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I never have had any problems at all generating .exe's, and now for the very first time, I need to make an HD .mp4 out of my slideshow. Without fail, I can successfully generate an .mp4 at the standard preset "HD (1920 x 1080) High Quality" setting. It works, and the resulting file plays fine. However, if I customize the output to do single pass at 24000 bit rate, it completes the process, but the resulting file quits playing (in all 3 software players I've tried) just about halfway through the file. The file size, however, looks to be just as big as it should be. And if I customize the output to do two passes at 24000 bit rate (or even 17000 bit rate I think I tried once), the process goes to completion, but I either end up with a video that quits halfway, or occasionally a 0 byte file. What the heck is going on? I'm about to tear my hair out, I've done this so many times. And I've tried a couple different slideshows as well. At first, I thought using the 7.0 beta was the problem, but I reverted to 6.5 and have the same issues. One time, I deleted most of my 200+ slides and tried two passes at 24000, with only 3 or 4 slides in the show, and I think that did actually work. There's just got to be a bug here. The only other logical thing for me to try is installing on a different machine (not that I know why that would matter), but I don't have the ability to do that at the moment. Any ideas? Thanks!

Bonjour, Je suis fan de PTE pour la grande qualité du rendu, les multiples possibilités et je salue toute l'équipe du développement (Igor et toute son équipe) pour leur fabuleux travail. Je voudrais creer un DVD et ajouter la même vidéo en format MP4 ( meilleur qualité) pour permettre aux heureux possesseurs de lecteurs compatible de bénéficier de la meilleur qualité possible. Apres de multiples essais il semble que VideoBuilder n'accpte pas de joindre les fichiers MP4 au DVD. Existe-t-il un process particulier pour cela? Merci par avance pour vos réponses. cordialement, Gilbert83

I have made my first edited video, all of two minutes long (1'56). The idea was to drop it into PTE De Luxe 7.0 Beta 1 and play it as an exe. file inserted between the usual still images. For some reason when I use PTE to go to find my video (which is stored currently both on the desk top and on an external drive), PTE will recognise either still images and the original movie clips but not the saved video file (MPEG 2 as recommended by Lin). Can anyone tell me why this is and how to find and insert the video file?

I am using PTE v.6.5 with Video Builder de lux to make a DVD for playing on the TV. Going through the Project Options of the Builder can you tell me please what you set up to get a full screen picture 16.9 automatically on the TV. What I get at the moment from a DVD made in Video Builder is a 16.9 Title and then the images in the sequence are much smaller unless I adjust the TV Aspect to Zoom 2 which I feel should be on 16.9 too. Thanks in advance. John

O.K. - not intended as a work of "art" or even an interesting slideshow - just done to demonstrate the ease of using a video in the background with still images in the foreground. Essentially, you set the video on slide one to the master and copy and paste it as many times as you have still slides. Each of the secondary videos is set as "linked". Then you determine the run time for the video in seconds (assuming you want to use it all) and divide by the number of still slides to get the time to set each video and each still slide. This means you "change" the run time of the video on each slide to this "portion" of the total time that the individual still slide will occupy. You can manipulate the still slides just as you would in any slide show with opacity, 3D transforms, rotation, PZR effects, etc. I just threw in a few assorted opacity and 3D transforms for examples. It may take you a little time to do the calculations but the possibilities are very great. Though I didn't use still slides as the background with a running video it is actually easier to do that way. Just a sample folks - not a "production"..... http://www.learntoma...kgrounddemo.zip (about 23 meg) Best regards, Lin

Can anyone help please, i have just purchased PtE 6.5 delux version, and when i go to burn to DVD via Video Burner, each time it asks for my key, which is acknowledges is OK. But then the DVD slideshow has a disclaimer running across the bottom saying "this is from a trial version". I have loaded and reloaded the programme with the same useless result each time Ant idea how to get out of this? regards

Hello I have recently moved alot of my old PTE slideshows along with their accompanying images (which I am always careful to keep together in a purpose made folder) onto an external harddrive. I now want to recreate the slideshow and burn it to a DVD disc with Video Builder deluxe. The slideshow has found all the images and music and previews fine but when I go into the video software it cant find the images even thouigh I have carfelully navigated to the place on the external drive where my slidshow now is!! Can anyone suggest a reason why??? I am at a loss as to how to now create a DVD video of my slideshow. Thanks Joy

