the full blown Adobe products, which are not cheap. The Sony products are like the Elements products in that the are lesser version than the full blown products. Don't know all of what is different, but condisdering the price difference, it has to be something.
The Sony product does not have any photo editting software, but I think is the better of the 2 for movie editting. The DVD creation portion is about the same.

You can read about the products here.


http://www.roxio.com/en/products/emc...CIKBLAQAMGB3KQ

http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/Pro...ct.asp?PID=977

http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/Pro...ct.asp?PID=983

The Sony products do have a free trial. I don't believe you will be able to make anything of any length (most trials limit what can be created), but it might give you an idea of how you like it. Hope you don't have dial-up.