Igor

It's intersting visual bug in main window of PTE and I rarely see it I feel that it's time to fix it at last.

Ken, our server is located in Chicago Just it's possible to confuse two different versions because they both have same file name! Ray, I'm sorry if I've missed many questions during past time! I recommend you to set "Fit to screen" option (Project options | Screen tab) also you can set "90%" of screen (if you'd like to have border) and your pictures will look similar in different screen resolutions.

v4.20 beta should print much more correctly. Next beta version also will contain standard print dialog to choose quality in printer drivers.

PicturesToExe v4.20 beta #3 http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr_beta.zip (1,4 Mb) What's new in beta #3: * Fixed two old bugs in Visual editor of objects which caused show of error messages. * Improved stability of AVI video output and added correct FPS for NTSC. + Added support for 32-bit .bmp images with alpha channel (for use in objects). Support of alpha bitmaps can be interesting thing for advanced users. It's necessary to have graphical editor with support of 32-bit bmp images (Adobe Photoshop doesn't contain this support for BMP images) to create such BMP files. Try to add these two test 32-bit bmp images as objects onto slide: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/AlphaBitmaps.zip (149 Kb) (32-bit BMP image can has any form, be partially semi-transparent, has shadow and has anti-aliased (smooth) edges. But it's not so easy to create such bmp image in graphical editor!) To Dana: Please try this beta with Pinnacle StudioDV for NTSC output. p.s. we're still working to get work Ulead DVD MovieFactory2 with interlaced AVI files. Please wait.

I'm using strong spam filtration for this my old email address which blocks 97% of spam and allowed mails will be forwared to my main email box

Dear Marco, We'll solve this problem. 1) First of all, let me know, please, what version of PicturesToExe you have installed? 2) Try to play our special test presentation: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/Per_aspera_ad_astra.zip (1,5 Mb) 3) I just sent you email with request about additional testing. To Al, Please couldn't you try on your dual PII PC with Win2k? I remeber you helped us to fix similar bug on July with earlier beta versions.

Just write to support@wnsoft.com or to igor@wnsoft.com and let us know your full name and (if it's possible) email address which you had several years ago. We'll send you new reg. key.

Sorry, I didn't understand the problem earlier. We need to correct frame rate for NTSC. I'll set 29.97 (you can't set it in current beta) and it will work. I think to fix it tomorrow.

I just tried and of course "Video Codec*Microsoft 263" doesn't work with v4.20 beta #2a as well as with previous beta #2, because this is specific video codec which is not intended for this purpose. Another video converters (e.g. good known VirtualDub) won't convert to this video codec, too. Windows contains many video codecs for different purposes. But it is not contains suitable video codecs installed by default. If you prefer to use not our codec, but something another, I recommend to use unofficial Microsoft MPEG4 which can be found in the Net. Also MJPEG. For preparing DVD we recommend to use only our PicturesToExe video codec.

It occurs because you use our own video codec to produce AVI file and it doesn't create real AVI file, but only link/bridge between PTE and player which opens this AVI file. We've prefered this way, because it save time on additional encoding and provides maximal quaility of video. But of course, you can choose another codec which will allow you to produce usual stand-alone AVI file, but it will has losses in quality if you will want to re-encode it into DVD.

Please don't worry about this little problem! We'll correct it soon.

I can suppose now that we will solve this problem with Ulead DVD MovieFactory2.

1) Sorry, it's simple visual bug. Will be corrected. 2) Please remind me your version of Windows and what video codec and exact audio codec you've selected?

Please try v4.20 beta #2a: http://www.wnsoft.com/beta/apr420b2a.zip Really we've fixed our bug and earlier some video editors didn't accept produced AVI file. E.g. Ulead MediaStudio shown too short length of the show. Now it is fixed. (Please unpack it and put apr.exe file into folder where you have installed copy of PicturesToExe)

PicturesToExe v4.20 beta #2a http://www.wnsoft.com/beta/apr420b2a.zip (Please unpack it and put apr.exe file into folder where you have installed copy of PicturesToExe) This small update probably may help, if produced AVI file was not recognized by some video encoders earlier.