Putting together disparate elements including stills, video, animated gif, and sound to create a quick and dirty sample which could give rise to ideas for more serious applications in the future.... http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/wolf/wolfstorm.zip (about 35 meg - zipped pc executable) http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/wolf/index.htm (800x600 video) Suggest starting show, then immediately pause and let it buffer to about three inches of "blue gas gauge" the restart to avoid pauses. Unfortunately, I do not yet have the ability to preload - hopefully I've talked Xara into incorporating a preload on the next version of Xara Web Designer 6. Best regards, Lin

Hi. I'm not a user but I am trying to remotely talk someone through getting their slideshows online to be viewed. They are making projects OK, outputting to EXE. I've looked through the user guide and thought this will be easy, just output direct to youtube, simples. But as they are a pro tog, they are doing all the image editing and slideshow creation on a PC with no web access, for fear of virus causing loss of images, which is their livelihood. They have PicturesToEXE 6.0.4 standard edition (though I note the about screen screengrab says Free lifetime upgrades-is that worth doing?) Can it produce easily (easily to explain over email) videos for youtube they can burn to CD and then upload online? Cheers.

I have been trying for some time to burn a DVD-Video using "Create/DVD Video Disc" on PTE 6.5.7.. I have not had a problem before but it is a few months since I did one. The process continues and starts the burn process which last for a couple of seconds and then "hangs" with a "runtime error"" coming up after a couple of minutes followed by an error window suggesting lower speed of burning or burning an iso file from different software. The reducing speed does not work but using Imgburn to burn the iso file does. However I am not sure that the iso file is as good a quality. Further, if I am at the computer when the system hangs and click on some folders -say Start/Documents before the runtime error comes up, then this seem to jerk the system into action and it completes the burn satisfactorily. As the discs I eventually want to burn will take some time going through the process, I don't want to have to be at the computer all the time to catch it at the right moment. I have tried all the obvious things - resetting, re-installing, drivers, etc, etc so has anyone any ideas or if you would confirm the iso are as good a quality, then I will stick with that. Thanks

Apologies - I found it quite difficult to express this problem in a few words for the topic title. In making a DVD with Video Builder, I initially had the captions under each menu picture in the default font. I changed the font of each to my preferred font (Comic Sans MS). The screen showing my menu thereafter showed the captions in my desired font ... but with a blackish image underneath, which I think was left over from the previous font. Even after saving and later reopening the ptv file, the bad image was still present. I suspected it was time to do Accessories / System Tools / Cleanup, so I did that. Trouble is, (a) sure, the bad image has gone ... but ( my font changes have been lost. Could there perhaps be a need to store the menu details in a more permanent place? Or have I done something wrong? Ken T. (APLman)

There's a possibility that I might get asked in the near future to produce a sequence in the form that will run on an iPod. I know PTE is capable of this. But, as I don't possess an iPod, I don't know what the limitations of the technology will be. Is it possible to set the iPod/PTE sequence such that it can be paused/resumed during playback on the iPod? In an EXE file there are several ways to do this. But on the iPod??? Hoping someone can help. Peter

I have had PicturesToExe. for a few years. Today I wanted to make a dvd for playback on the TV and I got the error message saying that I needed to download PicturesToExe Deluxe 6.5. I bought and downloaded the upgrade. However the process to makng the DVD locks up part way through, and I have treid many times with the same result. I have tried rebooting the computer, making a new saved show, but nothing is helping.

