Search the Community

Hi Everyone I am done with my slide shows for the year and made use of the pan/zoom as well as the MP4 output option for my Mac users. The following results are based on testing on multiple PC and Mac systems running various versions of OS. In the EXE version of shows the pan/zoom was not smooth at times but if I cut back on the amount of pan or zoom and really dropped back on the quality of the JPEG the usual EXE smoothness was achieved. You can get a good example of this starting at 0:030 in either version of the slide shows. The MP4 versions are disappointing. It seems no matter what pan/zoom settings or options I select in the MP4 creation menu, the pan/zooms are jerky. Furthermore, the latest show is exhibiting an odd artifact: after a high-speed rotation at 6:58, the images increasingly are showing a "paint" effect in their rendering not present in the EXE version and certainly not present in the original images. This effect is seen in the MP4 on both PC and Mac and in all three resolutions of the MP4 available in the creation menu. The shows are available on these links: EXE Version: http://www.friedbits.com/PhotoBits/Sailing/Snipe/2009Worlds/Slideshow/2009SnipeWorlds_v2_EXE.zip MP4 Version: http://www.friedbits.com/PhotoBits/Sailing/Snipe/2009Worlds/Slideshow/2009SnipeWorlds_v2_MP4.zip At this point I don't know what else to try or do. I'm not entirely happy with the pan/zoom performance but I can keep trying to work around it. The weird rendering effect in the MP4 makes it unusable and my Mac users are very vociferous.

Hello, By your help I can create avi-files of my slideshows. I wanted to do this because a friend has an Apple. And Aplle does not run exe-files. Now he has my avi-file. But when he try to run this, quicktime is started and tells him to download addons. Can anyone tell me what he has to download? Thank you.

Hi, I'm a brand new user of Pic2Exe. I have created EXE files with no problems, but every time I try to create an HD or AVI file, it only displays as a very small postage stamp size image in the upper left corner of Quick Time or Windows Media player or VLC. It plays fine in Windows Media Classic player. Anybody know what I'm doing wrong? Thanks!

Hi Everybody I wonder if anyone can help?I am a complete Beginner in Learning this software and wish to ask if it is possible to create a slideshow and save it as executable file(to maintain best quality)as selected from the create menu ,and then burn this file to dvd fom within Videobuilder.I wish to be able to play the slideshow on other pc`sand maintain the EXE quality.I cannot seem to find a option to do this any help would be greatly appreciated.Hope this makes sense. Thanks in Anticipation Oliker

I have been trying for weeks to make a DVD of a .pte slide show presentation. My first attempt, using video builder, produced tiny images of very poor quality. I thought the problem might be because I had set up the menu template wrongly – so I decided to burn an ISO Image from the “File” menu without using it. I then discovered that you can’t burn more than one track on a write only DVD. I therefore bought a re-writable DVD so I didn’t keep wasting DVDs but when I tried to burn it I got the message: “Runtime error – This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way. Please contact the application support team fro more information”. At this point the progamme locks and I have to exit using CTRL-ALT-DEL!!! Surely it can’t be this difficult to make a DVD. I have made all the images 1920x1080px and I think I have got all the rest of the show compatible. I have read (and re-read) the Help file but all it says is “It is important to note, that ISO image is a special file, which is used to run the project, which you burn on the disc, without this disc.” Not very helpful! I have tried to understand how one creates a disc using the Create menu and the template as described on pages 71 et seq. I am sorry to say that most of it is beyond me. For a start I do not understand why I need a template or what its purpose is. Why can’t I just make a DVD - can someone give me a step-by-step procedure that will simply make a DVD from my .pte file that will give me an HD image on my TV please?

Hello everyone, My wedding is tomorrow, and I am panicking. I purchased PicturestoEXE 5.6, and have created a long slideshow for myself and my bride. The problem is, the computer I created it on does not have a dvd burner, necessitating that I move the slideshow to another computer to burn to a disk. I am worried about doing this, however, because of the file paths that each slide is associated with (some of the images were from the PC's hard drive, some from an external hard drive). PLEASE TELL ME HOW I CAN DO THIS...I AM IN BIG TROUBLE IF I HAVE TO START AGAIN. Thanks in advance. Jonathan

