DVD Slideshows

[Lin Evans]

Hi Mark,

Some Observations:

Originally Posted by Mark McCall

Lin,
We've won 5 PPA An-Ne Awards for Excellence in Wedding Marketing using PTE to create the "Studio Brochure on CD".
It's a great program.
Perfect? No.
Most sophisticated? No. That title belongs to neither program.
PTE only recently integrated the DVD authoring into the program. In the past, an external author had to be used.

Yes with older version to 4.x but version 5.0, 5.1 and the forthcoming 5.5 have all had DVD authoring. The DVD authoring is optional requiring PTE Deluxe version.

We just updated the Quick Start Guide with all new screen shots from the new interface.

Which Quick Start Guide is that? Is it for a club? I'm a co-author of the 130 Page User Guide and we have numerous tutorials on both the older versions and 5.0 forward but I'm not familiar with a Quick Start Guide for 5.0.

Unfortunatly PTE suffers from a limited output formats.

(.exe, screen saver, avi, DVD).

PTE also outputs MPEG II and ISO and will have Flash output in a future version.

Photodex offers all of the above and more.
Quicktime, Ipod, .exe's (with or without the autorun file that is created automatically), DVD, Free unlimited web hosting for shows uploaded directly from the interface, screen saver, stand alone web show, .AVI, VCD.

PTE doesn't offer web hosting but professionals often do not want require their clients to have to downlod yet another Active X protocol. Also you can't run a slideshow on the free web host without a very visable Photodex splash. Not something many professionals want. As long as we are discussing "free" - PTE has "Free Lifetime Upgrades" for the main program and "Two year Free Upgrades" for the Deluxe portion called "Video Builder".

At PPA last year Amanda let me know that Flash output would be coming out in the next version as well. I haven't upgraded my Producer yet, so it may already be out.
That's not an infomercial for Photodex...just listing their strengths. PTE has some strengths of it's own.

Flash has been available on Producer for some time now, but not using later Flash iterations so not the most popular feature among Producer users. I too have been a user of Photodex Products since the days before the first version of Proshow (preceeding Proshow Gold) was released. I was an early beta tester for the Proshow prototype and have been a beta tester for PTE since before its initial introduction.

PTE has done a fine job with adding the pan, zoom and rotate slide features recently.
Photodex has been doing that for years, with a slicker (in my opinion) interface.

Yes, "slick" but not as useful in my opinion. "Recently" is a relative term; the first PTE shows with Pan, Zoom and Rotate were done in early 2005 so not all that recent which is why I suggested visiting the forum for an "update".

PTE does one thing better than Photodex.
It allows menu creation with music that will still play when a clicking a link to another show, email or web address.
Photodex can't do that. The show ends when an external link is clicked, therefore ending the music as well.

PTE actually does a number of things which can't be done at all with either Producer or Gold. Neither Producer nor Gold can manipulate the "Z" axis. PTE, by virtue of parent/child relationships and the ability to move the center of rotation anywhere on or off the viewable area can do this as well as create useful motions of objects which can't be done with Producer or Gold. In fact object manipulation in PTE is much more sophisticated than with either Gold or Producer.

Producer can do some masking not possible with PTE and of course can mix video clips with stills, something PTE doesn't do as explained in an earlier post.

The "main" advantage in my experience with PTE is image quality which simply far outstrips anything possible with either Gold or Producer.

Some people are even using the effects in ProShow gold to create individual shows, but using PTE as the menu creator. That's a great idea....using the strengths of both programs to create a single presentation.

They are both great programs, I use them both extensively.

Photodex offers more flexibility for day to day client shows, web shows, iPod shows, ect....more options.

But PTE is still my program of choice for navigational menus.

Download our PDF User Guide and I believe you will find many more things which PTE can do which may surprise you.

Best regards,

Lin

Right tool for the job as my Dad used to say.

Agree - but we think this is PTE though we do use PSG/PSP for some tasks where image quality is not the paramount issue.

[Mark McCall]

Lin,
I'll be delivering a lecture entitled "Creating your own Studio Brochure on CD" at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock on April 6th.
We'll be using PTE to create the brochure because it shines in one area....the menu creation.
Best tool for the job as my Dad used to say.