Hi guys, I could use some help understanding how to use PTE to create the best video output for computer (not DVD). I was able to create the introduction to my slideshow but as I tried to use the video outputs, the quality was really bad (compared to the original EXE). Here is the original EXE file (19MB): https://swa.sharefile.com/d/sc780202ba3240219 And here is the MP4 (29MB) file from the option "Publish on Youtube" and "Keep converted file": https://swa.sharefile.com/d/s6ae8b1b73294e82b As you can see, the MP4 is very rough, and actually in Youtube it shows only as 240p (though I did select the HD Quality 1080p). Maybe thats because I am using the VideoBuilder trial? I am not sure. In any case, I can't make the AVI option work to compare to the MP4 output, and I am not even sure I have the proper Audio / Video codecs selected for this task (it gives me an error and a 0kb file is created). Here are the Audio Codec available: - No Compression (PVM) - IMA ADPCM - Microsoft ADPCM - CCITT - GSM 6.10 - DSP Group TrueSpeech - Microsoft G.723.1 - Windows Media Audio V1 / V2 - ACELP.net - IAC2 - MPEG Layer-3 <--- this is the one I had tried For Video Codecs, I have these options: - Cinepak Codec by Radius - Intel 4:20 Video V2.50 - Intel Indeo Video R3.2 - Intel Indeo Video 4.5 - Intel IYUV Codec - Microsoft RLE - Microsoft Video 1 - Microsoft H.263 Video Codec - Microsoft H.261 Video Codec - Indeo Video 5.10 - PictureToExe Video Codec - Full Frames (Uncompressed) So which combination would give me the best AVI quality? I would like to try any combination you guys recommend and compare to the MP4 and understand what is going on. Thanks in advance, BB

Can I or how can I create an .avi file that I can send to my son who wants to play it through his media system. "Create avi" seems only to create a file for putting on a DVD. It creates a file but deletes it once you click on finished - or is there another way. Not too technical please.

I am failing to get any video output from P2E/VB on my Windows XP laptop though I can make a standard DVD from the P2E projects. The VB operation runs reporting 0 fps and the file produced is zero length. After failing with previous projects, I created a new project with just 2 pictures and set it up according to ronniebootwest's tutorial. Doing the same operation on a new Windows 7 desktop works perfectly so I conclude there is nothing wrong with the downloaded latest version or activation codes. The laptop has Intel core 2 duo T2700 2 Ghz processor, ATI X1600 128Mb graphics, 3Gb memory, fully updated XP. I have Norton 2011 suite but Sonar is switched off and I tried it with AV and Firewall off and there are no relevent reports in its log. I tried removing P2E as I had updated from a previous version and re-installing it. There is plenty disc space. HD files produced on the desktop play OK on the laptop via Quicktime but not Windows Media Player. Is there something missing ?

One of the problems with our newer technology is that Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, has decided to boycott Flash. What does this mean to you if you display your videos on your own website? It simply means that those who visit your site with an iPod or iPad, etc., which doesn't run Flash, will not be able to see your shows..... There is a solution now from Josh Anderson, who introduced the "Transparent Player" a while back. I commented on it then and am happy to report that there have been significant improvements to an already fine product. Now, when a visitor using an iPod or iPad, etc., comes to your website, your Flash slideshows can automatically be detected and played for them by a fallback to HTML5 which is included in the really neat little Transparent Player Josh sells. You can read all about it here: http://transparentplayer.com/ I think this offers the best overall solution at this time for those wanting to provide availability of their slideshows for everyone..... Best regards, Lin

Need some help! I just realized my recent update Version 6.5.7 has the following status under HELP > ABOUT: Licensed to: BB (Deluxe Version) Standard Features: Free Lifetime upgrades Deluxe features: not available Maybe thats the reason I am getting a banner on my videos! I went to help file to figure out what was going on and page 8 of the PDF states that for previous users, you could have the VB for two years. Does that mean I need another key? I uploaded this version 6.5.7 and used my key (version 2.2 or 2.4) and it does not automatically gives me the VB option. Whats the procedure? Thanks, BB

Hi guys, I would like to try the video output feature for the first time but I have a very basic question: what is the ideal pixel quantity for each video quality? For instance, if I plan on using HD720, is 720 pixel enough? I have my photos on LR catalogs and shot at 14MP (4288 x 2848) and these files are huge, and I can easily export them at 720 pixel. Would the result be the same? Is this a good idea or am I missing something important? Is there any good guides explaining how to prepare photos and what is the ideal resolution for each video type? Thanks in advance, BB