In place of Burning DVD for my PTE slide shows and to view them on a TV , I would prefer to create a video file and transfer it on a Multimedia Hard disk connected to my TV But which file and how to do that ? I do not see how to use a avi file Do I need to create a video file for PC ( mp4 ) ? Is there a other method ? Can you help me ( I am using Video builder ) Excuse my bad English Nonno

Greetings, I am trying to use PTE's YouTube upload process in 5.6.4. The show is saved in 4:3. However, when I start the PTE process to upload the show to YouTube, I see that the top part of an image in the opening of the show is cut off a bit at the top. (Maybe this happens at the bottom too, but I didn't have a graphic down at the bottom). This happens with both the SD and the HD selection. I didn't continue with the process. When I created the show, I put everything within the "safe TV zone". Is this normal is do I have to move everything even more within the "safe TV zone"? Gary Added Later: I attached a Word file with the original image and the image as it looks in the PTE's YouTube upload process. YouTubeUpload.doc

Hi I am keen to add a short video sequence to a PTE Project. I searched the forum for this subject and could only find a comment by Lin Evans in 2007 basically saying NO. With all the updates since then is it now possble and if so how and what file extension should be saved.

Hi I seem to be having problems with my prefered effects setting being changed when I start to build an ISO image prior to burning a DVD. I am using version 5.6, (I never experienced a problem like this in 5.1 deluxe) when I play the slideshow in the small preview window, the effects are exactly as I want them, but as soon as I start a build, it reverts to fades. The default effect is 3D Swap, with the odd slide having a fade custom setting. Is there a setting somewhere that I am missing? Any help appreciated Allan

Hello, I just purchased PTE deluxe and I've spent 4-5 hours trying to burn DVD to play on TV with no solution. I've created my slide shows and gone through the whole process 3-4 times. The 1st time it said it completed burning DVD with 3.1 GB but there ws nothing on the DVD, the 2nd time I tried a smaller file 650mb and error saying "Runtime Error! Program burn.exe. This application has requested the runtime to terminate it in an unusual way. Please contact the application's support team for more information." I'm running windows XP SP3 with 4mb Ram & dual core processors. Device ID Name (DVD) is TSSTcorp DVD+-RW TS-H553A. I brought this program because it said it could burn video to dvd. I hope someone can help me with this. Thanks.

Hi I have searched the forum but can only find a comment by Lin Evans back in 2007 which was in the negative. So is it now possible to import a video sequence into Pte? If so how do I do it and what file extension should I save it in before trying to import it?

I have had an Epson R800 printer that can print on disks and was disappointed to find that when I moved the Vista, the printer driver had lost the ability to print on disks. I put a question on the Printers forum at dpreview.com and someone recommended the Discus program from Magic Mouse. I downloaded a trial (30 days - but prints "DEMO" on your disk!),found it worked with my R800 and offered a lot more, so I ordered it the same day. I was able to download a partial program that removed the "DEMO" but had to await for the program disk to arrive with all the artwork on it. It labels all sorts of media. I really like it. Think offering a disk with a beautiful image on it enhances the value of the slideshow. Here's a collage layout that is only one of the very mention options offered: Discus Work Screen Isabel

I want to put together a slideshow of pictures taken at 16:9 ratio. What are the best pixel dimensions to use for each image? Isabel

I think I am about to get my biggest PTE dissapointment?? I have PTE for awhile now but never used it. I have been using ProShow Producer for years. I purchased PTE tutorials from Beckham Digital to learn the program and many actions from the Dom and PanosFX. Yesterday I tried to make a slide show DVD only to find I had to upgrade to the Deluxe version ($34.00). I did that thinking this DVD would play in my DVD player conected to my HD Television. It does not work... I sent WnSoft an e-mail last night asking about this. I'm afraid of what the answer will be. The purpose for my upgrade was to watch these slide shows on my TV. When I put the disk in the player I get the following messages. (1) This disk cannot be played. (2) Playback prohibit by area limitations. I know someone on this forum has the answer so please let me know when you have the time.. Regards, Douglas

I have burnt a DVD with four PTE 5.6 AV's and they look fine on the TV except that the pictures seem to have expanded on the TV. An annoying effect of this is that titles and lettering that are on the outer edges of the pictures are cut off. What has gone wrong here ? Tom

I have been using PicturesTo Exe for years to create great slideshows. In the past I have created an AVI file and used Ulead DVD Movie Factory to create a DVD that I can view on my TV. My question is, what are these options in Pictures to Exe. 1) Export of HD Video - What does this do? How would I use it? 2) DVD video Disc - Is the the same process I am currently doing now with Ulead? Is it better quality? I only do still photos no video clips. Any help would be appreciated. Jason

I'm ready to rip my hair out. I just got married and my photographer told me to copy the DVD of proofs. Usually a simple thing to do but my hard drive crashed a week before the wedding. I had it replaced but ever since I can't burn DVDs by copying folders to the E drive. My duo stick won't even work in it. Is there another way to burn my wedding photos through dvd ?

