Burning a DVD from Elements 6

[Mbreakir]

Hi! I am a new and frustrated user of Photoshop Elements 6. I recently visited the Middle East and created a slide show in PSE6. My computer is an XPS/M1530 Dell running Vista. After a few tries I was able to burn my slide show (with music converted to M3P - I learned the hard way that is the only format PSE6 supports) to a DVD+R, which will play on our home computers but will not play on any of our DVD players (all of which are no older than 3 years). BTW, the program did require to save as an mwv file which I did. Is there any way I can burn a high quality DVD that can be played on my family and friends' DVD players? Do I need additional software for burning dvds? I would greatly appreciate any help.
Mbreakir

[rmitcho]

After I save my slideshow as a wmv file I use a third party program to burn a DVD that will play on most DVD players. I use Roxio since it came with my computer. I must warn you that "plays on ALL DVD players" is probably not possible. I've passed around two wedding DVD's I made for friends and I would say one in 10 has had a problem using the DVD on their home player. But, most have had no problem.

My last slideshow gave me all kinds of problems saving as a wmv file. Adobe would shut down midway through the save and then apologize! Talk about adding insult to injury! I finally got the file saved and DVD's burned, but am currently looking at other programs for slideshow creation. I don't think it's Element's strong point!

[ATR]

Mbreakir

When you have a Photoshop Elements 6 slideshow and it comes Output time, these are choices:
1. Use Output Save As, for .wmv route with DVD-VIDEO profile (non preferred), then:
a. with the .wmv, using the software that came with your DVD burner, you can create DVD-VIDEO in:
Premiere Elements or
Nero (Nero Vision Application if it has a DVD-VIDEO plugin).
Windows Movie Maker, N/A
Windows DVD Maker, not available in XP


2. Have Premiere Elements 4 installed on the same computer, use Output Send to Premiere Elements as is (non wmv, preferred route); you can break apart/edit slideshow in Premiere Elements once it gets there; this is a perk only available for Photoshop Elements 6/Premiere Elements 4 OR Photoshop Element 5/Premiere Elements 3 (no other match ups).

I suspect that you have a version of Vista that has Windows Movie Maker/Windows DVD Maker that did the DVD-VIDEO job from the .wmv for you.

Just some thoughts....

ATR

[ATR]

rmitcho

From the problems you described for creating slideshow in Photoshop Elements 6, I would suggest that you evaluate your system resources and the content of your slideshow as well as what profile that you used for the .wmv writing.

But, if you have Photoshop Elements 6/Premiere Elements 4 OR Photoshop Elements 5/Premiere Elements 3, the preferred route is the non wmv route, using the Slideshow Output "Send to Premiere Elements".

Whatever the case, make sure that the pixel dimensions of each photo does not exceed 1000 x 750 pixels.

Just some things for your consideration.....

ATR

[hfgerena]

Hello;

I think that ATR gave you all the answers. Here is my 2 cents.

You used DVD+R for your project, I have used in the past all possible formats (except BR) and the only format that gave me some trouble from time to time are the "+" ones, for example: DVD+R, DVD+RW. In my case I try to avoid the "+" whereever I can.

[rmitcho]

ATR,
Thanks for addressing my experience. Actually my frustration was with burning a wmv file for my slideshow. I've done this before in PSE 5 and PSE 6, but I suspect my problem this last time was using RAW format initially. I thought I had re-saved all the slide show photos in JPEG format, but I may have missed one or two. I went back and re-saved all the slide show photos as JPEG, but I still had trouble burning the wmv file.

I am running 2 GB RAM and am operating at 2 Ghz. My OS is XP Professional, Service Pack 3.

I'm running PSE 6, but do not have Premier. Bizarre as it sounds, I found if I kept moving my mouse, I could "fool" Elements into not freezing or shutting down (with apologies of course!). Next time I make sure all my photos in my slide show are JPEG. I'm also looking at a third party slide show program with more options than Elements.
Jeanne

[ATR]

Jeanne,

It is late, so maybe I have gone off the deep edge with this thought.

But, when you mentioned keeping the mouse moving to resolve some issues, I wondered....

Control Panel
Display
Display Properties
Screen Saver Section
Power Option Properties
Hibernate Tab

Do you have "Enable Hibernation" checked??

ATR

[hfgerena]

Hello;

Just to give some credits to PSE6 Slideshow.

My last poroject contains over 500 photos and its over 40 minutes long. The first thing that PSE6 warn me was that I exceed the limits and the results could be poor performance, but it gave me the choice to continue, and of course I did. All my photos are in PSD format and I did not rezise any of them, I shoot them with a 10.2 mx. I had RAWS and JPG but after I edited them I save all in PSD.

I usually use 3 posible outputs:

1. PSE6 and PE to burn to DVD (I like this one because you can re-save your projects in other formats including AVI)
2. PSE6 produce the WMV file and then I use Sony DVD Architecture
3. PSE6 produce the WMV file and then I use DVD Maker

In this project (the one with over 500 pict.) I used all of them just for the fun of testing.

I have been using PSEx Slideshow function since PE4 and I have never experience any problem at all.

So don't give up keep telling us what's going on. To see if we can find out what's wrong.

You will see that it is not easy to find a good slideshow software, I have been trying to do it for months right now. The best option that I have found is ProShow Gold Producer, but it cost over $200.00. And so far PSE slideshow does almost everything, the control of the Pan/Zoom is one of the best and its free (well you already pay for it).

PSEx Slideshow it is a good choice when you want to do something good and fast. You can add titles, music, intro slides, borders, graphics, pan/zoom, multiple pan/zoom, transitions, sync audio and video, quick reorder, and even save as a PDF and more, much more. Now if you want something fancy with a lot of control (the control that key framing gives you) then Premier Elements it's of the best.

I have a couple of friends that use PSE Slideshow but use other softwares to produce the DVD. And the reason is to have more choices when you create menus, chapters, intros, sounds and music.

[tigerG]

hfgerena

I have a slideshow of 450 photos and when I create a WMV it takes more than 5 hours. Is this in line with your experience creating your slideshow with 500 photos?

steve

[ATR]

Steve,

I take it that you have Photoshop Elements 6 and no Premiere Elements 4??

What were the pixel dimensions of those 400 photos plus slideshows that you outputted as .wmv? When you were in the Save File Movie .wmv dialog, what File Size (profile) did you set?

Did the .wmv slideshow that took 5 hours to be written playback with any black video, audio problems, assorted video problems, etc?

How much available RAM do you have? How much free hard drive space do you have? Where you running any unnecessary programs in the background while the .wmv was being written? Is your computer optimized?

My first impression to the specific question that you presented...depending what all went into that slideshow and your computer environment, it would not seem surprising that it would take that long for the .wmv to be written. But, what I do find surprising is that the .wmv was written at all with that many photos.

But, more details are needed in order to focus in on your situation.

ATR