Dear Forum Fellows, 1. As far as I can see, this "PTE" Forum is the one people pay greater attention. The "Video Output Forum" seams the poor parent people don't care of... Look to last new Topic post by Powelly, dated Jan 09, zero replies! And this is a subject that I am now urging some kind of help, that's why I am posting here, in the PTE Forum, where replies use to be fast and very helpfull! 2. Eventual replies to Powelly question could help me as well, nobody knows, but my particular point is as follows: 3. Finishing my PTE projects, I mainly have in mind NOT to make EXE files to be seen on computers, but to burn DVDs instead, to offer to my family members and friends. This is what I made in the past, using the PTE built HD MP4 (H.264) file with which I burn DVDs by means of adequate software. I use to make such MP4 files using the BEST QUALITY parameters (video bitrate 16000 kbps, 2 pass) and results are good considering it is a DVD (720x576 resolution). 4. However, I am now entering the HD world and I want to burn BLU-RAY discs. I have already made some with good results, using same MP4 files with same parameters (even reaching the MAXIMUM PTE video bitrate AVAILABLE which is 24000 kbps). As I said, results are not so bad, they are good, but I AM SURE "RESULTS/IMAGE QUALITY" CAN BE MUCH BETTER. 5. The point is that maximum video bitrate 24000 kbps is not enough to assure PERFECT and SMOOTH image in cases like faster pans or sudden slide changes, mainly when "second" slide is moving faster (pan with zoom, for example). I already verified lots of such situations and here results are really bad, image flickers (stop and go). 6. It's not a surprise to verify such errors when seen on computer (it depends of computer performance and mine is not a top one, not so bad anyhow...) but it is really a surprise to see such errors in final BLU-RAY disc. BLU-RAY "runs" video bitrate till a maximum 40000 kbps, so, THE PROBLEM IS IN THE ORIGINAL FILE (the MP4 made at 24000 kbps). 7. In case I am thinking well, it seems to me that I must FIND A BETTER ORIGINAL FILE to be used to burn a BLU-RAY disc. 8. So, which is the very best quality file I can make of my PTE project, no matter the size, no matter the time it takes to build. Which file, which parameters? 9. I already tried to make (in PTE) an AVI custom file 1920x1080 using video codec "x264vfw" (as indicated in Output Video Forum), which seems to create a virtual AVI file (!) but I must say I am completely lost! When configuring this codec parameters I want to use multiple pass option, but how? I tried to make a first pass at 30000 kbps. OK, file is created... at 1536 kbps!!! How is that? Then what? How to make second pass at 35000 kbps, for example? And second/final pass is still a virtual one? How to use in NERO VISION 10 which is my software to burn BLU-RAY discs? It doesn't accept virtual things, only real MP4, AVI, etc.. 10. Please, could someone help me (and Powelly...!) to solve this IMPORTANT problem? After all, I only want to make a BLU-RAY with SAME QUALITY as I get in my computer when I preview PTE project, WITHOUT own errors of my computer. Is this possible? I hope so, as PTE own VERY HIGH IMAGE QUALITY can not be lost when changed to BLU-RAY discs, it would be a very big damage. 11. For sure this post will be moved to Video Output Forum, no problem, but I hope that in the meantime I can get my help (as well as Powelly...) Thanks in advance, Jose

This topic has been touched on in previous topics but if some one could clarify the best options and work flow for a blu ray disc. When outputting the show is it best to save temporary avi files or create MP 4 files. In other words is one better quality than the other. If creating an avi file should you tick the Interlaced Video? Is it best to create a custom avi file I am using a size of 1920x1080 - which is the best fps rate? Do I use the PTE codec or a different codec? If creating an MP4 file - 1920 x 1080 again what is the best fps rate - mode One Pass - Quality 100? My operating system is Windows 7 - I have been using Ashampoo Burning Studio 10 for creating a menu and burning. What other choices of software? It would be very helpful to hear from other users their preferences and experiences. Lots of questions if someone can help I think it would be a big help to a lot of members. Thank you, Powelly

