Funeral home - special thumb drive?

[tdew]

Hi all, A family member has died and I want to do the memorial slide show. I called the funeral parlor to see if they have a set up that can be used. The man told me that they have a large screen but that they have an agreement with an individual. They collect the pictures and pass them along to him. He brings a DVD and a special thumb drive that he inserts into the screen before playing the dvd.

They also have two TVs that would be available to me, so it doesn't sound like they have an exclusive agreement with this individual. Just wondering if anyone knows what this special thumb drive might be?

[lennyman]

I think that a thumb drive is another description of a USB memory stick. Not sure how it would be plugged into a screen as it would normally plug into a USB port on a Pc/laptop/Tv/DVD player
David

[tdew]

Yes, I understand what a thumb drive is but this is evidently something specific to this screen set up. It may be that it holds the program that the guy uses to run the slide show. The man I spoke to was really unsure about what it does. I asked here in case there is something commonly used for funeral home presentations that others might know of. I know there are big outfits that are working to get many funeral homes to use the same company for the memorials.

I do have a special thumb drive that is used to operate a Kodak scanner. Unless it is inserted in the computer the program doesn't work. It could be something like that.

[heckydog]

I do have a special thumb drive that is used to operate a Kodak scanner. Unless it is inserted in the computer the program doesn't work. It could be something like that.

That's called a dongle. You don't see it used a lot these days but maybe that person has older software that requires it. Or they're trying to make it harder for someone else to compete with them.

Joe

[debngar]

FYI - I've used a simple thumb drive to load a px show file onto another computer along with the presenter so it can play via that computer's internal HD. Worked well and there was nothing special about the device. But it's always good to test before the big event. Sometimes screen size/aspect needs some tweaking depending on the screen size used for audience viewing.

I think that was probably a security dongle as Joe mentioned. That were required for a much older version of Producer, years ago. Thankfully we don't need those any more to run Producer. I have enough things plugged into my computer at this point.

Last edited by debngar on Tue Nov 16, 2010 11:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

[PhotoBob]

Hi all, A family member has died and I want to do the memorial slide show. I called the funeral parlor to see if they have a set up that can be used. The man told me that they have a large screen but that they have an agreement with an individual. They collect the pictures and pass them along to him. He brings a DVD and a special thumb drive that he inserts into the screen before playing the dvd.

They also have two TVs that would be available to me, so it doesn't sound like they have an exclusive agreement with this individual. Just wondering if anyone knows what this special thumb drive might be?

I am also familiar with a thumb drive. When I first purchased Proshow, you were required to use a thumb drive in order to use the software. It may be that the software that is used to run the slide show requires that thumb drive in order to work, as was with Proshow when it first came out.

[trulytango]

Hi

You say he brings a thumb drive... and a DVD? Can't really imagine what's going on there...

Iris

[tdew]

I will try to find out sometime in the next week - once the arrangements have been made. I can't figure it out either, that's why I thought maybe someone here would know. I'll let you know what I discover.

[osharr]

tdew ,
Maybe he plays the memorial on the TV with the thumb drive , then he brings a copy on the DVD for the family . That way he doesn't need a DVD player .
Ollie

[tdew]

Just thinking - wouldn't it be great if he was a member here and could explain it?

[GEQ]

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-dongle.htm

Try the above. More than anything else it's a securtiy key. I worked in the funeral business for years. I never heard of any home that wouldn't let their clients bring in a DVD that someone made.

What we use to do was have a couple of laptops set out, turn down the audio, the pictures are the key. Some funeral homes have high end systems that play can play the show to multiple tv's from a single source.

The laptops work greatg as they act as gathering points for family and friends.

Regards,

Glen

[HunnyB]

I think that was probably a security dongle as Joe mentioned. That were required for a much older version of Producer, years ago. Thankfully we don't need those any more to run Producer. I have enough things plugged into my computer at this point.

Funny, I found mine just yesterday and threw it away. I hated that thing !!

[tdew]

Well, the wake and funeral are over and done. I never did find out why they thumb drive AND DVD would have been used, as I didn't get to see the big screen that had been reported. They had set up a brand new flat screen TV - good size - for me. It had an HDMI connection that I tried to use, but it didn't want to work. It also had a DVD slot in the side of the screen. That worked fine. Even though many of the pictures were not great quality, everyone was thrilled with the whole presentation. I really hate that people are now taking pictures with cell phones and sending others by email programs that are reducing them to little bitty pictures, but I guess it's better to have something than nothing. At least we're not cutting up the pictures anymore.

Sorry I can't tell more about the set up that was a puzzle.

[debngar]

-snip- I really hate that people are now taking pictures with cell phones and sending others by email programs that are reducing them to little bitty pictures, but I guess it's better to have something than nothing. At least we're not cutting up the pictures anymore.
-snip-

I don't care much for most cell phone pictures posted in FB. They are usually noisy and soft. Many people are clueless of the small resolution and resulting pixelation in large display or prints. I suppose when they expect decent prints of something important, guess maybe then they will "get it" but it will be too late.

[tdew]

I think too that an awful lot of today's pictures are not going to be around in the future. There are too many clueless people using digital cameras and they have no idea of how to save the pictures. I've seen some friends who have their entire photo collection on the camera. They never back them up - just keep adding to them. One day the sd card will get corrupted and that will be the end of the pictures. We'll just have to keep trying to tell them.