One thing I'm careful not to do is to bill any software package as a one size fits all.
PTE does a few things better than ProShow Gold, and Visa Versa.

For client shows, Photodex is simply more flexible, more options, but costs more.
PTE does a better job of menu creation and linking, and is cheaper.

No, PTE does not deliver higher quality images in shows than Photodex. Nor is it more sophisticated.
It took several versions for them to match the same features in ProShow Gold.

There's a reason PTE (basic and Deluxe versions) are considerably cheaper than ProShow Gold and Producer.
You get what you pay for.

[Lin Evans]

Sorry Mark,

But you are simply wrong about PTE not producing higher quality image slideshows than PSG or PSP. We produce shows for the most discerning audiences around - art galleries and art patrons and some of our clients use nine megapixel monitors. We have showed PTE and PSG shows side by side on high resolution monitors and there is absolutely zero comparison. If you saw them together on a high resolution screen you could not possibly hold this view.

Try asking many of our users on the Wnsoft forum who use both why they prefer PTE. You undoubtedly WILL be surprised. About image quality you simply are wrong.

There is a "reason" why PTE is the predominant choice of people who enter international AV competitions. Yes, you sometimes see Wings Platinum and mObjects, but overwhelmingly you see PTE. You rarely, if ever see PSG or PSP. Do you really think it's because PTE is $10 cheaper than PSG? Wings Platinum and mObjects cost hundreds of dollars. The "reason" is image quality plain and simple. Do a little research on this and broaden your education. Perhaps wedding photographers prefer PSG and PSP either because they have been heavily influenced by marketing or the fact that a wedding photographer (Mark Ridout) has been at nearly every Photodex booth at major shows such as PMA? But the bottom line is that for those whom image quality reigns supreme choose PTE.

Not more sophisticated?? Ask yourself why after Wnsoft released PTE 5.0 with hardware rendering that Photodex made a public announcement that they would have it "soon" in their products. They don't. Wonder why? Because it took two years to write a completely new graphical engine to produce it with PTE and they simply underestimated what would be involved.

You said that you created "the" PTE Quick Start Guide yet I can't find your name on the over six thousand registered PTE Forum user's list. You didn't answer my question about this. So for whom did you create this Quick Start Guide?

We simply must agree to disagree on this.

By the way, you "pay" for what you "get" - you don't always "get" what you "pay" for. The difference in the price of PTE and PSG is $10 U.S. ($59.95 versus $69.95). The difference measured over years is HUGE since PTE has free "Lifetime" upgrades on the basic program.

You might ask yourself why Producer was originally marketed at over $500.00 then drastically reduced to $199 for a while. Could it have something to do with over 300 "fixes" in the first few months of the release of 3.0?? So the question of whether you "get" what you "pay" for obtains.

[Mark McCall]

Registration of PTE is not required.

No, PTE is not "the" choice for AV presentations in competitions.
PPANM in Albuquerque, no PTE shows. I ran the AV for the convention during the judging.
SWPPA in Dallas, I saw several PTE shows, but there was far more entries using other software.
I must have seen a dozen different formats of shows, using a variety of software.

More sophisticated? No. The price alone gives that away.

Mark Ridout is a friend. At PPA in Tampa & WPPI in Vegas, I asked him about making Producer's menu capability work like PTE's. (smoother transition between shows, specifically music). He didn't have a workaround at the moment. He said he'd bounce it around and let me know.

My tutorial is available to anyone wishing to mimic our success at the annual Marketing Awards at PPA. See an associate at one of our appearances.

PTE is a fine program for the money. I've had outstanding success with it. Great features, functionality.
WNSoft is lucky to have you hawking their advantages.

It does some things extremely well. But it's not perfect.
But neither is PSG, or Producer. Why the fuss?

Software is not a "one size fits all".

[Lin Evans]

Originally Posted by Mark McCall

Registration of PTE is not required.

No, but not having a single post on the PTE forum since 02 does indicate that perhaps you have not updated your knowledge base.