Nero 6 doesn't support burning of DVD-Video disc from .mpg files without buying additional plug-in. As variant: TMpegEnc Plus ($48) + Nero 6 (if you already have it) + DVD-Video Plug-in for Nero 6 ($25).

It's impossible now to use Ulead DVD MovieFactory2 if you want to get smooth transitions and CORRECT DVD-Video disc. Unfortunately, as we've explored, this software doesn't recognize interlaced AVI files (and doesn't allow to set it manually) and creates DVD-Video in progressive format. Such disc plays OK on most of DVD players connected to TV, but transitions will not be smooth on playback on PC or on TV & DVD players with HDTV connection. However we recommend to use Ulead DVD MovieFactory2, if your presentation has only Fade in/out effect. And if you set DISABLED "Interlaced for TV" option in PicturesToExe | AVI dialog. (You can use and another effects, but they will look not so smooth without this option turned on). If you want to write really fully correct DVD-Video disc which has smooth transition effects (not only Fade in/out and all others), please use TMpegEnc Plus (the most popular encoder to MPEG2 format) and TMpegEnc DVD Author (it allows to create DVD menu and also burns the DVD-R/RW disc). But these two programs costs $100 (if buy them together). http://www.pegasys-inc.com In comparison to Ulead, TMpegEnc Plus allows to right assign DVD-format. In case of PTE's AVI files, you should to set "Interlaced" and "Bottom field first (Field " and it will produce absolutely correct DVD-Video disc with smooth transition effects. Also you can use any MPEG2 encoder which allows to set "Interlaced" option for the output DVD-Video disc. p.s. I'm very apologize that we found this unpleasant situation with Ulead DVD MovieFactory2 too late. We even fully supported special extended AVI2 format which marks produced AVI that it consists interlaced video frames, but Ulead DVD MovieFactory2 doesn't recognize this parameter and always produces DVD disc in non-interlaced format. I've contacted to Ulead and asked them to solve this problem. Another solutution: probably we will able to write our own MPEG2 encoder which solves this problem.

If you have TV and DVD players (both are *HDTV compatible*) which are linked via digital connection and burned presentation with *Ulead DVD MovieFactory2*, please let us know how it plays on your system. Probably it may require additional work from us to get best quality of image.

What's about another new features of v4.20 beta?

I don't recommend to prepare images in 720x576, because PTE renders in 768x576 for DVD and then DVD encoder reduces slide into 720x576. It requires special algorithm of proportions of DVD video format.

Try newest beta #2, please. If it won't help, I'll recreate and test this situation tomorrow. p.s. under WinXP all works great even with seven running instances of PTE.

If you presentation works in full screen mode, PicturesToExe renders slides as for 1024x768 (and it doesn't depends on real size of screen, you can have 800x600 on display, but PTE will render in 1024x768) and then fit them, into DVD-Video format. This 1024x768 gives the most best quality and details. If you set windowed size, it will use this resolution for rendering.

PicturesToExe v4.20 beta #2 http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr_beta.zip This beta improves stability and compatibility with various AVI to DVD/SVCD encoders.

Please try beta #2 which probably will solve this problem and let me know about result: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr_beta.zip

After many discussions, we've choosed the next way of work with AVI video output feature. It requires keep started PTE while you use AVI file and burn video disc. Of course, we could suggest you to use any available AVI codec on the market (e.g. DIVX - $39), but it requires to download and install this large codec, pay for it, long wait of encoding of AVI file, and finally losses in quality, especially of picture. Microsoft doesn't support MPEG4 format anymore. We've tried their ASF format (in using Media Player 9 and special utility ASF in AVI), but it had terrible quality and large size. (However, if you prefer, you are able download any possible video codec and use it with "Create custom AVI file" option. Which gives fully stand-alone AVI video file, but with much losses in quality). Also we couldn't write all frames uncompressed. In this case 60 minutes of presentation could take 60 GB of disc space! Of course, probably we could create own video codec with compression, but it's a long and arduous toil for many months and not guaranteed result. We prefered way when PTE renders frames on-the-fly it takes small disc space and gives NO losses in quality of picture. Also sound written as PCM audio stream without any compression, too.