What are reasonable expectations for the quality of DVDs made with P2E? One might expect a show to look better on a computer screen during development and not have the same quality when played on a TV DVD player. However, is the primary focus of P2E on making high quality exe's with a much lower of concern with DVDs? I would like to be able to make DVDs (non-HD at this point) that the folks watching enjoy without concerns about sharpness, brightness, and so on. Obviously slideshows on the computer monitor will most likely always look better; however, the folks that will watch my shows will typically not be using a computer. What are reasonable expectations? I assume that the best way to build shows that will be shown on someone else's Laptop/projector is to create exe's. I have been reading the discussions about resolution and am getting overloaded with information. Since one might not know the resolution of the projector, what is the "best" approach to make the exe look good (i.e., to get automatic resolution changes without loss of clarity or border shrinking)? A lot of the shows I have been watching have a single audio track throughout the slideshow. How difficult (if it is even possible) to have spoken narrative included for each slide along with background music (voice over music)? Also, can that background music be changed during the slideshow (and with what difficulty)? If all of this is possible, do examples (with source code) and tutorials with the audio features exist anywhere? Thanks

I have used the video builder every since it came out. Now when I try to make a video (DVD) from my last wedding, the dvd builder locks down and causes the computer to lock up. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks, Dennis

I'm using an Imac, Bootcamp and Windows XP SP2 is installed. The videocard is nVidia GT120. Windows XP SP2 is a fresh install with updating. Only service pack 3 isn't installed (own choice). By creating an 720p MPEG4 file, at the end of the processus (rendering) a file of 0 bytes is saved. What is missing here? Codec? Many thanks for a hint! Regards,