No, PTE is not "the" choice for AV presentations in competitions.
PPANM in Albuquerque, no PTE shows. I ran the AV for the convention during the judging.
SWPPA in Dallas, I saw several PTE shows, but there was far more entries using other software.

You must read more carefully. I said it was the primary choice for "international AV competition". AV competition is in its infancy in the US and MUCH more advanced and with myriad more entries and interest in Europe and the UK where PTE "is" the favorite by a considerable margin.

More sophisticated? No. The price alone gives that away.

Price has no bearing on "sophistication". If it were free would that mean it wasn't sophisticated? Irfanview is free yet one of the most sophisticated programs of its type in the world. Does that mean it's less sophisticated than programs costing $50? Of course not. This is a very weak argument Mark and you know it.

Mark Ridout is a friend. At PPA & WPPI, I asked him about making Producer's menu capability work like PTE's. (smoother transition between shows, specifically music). He didn't have a workaround at the moment. He said he'd bounce it around and let me know.

So? You seem to be hung up on this particular feature. Believe me there are MANY more such as parent/child relationship, off-center rotation and associated capabilities including "Z" axis rotation, hardware rendering for both the slideshow "and" DVD authoring. I'll be glad to demonstrate to you myriad things which can be done with PTE which neither Producer nor Gold can do with or without work-arounds. The ultimate is "image quality". The differences are quite plain as anyone who creates high resolution slideshows and uses both are aware.

My tutorial is available to anyone wishing to mimic our success at the annual Marketing Awards at PPA. See an associate at one of our appearances.

PTE is a fine program for the money. I've had outstanding success with it. Great features, functionality.
WNSoft is lucky to have you hawking their advantages.

Mark, I'm simply telling it as it is. You gave old and outdated information in your post concerning PTE and it's only fair to readers to have the latest information available. If you had visited the Proshow Enthusiasts forum over the past year you would be aware of the fact that things are not all that rosy at Photodex. You would know that even professionals such as Barry Beckham in the UK who makes his living writing tutorials for both PTE and PSG/PSP and writes for numerous publications (furnished complimentary copies of PSP/PSG by Photodex) had to stop authoring for and using their products because he couldn't get them to work correctly on any of his five systems. Email me for specifics if it's of interest. Bottom line is that there are choices between myriad presentation slideshow software products out there. You're correct, there are no "perfect" solutions and there is nothing wrong with using multiple programs - whatever it takes to get the job done. I use no less than seven different presentation slideshow programs including mObjects, Wings Platinum, PTE, PSG, Memories on TV Pro, MediaShow and Vegas Video Suite. All have strengths and weaknesses and some are definitely more amenable to certain tasks than others. Among them PTE is presently my favorite and produces the highest quality images in high resolution shows. PSP has a trenedous feature set and outstanding potential if they ever get the bugs worked out of the new version. Count your blessings that you have not yet "upgraded" - best to wait until its much more stable.

It does some things extremely well. Perfect. No.
But neither is PSG, or Producer. Why the fuss?

No "fuss" there is just a need to have the latest information available. It was obvious that you have apparently been busy and have not updated your knowledge base about what was going on with either PTE or PSG/PSP. Producer and Gold have had Flash for nearly a year and PTE shows were authored, produced and published in 05 complete with Ken Burns Effects, hardware rendering, etc. We all have our "favorites" and there is nothing wrong with expressing our views and giving advice, but having the latest knowledge about the products is important.

Software is not a "one size fits all".

On the above we are in complete agreement!

Best regards,

Lin

edit

[Mark McCall]

You think PTE is the bomb.
I don't.

"simply telling it like it is".

[Lin Evans]

What I "think" is that for producing the finest quality high resolution slideshows PTE "is" the best. I think that for bang for your buck PTE "is" the best.

For adding drop-in video along with Ken Burns Effects PSG is the best. For a plethora of "features" (if they ever get it all working correctly) PSP is the best.

For multiple sound tracks and such, along with mixing video and stills with very sophisticated output Encore, Vegas Video, Wings Platinum and mObjects are all very good. To choose among them one needs to consider personal workflow and costs. They are all quite expensive.

"just telling it like it is" for me....