I have created one simple slideshow with one single image and created MP4 files, no sound. All MP4 files where created in 1920x1080, lenth of the show is always 34 seconds Here are some observations regarding size and quality that I have found: Version 1: small (Zoom 50%) still image without fade-in/out Settings: high quality, 30p Size: 1,7 MB Version 2: small (Zoom 50%) still image with 1,5 sec fade-in/out Settings: high quality, 30p Size: 17,3 MB Conclusion: compression does an impressive job, when nothing is changing on the screen (just kidding, but now move on to the [maybe] more interesting samples) Version 3: image (Zoom 100%, full-screen) floating from left to right over 30 seconds with fade-in/out Settings 1: quality 100%, 30p Size: 15,6 MB (why this is smaller than Version 2 with the non moving image I can't explain) Settings 2: quality 100%, 60p Size: 31,3 MB Settings 3: quality 60%, 60p Size: 9,1 MB Settings 4: quality 30%, 60p Size: 4,5 MB Quality observations: 60p delivers smoother animations than 30p (may depend on output medium), quality 60% with 60p delivers smoother animations than 30p without noticeble loss of picture quality and smaller files, quality 30% with 60p delivers smoother animations than 30p but with minor noticeble loss of picture quality and very small files. Seems that I will use 60p with 60% quality setting (and somtimes when size is crucial 30% quality) when creating MP4s from now on. Regards, Frank

When I compare the quality of my exe-files of slideshows with HD video output of same shows, I notice there is a loss of sharpness. Does anybody know how this can be amended? What I want is HD Video output which has EXCACTLY the same quality as the exe-file. File size or output medium are not important, only the quality is. My slide shows are 4:3 made on a 1024x768 screen. Picture size is 850x564px with black borders all around. No zooming and no panning used. As output formats I have used several of the codecs under the AVI option button, and options under the HD Video output button: 1280x720 high quality and 1920x1080 high quality. Neither option I have used thus far (not even the uncompressed codec under the AVI option button) offer a picture quality which is similar to that of the exe-file. When I make a slideshow in Magix videodeluxe 17HD, the quality of the pictures (i.e. sharpness and color) remains exactly the same; in PTE it does not. I hope someone can shed some light on this. Any help would be much appreciated! Kind regards, Frans

I've treated myself to a Samsung LE32C650 TV set for Christmas. It has a built-in USB port that supports H.264 codec MP4 files. So I'm experimenting with PTE's "Create HD Video for PC and Mac". The playback quality is stunning. It's going to be much easier to bore my friends with my slide shows now! However, there doesn't seem to be any obvious logic behind the final video file size. Let me use two sequences as examples: Rubik's Cube - all images are 1920x1080, the duration is 143 seconds, the soundtrack is MP3 encoded at 256kbps (These values are taken from the PTE project file and the MP3 file's Properties tab) Rievaulx Abbey - all images are 1920x1080, the duration is 133 seconds, the soundtrack is MP3 encoded at 128Kbps (These values also taken as above) When both sequences are rendered using Presets of: HD (1920x1080),Medium Quality, Pan & Scan Enabled, the sizes are: Rubik's Cube video file = 38752KB Rievaulx Abbey video file = 75352KB The shorter sequence, which uses a lower grade MP3 file is almost twice the size of the longer one! What's going on? My limited understanding of video files is that a frame of 1920x1080 pixels should require the same number of bytes irrespective of its content. Am I wrong in this? The calculation of video file size should then be: (no. of bytes per frame x frames per second x seconds duration) + size of MP3 file. Is this right? Or have I over-simplified things? I'd welcome some words of wisdom. regards, Peter

Solution sought --------------- I have been using PicturesToExe for many years and have kept up with each new version. I have just downloaded the upgrade to 6.5.5 and payed the appropriate fee. I received the email with the new upgrade key and found I could open 6.5.5. without being asked to activate it. When I opened VideoBuilder I was asked to enter the key so cut and pasted it as instructed. I received an acknowledgement that the activation had been successful. I then completed a new project successfully and wanted to bun a DVD. When I clicked on 'Create' followed by 'DVD Video disk' nothing much happened. The curser changed into the revolving circle for a few seconds and then disappeared and no new window opened. I tried this several times with the same result. I check the 'About PicturesToExe' in the Help Tab and this confired that I had 6.5.5. installed and had a Free Lifetime upgrade of 'Standard Features' and a Free upgrade of deluxe features until 3rd December 2012. My PC is a high spec Windows 7 (64 bit) system with an uptodate DVD/Bluray burner. Can anyone suggest a solution to this problem please? Regards John Eaton