Best way to view show?

[drose]

Hi, I am so new to this. I have used PPT very successfully in the past for slide shows but wanted to try something with a little more to it, so I researched and liked what this software was able to do. Anyway, I offered to do a show for a friends family function, which is this Sunday.

I have spent hours putting this show together and not without problems. I finally finished and I'm happy with the end result but I can't get the show to play properly. My plan was to burn the show to a CD and project it on a screen with a laptop to a projector. My problem is for some reason the CD won't play. I got a message that it finished creating but it's almost like nothing is really on the CD. I then tried creating the show as an executable. The show was jumping some on my computer but on my son's laptop, it is so jumpy and jerky, it's almost not watchable.

I would really appreciate some help as my deadline is fast approaching!!! Any ideas on how to get things to run smoothly and is my plan ok for showing? Thanks for your time....Donna

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

The executable is one way -- unfortunately, as you discovered, it can
be jumpy if there is a lot going on in the show and the laptop is slower
and low on resources (which includes processor, ram, video card etc).
Trying to play it from a CD is probably not the way to go - a DVD is
probably a better option since it supports a higher data rate, is better
supported out there with players etc. If you have trouble burning it
(there have been a number of people with problems burning direct
from Photodex), try "burning" to an ISO file instead (one of the options
on the burning menu where you can select which burner to use) then
use a utility like the free "imgburn" to burn the DVD from the ISO.
If your projector can take NTSC (assuming you are in N. America etc),
then creating a DVD and playing that on a normal DVD player into the
projector should work fine. See if this helps.

mikey

[drose]

Thanks for the info. I was able to play the show as an executable on another laptop, which much better results. I still want to burn it but I don't have to have that by Sunday. I'm not real technical. Will your suggestion (ISO file) still work if I don't have a DVD burner? Thanks again.

Donna

[DickK Profile Private messageWebsite]

Donna,

Well, technically you could make the ISO but you won't be able to do anything with it so that's not much help. You can make a video CD but I've heard comments about the quality being low. After that the best option is to make the EXE file and put it on an CD to transport it to another computer for playing there.

Last but certainly not least, you could just upload the show to the PhotoDex sharing site and then anyone with a PC and 'net access can view it.

But in the long run if you're going to do a lot of shows, I think you should consider getting a DVD player/writer. Doesn't cost a lot (roughly $50) and can either be added to the PC keeping CD player/writer as it is or you can replace the CD with the DVD (which will also read/write CDs).

Dick

[nwenban Profile Private message]

Hi Donna,

Another option that may work is to create an ISO & use VLC Media player http://www.videolan.org/ to play the show on the Laptop.

If your laptop doesn't have a DVD burner, you could always buy an external unit, just plugs in with a USB cable.

Neville

[lisco]

Donna-

I agree with the guys. I use to burn my shows using a VCD and they worked fine for what I was doing. I decided, one day, that I wanted them to be better and my quality improved greatly burning to DVD. With a VCD you can play those on most DVD players. Of course, I don't think that any of this is helping your deadline any. For the future, I agree with Dick. You should invest in a DVD player/writer. You'll love yourself for it.

Scott

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

Just a note here, with VCD, there is another "trap door" to drop
through. I am not sure about it today, but at least a couple of
years ago, many DVD players listed "VCD" as one of the formats
they would play. Unfortunately, it turned out that was a *bit*
misleading -- they would play commercial STAMPED VCD's (like
is popular in Asia), but not VCD's written on CD-R media (there
were quite a few reports of that). so the commercial VCD's
were OK, but not ones you created (and you don't know until you
try it in that player). The DVD format is much better supported
(although not without a couple of quirks too )

mikey

[drose]

Thanks for all the feedback. I've been meaning to post again and let you know my results, but I'm a teacher and school is starting, so I had to take a break from my project. Anyway, I made my deadline and I was able to display the exe on my husband's laptop, through the projector, and it really looked great. I did go out and buy an external DVD today and I'm playing with that now. I want to burn to a DVD and give it the family for a keepsake, now that my deadline is over. Thanks again for the help. I'm sure I will be needing more.

Donna