CD slideshow problems with Photoshop Elements 5.0

[cshlagor]

I've created a slideshow in photshop element 5.0 and it seems to have written some data files to the CD disc, not the slideshow itself. The only files on the CD are "CDI", "EXT", "MPEGAV", "SEGMENT" and, "VCD" and these files can't be opened by any program because they are either .vcd or .dat files. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Does this problem have something to do with not having the right CD writing software (shouldn't Windows Media Player be able to burn a photoelements slideshow?) Shouldn't photoshop elements be able to read a .vcd file? If this issue is because of the software, can anyone recommend the best software to write CD's from photoshop element 5.0?

[johnfranklin]

I like simple solutions so I just edit a bunch of photos to a uniform size (to fit my TV screen)JPEG them at 150 dpi ideal resolution, create a windows folder to store them in, then burn the resultant mess with Nero express (select all in the folder and then drag and drop to Nero). The CD can then be used in a set top DVD player as long as it supports JPEG photo viewing. Many set top DVD players actually incorporate Kodak picture viewer software. While this is admittedly rudimentary, the photos load well and transition with a fade to and return from black. Unfortunately, PSE burns real, fancy, complicated slideshows in VCD format which while playable in many set top boxes, look like ca-ca due to the fact Video CDs only have half the resolution of normal NTSC television. I am not aware of any set top DVD players which would support WMV or AVI file structure. I haven't tried it, but the solution probably resides with Premier Elements which would allow you to import photos from PSE, edit to your hearts content then burn your creation in DVD-Video format at full NTSC resolution with a menu n' everthin'. For use with your computer just use the organizer collections tags, pick some nice music, add some speech balloons, bang F11 and let 'er rip. Again, simplified, but entertaining,fast and easy.

[johnfranklin]

Dumb being me. PSE5 makes it extraordinarily easy to create polished slide shows, the pan and zoom effects are the cats meow. I am used to using PSE3, so I went and opened up my copy of Five-0. Which even to me made sense if I was going to try to speak on the topic. Wow, the creation section actually is quite an upgrade! PSE5 even offers to launch Premier Elements for if you click on Create>DVD-Video! This cleverly bypasses the problem still residing with PSE's burning engine, the fact that it makes Video CDs. This format is still wretched with respect to picture quality and isn't universally supported by standalone players. PSE5 claims it will link up, ( using Intel's Viiv technology) your television with your media center PC. That would eliminate the middleman, so to speak. The technique of importing your slideshow into Premier Elements in large part merely borrows PE's DVD-Video encoder and burning engine, seamlessly integrating the two programs. Gosh, who would have seen that coming? Probably only Adobe's marketing executives. Still, this is the easy way to do what you want to do. Banging around wtih the the Windows Media Encoder, or trying to use Nero as an editing/burning platform would probably only accelerate or aggravate any pre-existing medical conditions you might have. Photography always has been a cash intensive business, hobby, Avocation, whatever. So ugly be though it may, the moral of this story is it might be worth it to acquire a copy of Premier Elements if share tangible media you must. I'm going to close now, for starting to talk like Yoda I am.

[Willow]

Maybe thinking you might want to try ProShow Gold for Slideshows.....
I have been dreaming of this for sometime, tried the trial version. Very impressed I am.... Now for the $69.95 USD funds...or a magic registration # to find in my inbox

[cshlagor]

johnfranklin, I already have Premier Elements so I did what you suggested and exported the slideshow from PE5. However, Premier Elements won't burn a CD slideshow, only a DVD and that's not what I want. I want a Video CD but as I mentioned before, PE5 has some kind of a problem and won't burn the actual slideshow, it just places files on the CD that won't play on the computer and won't open back up in PE5 because they're .vcd or .dat files. There shouldn't be a media incompatability problem because I've got 2 CD/DVD burners and both can take all 4 media types (CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW). Weird.

[Barb O]

The folders that you listed in the earlier post seemed like they are the correct folders for a VCD. Did you try to play the Video CD with your DVD player software on your PC?

You say you want a VCD - but maybe you don't really want a Video CD since it is a very specific format convention. Since you do not seem to be happy with the VCD, I am going to question you on why you do not want to use a DVD???

Or if you are only going to play this slideshow on a PC, you can write it out as a File. It can be a WMV file or a PDF file (with the restriction that a PDF file will not support pan and zoom). Then you can use any CD burning software to burn that file to a CD.

[Barb O]

adding email notification

[johnfranklin]

Originally Posted by Barb O

The folders that you listed in the earlier post seemed like they are the correct folders for a VCD. Did you try to play the Video CD with your DVD player software on your PC?

You say you want a VCD - but maybe you don't really want a Video CD since it is a very specific format convention. Since you do not seem to be happy with the VCD, I am going to question you on why you do not want to use a DVD???

Or if you are only going to play this slideshow on a PC, you can write it out as a File. It can be a WMV file or a PDF file (with the restriction that a PDF file will not support pan and zoom). Then you can use any CD burning software to burn that file to a CD.

As I was explaining in my earlier posts VCDs are created using Mpeg 1 compression and are 1/2 the resolution of standard NTSC TV (the broadcast standard definition junk). I have 6 freestanding DVD players, 3 say they will accept a VCD. VCD is sort of a junk, obsolete format as of before now. DVDS are at full NTSC resolution 640 by 480 lines and are created using Mpeg-2 compression (way more better) I never suggested that these slideshows be dragged into Premier for anything other than burning as DVD-Video. It's what I've been lobbying for, and I'm going to hold my breath 'till I get it!

[cshlagor]

Does the ProShow Gold for slideshows allow you to attach more than 1 song to it instead of playing the same song over and over throughout the slideshow?

[cshlagor]

I actually just want to make a CD slideshow to send to friends that will view it on their PC, not as a DVD. The slideshow has got audio attached with some pan and zoom and therefore a PDF file isn't going to be adequate. Even if I got rid of the pan and zoom, I'd like to keep the audio. I did try to play the CD from the CD/DVD drive on the PC and it only shows the folders I mentioned ("CDI", "EXT", "MPEGAV", "SEGMENT" and, "VCD"). I thought if I clicked on "VCD" the slideshow would start but it only opens to folder to show more .vcd files ("Entries", "LOT", "INFO", and "PSD") and none of those files launch the slideshow. As a matter of fact, when I click on those, PhotoElements launches to try to read them and says it can't read .vcd files (which seems strange because isn't it Photoelements that creates the .vcd files?).
I did save the slideshow as a .wmv in a folder in my hard drive but the only thing that opens that file is Windows Media Player and when I tried to create a CD from that file the same thing happened, i.e. it created those files on the CD that won't open or launch the slideshow. I'm ready to give up. I think there's something really basic that I'm not understanding (I'm a beginner at this, as you can tell!).