davegee

Like Paul, I was of the opinion that to run a MENU show which calls up other slideshows the option TURNING OFF Hardware Acceleration for the MENU show was necessary. There were many posts which recommended this some time ago. Can anyone explain (in simple terms) what, if anything, has changed and now makes this step unnecessary? DG

If you develop a system based on TEMPLATES you could possibly save yourself a lot of work. Saving a Template at the end of a session creates a Template Folder which contains all images etc used up to the point of saving. Once created it can be overwritten and remain in the one location. The next time that you work on it (and SAVE) it will add any new images to the Template Folder. Your system sounds nice but the percieved wisdom in this forum is to keep everything related to a project IN ONE FOLDER. DG

OK Xaver, I think that I understand a little better what you are trying to explain. Interesting. DG

Gentlemen, If you were viewing your JPEG in CS4 (on your computer monitor) and you were not able to distinguish between the various shades of Gray, what would you do? You would calibrate your monitor and not complain to Adobe. Each of the inputs on your TVs will (should) have independent Picture Controls. I have different controls for Mode (Standard), Backlight, Brightness, Contrast and Colour for each of the inputs on my TV. So, therefore I can have different settings for viewing Satelite TV via HDMI and Terrestrial TV via normal Aerial input and also for the USB input. Getting the picture to your satisfaction on one of the inputs does not necessarily mean that all inputs will give the same satisfactory picture. I spent some time on my TV when it was new setting up these different inputs to give a satisfactory picture on each of the different inputs and found that for viewing pictures (JPEGs) and MPEG4 video required slightly different Picture Settings to the other inputs - just as the HDMI input needed different settings to the Terrestrial input. The test that you suggested was a good way of proving that clipping was not occuring at either end of the scale and I can see the difference between zero and 8 just as I can see the difference between pure white and the next step down WITH MY SETTINGS in place. Another comparison which I have done is to play the same PTE show into the TV firstly as an EXE from my Laptop via HDMI and then from the USB key as an MPEG4 and I can see no difference whatsoever in the shadows or highlights. I intend to try your gray patches test at the first possible opportunity. DG

Peter, I have e-mailed you and attached my JPEG. I couldn't find a way of doing it via the forum. DG

Xaver, Interesting test!! I tried it on my Sony and found that whilst the Zero and 8 readings were very close there was a clear difference between all of the patches. I also included the opposite end of the scale i.e. 100 downwards and the differences between all patches were VERY clearly seen. I deduce from this that H.264 is adequate (for me) and that you might possibly look at the settings of your TV? DG

OK, then I'll offer you a suggestion. Instead of using a "preset" why not use the CUSTOM setting and make sure that everything is IDENTICAL in both of the shows that you are converting? Also, why not try creating the MP3 files at the same Bit Rate - get rid of any anomalies and then compare the two versions? DG

Peter, As you know I have been using this method (USB) for some time now and whilst I can't offer any words of wisdom I can give an example of one of the shows on my 16Gb USB Memory Key. Time = 10m 35s Resolution = 1920x1080 MP3 file = 9.7Mb at 128kbps Video details: 1920x1080 / 24fps / 2 Passes Bitrate / Bitrate = 10000 Final MPEG4 size = 769Mb Quality = SUPERB. I have also been using my Sony TV's Media Centre for playback of MP3s and JPEGs. The slideshow function is basic compared to PTE but allows for reviewing of images for family consumption. B+W JPEGs just JUMP out at you! DG

You can use Sow Down (or any other) if you go into Setting Up and click on SEPARATE HERE for each of the intermediate keypoints. DG

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/order.htm (Upgrades for Existing Users of PicturesToExe) DG

Xmas 2011 will be quite early then? Great news!! DG

Hi John, The last stage in the PTE process gives you the option to "Create ISO". The ISO is the contents of a DVD in one package which you can burn to the DVD later. Turn all other options OFF and create the ISO at a known location on your HD. Generally speaking, if the ISO can be created successfully on the HD, any problems experienced later are not the fault of PTE but your burner, discs, player etc. That's my experience. After creating the ISO, I just double click on it and the correct "Burn Image" module in ROXIO 8 appears and does the burning for me. There is also something which can play the ISO file which I never got around to trying - "Virtual DVD Player" or similarly titled. I think it might have been KEN who mentioned it - perhaps he would be kind enough to do so again? DG

burn iso first - then burn dvd!

One way would be to set ONE slide up the way you want it and copy as many times as necessary. The go into O&A / Properties and change the Image each time (in each slide) to the ones that you want. DG

Works with XP and Vista (...and 6.5.4). DG

8fps is 125ms per frame. 900ms is slow motion? DG

Ken, The 6.0 Reg.txt should still work with 6.5 for the basic package. Don't you get that with 6.5? DG

Congratulations Igor and team. I remember the change to INVISION - I can't remember how long I was involved before that! DG

Snapshot: With the screen looking the way you want hit the PRINT SCREEN button. Open Photoshop and click on FILE/NEW Resolution will be set automatically. Click on EDIT/PASTE to add the Print Screen. Crop and/or Save As JPEG and add to your reply as ATTACHMENT. USE ADD REPLY - not REPLY. Please include full screen O&A to show the WHOLE "picture". DG

I have always found this to be difficult to achieve retrospectively. If you highlight and COPY all of the existing objects and PASTE to a newly inserted FRAME does that help? (You then delete originals if it works!). If you then alter the frame ZOOM percentage to 89% it will apply to everything below. I still think it best that your Border be added as a PNG AFTERWARDS. DG

You don't have to use a Mask Container to create an External Border. Simply put a PNG file at the top of your layers in every slide and you will be looking THROUGH it at the underlying images. You haven't quoted any resolution figures so here's a general example. If your show is being made at 1024x768 and you want to have a 100 pixels border then your PNG file, made in PS, will be 1024x768 with a 924x668 cutout in the middle to create the hole. Save as a PNG in "Save For The Web" and add as an Object to ALL slides in O&A at the "top of the stack". This simplifies all of the calcs on the underlying layers.

I'd like to clarify something which MIGHT be relevant (might not!). If you are using OUTLOOK or OUTLOOK Express to access your mail then it is POSSIBLE that your e-mail provider has already filtered out any and ALL *spam* messages before you download your "real" mail. I usually access my web-mail and filter out (delete) any unwanted e-mails (even though they are not necessarily *SPAM*) before downloading the ones I actually WANT onto my computer. I can also check the JUNK mailbox at this location to see if any e-mails have found their way in there inadvertently. If you are already collecting your e-mail via "web mail" please ignore the above and read on....... DG

People here have been quoting 48 hours lately but in the meanwhile please check your JUNK e-mail - it is possible, because of the nature of the e-mail, that it has inadvertently gone in there. As soon as KEN picks this up I'm sure he will make representations for you. Igor is also online. DG

The way I understood it was (briefly) if you buy PTE DeLuxe 6.5.5 today and NEVER EVER upgrade it to a future version then the whole package will work "forever". If, however you upgrade to a NEW VERSION (of VIDEOBUILDER) after the two year period then a new payment to upgrade the VIDEO BUILDER portion is required. Correct or not? DG

I think that what you ought to do is start a COMPLETELY new show by transferring (COPYING) the MP3 and one or two images to a new project folder. In a NEW PROJECT!!!: Add the images to the slides. Add the music via PROJECT OPTIONS / MUSIC. Tick SYNCH MUSIC and try the PREVIEW. If it works OK then you are home and dry - it's not the music. I think that you have (inadvertently) added music to your project in more than one place and by more than one method. DG