I have been experiencing some strange burn problems with Video Builder 5.6. These problems occur using a Dell Inspiron 9200 laptop and an Apacer CP300 Disc Steno running the latter as an external USB DVD drive with Sony DVD+R discs. (I am entirely unable to use the laptop’s NEC 6500A DVD+-RW drive with either DVD-R or DVD+R discs and Video Builder; that drive persists in returning burn.exe errors with all the projects described below.) The system is running Windows XP Home with SP2 on 1 GB RAM and an Intel Centrino 2 Ghz chip. First I tried to produce an 8-show, 4.02 GB roughly 80-minute DVD project. This returned burn errors no matter what I did with it, and the DVD is unreadable; this happened with both the NEC and the Apacer drive. I then tried to produce a DVD with just one of the 8 shows, about 6 minutes long, using the same background and menu design (but with only the single show). That works fine on DVD+R with the Apacer drive. I produced a second DVD with three shows not on the first project; that also works fine on a DVD+R in the Apacer drive (total run time just under 14 minutes). A third DVD attempt uses the first four shows of the 8-show project; these are somewhat long shows totally 49 minutes, a 2.49 GB project. Video Builder ran through the project, and the Apacer drive lit up. At about 55% completion, Video Builder returned a burn error (not a burn.exe error, just an error box saying there was a burn error). However, and this is most puzzling, the DVD+R (from the Apacer drive) does in fact play back. I can see all four shows, and I can launch each of them and they appear to run OK. (I haven’t played through all four, but they launch and exit normally on the DVD player). These play back fine using Dell Media Experience with my NEC laptop drive; they also play back on my two Toshiba DVD players connected to different TV sets. This four-show project was created by opening the original eight-show project and removing shows 5-8 from the play list, then re-saving the project to a new name. Hence, it is identical to the first part of the eight-show project; as far as I recall I didn’t change anything in the project options or the menu layout when creating the four-show project. I can continue experimenting with the big 8-show project, cutting back one show at a time until the problem goes away, to try to isolate what the size (or maybe show) problem is, but that would be very time-consuming. I thought I’d try this forum post first. The eight shows all were created in PTE but some in earlier versions than 5.6. However, following a recommendation I read on another thread, I opened each of the PTE projects in 5.6 (actually 5.6.4) and re-saved the PTE project file in 5.6. It is the re-saved versions that I have been using in all the PTV projects described above. I don’t think the PTE version used to create the show originally is a factor in my problems; the three shows on the three-show project all were originally created in PTE 4.x (not sure which version now, but it was in late 2005 when I did the originals). Three of the four shows on the four-show project were done in 5.6, the other in 5.5. The other four shows on the eight-show project were in 5.6 or 4.x, varying. I am attaching below the PTV files for the one, three, four, and eight-show versions that I tried. (SORRY INVISION IS TELLING ME IT WON'T ACCEPT PVI FILES SO I CAN'T POST THEM; READ MY SUMMARY OF THE SETTINGS NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THIS PARAGRAPH) It’s the eight-show version that returns the burn.exe error and an unreadable DVD; the other versions work (only when created on the Apacer drive, though) but as mentioned above the four-show version gave a burn error message though the DVD still plays back OK. As I hope you can see in the PTV files, all the projects used a 2x1 layout for the PTE projects in the menu, with a background image (except for the 3-show project which uses one of the templates as a background), the 10-second default for the menu, no music and no animation on the menu, and a single frame selected for the thumbnail on each PTE project. All the PTE projects in all the Video Builder projects were created on the same computer as the PTV projects. All burn attempts involved setting the “Burn DVD” option for 4.7 GB and the slowest speed available on the drop-down menu (4x on the Apacer drive, 1x on the NEC drive). My laptop and NEC drive have no trouble with PTE shows on their own, either as EXE files or run within the PTE 5.6 interface as a Preview. The NEC drive does have some peculiarities. It’s no longer made, though I do have the most recent driver for it. It will burn EXE and other non-Video-Builder files as data discs to 1-8x DVD-Rs and 1-16x DVD+Rs but not to 1-16x DVD-Rs which it refuses to recognize ... hence my decision to try (successfully) the Apacer drive as an alternative. The Apacer, which I originally bought for burning files from flash cards while traveling, is the only external DVD drive available to me, but fortunately it worked. With both drives, I set the burn speed to the slowest listed on the drop-down menu in Video Builder. I did have Video Builder generate ISO and VBO backup files for all projects, but I am unable to get the ISO files for the 8-show project to work with imgburn.exe and my NEC drive, and the VBO process with imgburn destroys the menu structure and is therefore unacceptable to me, though the NEC drive did produce an eight-project DVD-R from that process that my Toshiba players could read (but without the menu, all I seem to get is an automatic launch of the whole program from the beginning of the first show, with no option for selecting a later show to play alone, as far as I could see). So, given all the above, I have two questions. First, why am I able to play the third DVD even though I got the burn error message? It seems to run OK. Second, regarding the full 8-show project – is there a size limit (obviously less than the full size of the DVD) beyond which Video Builder won’t run the project properly? Does this vary by system characteristics? Has anyone else run into this problem? (Sorry, that’s three questions.) Any ideas on what is going on here would be much appreciated. Though I’m certainly no newcomer to PTE, these are my first attempts with Video Builder. So maybe I’m overlooking something basic (hence my posting of the pvi files), but I don’t think so, given that two of my attempts worked flawlessly and a third works in spite of an error message.

The quality of DVDs produced via PTE and Video Builder are very poor quality. Not necessarily in definition (that seams to be OK) but in contrast as all the examples I have tried seam over bright with most highlights burnt out. I have also tried to 'Create' a AVI file using the "HD Video for PC" option but this drops to the task bar and does nothing, even when left for hours! Has anyone else experienced this or found a work-around?

Could anyone tell me if there is a way of forcing pte 5.6 to 'reconnect' missing files if the 'pictures not found' message comes up when the project opens? or can this be manually done by browsing for the new location and telling the program to reconnect. Like in elements organizer?}

Hi A couple of years ago I purchased the update to PTE De Luxe to enable the use of VideoBuilder and have been more than happy with its performance. However, my two year licence has just expired and I am now wondering whether to extend this licence or not. The problem I have is that PTE and VideoBuilder require two separate licences, which is fine, yet they are integrated as a single piece of software called PTE De Luxe. As a result it seems impossible to tell whether VideoBuilder has been (or ever will be) updated as if the interface is opened there is no indication of its version. Why isn't VideoBuilder provided as a separate piece of software (or PTE Plug-in) with some history as to its version and development?