Can't burn a PC slideshow-cannot find the slideshow player?

[Chadwikk]

First off I want to thank you guys for all your time you are putting into this to help me out. It's rare that people go the extra mile for someone and you guys are certainly doing that for me.

Quick recap:

Bought PhotoImpact Pro 11 form office max, full version cost $90

Installed on my computer no problems.

Made a slide show with voice recordings about 112 frames long.

Went to burn to TV slideshow and only option listed is VCD.

Made VCD - picture quilty on a tv is pretty bad (can't read the description of the pics - too blurry) - audio was fine

Read that VCD is a very low picture quility so then I looked at my tv options again and only VCD showsup in the dropdown list.

Then decided I'll just make a PC disk and call it good.

I select the burn to PC option and I get the error i originally posted - cannot find slideshow player -

Install on a second computer and loaded my slideshow up..went to make a PC disk and exact same error - cannot find slideshow player -

Then I tried to make a TV slideshow one this second computer and again only the VCD option shows up - no dvd - have a dual side dvd burner in this computer

Just bought a brand new stack of +R DVD and put one in the DVD recorder (the player is a +R recorder) - i will try a second one tonight - DO dvd's need to be formated?..I don't think so but may be wrong

I played the vcd in the computer to see if that would work and the quality is as bad as on the tv.

I have never burned a DVD on my player - I have burned lots of cd's using various programs.

Seeing that neither computer reckonizes the DVD drive I am kinda stumped.

I will try and look at the roxio program and see if i can disable any settings when i get home.

I'm also not sure if there are any updates i need to get for photoimpact pro.

It seems as if the bundle loaded photoimpact pro - photo explorer - and photo impact album. I'm thinking this is a photo explorer issue but it says I have version 8.6 and I don't see an update for that version.

Perhaps the drive I have (both drives i suppose) isn't on the drive list. I would think plextor is a fairly compatable DVD recorder tho.

Again I want to say thank you for all your help and time you are putting into my problem.

Any more thoughts with the above summary??

Thanks,

Chad

[Ron P.]

Ok, I ran a couple of tests..

I used a Memorex DVD +RW disc, (it's the only brand I have currently), I have a HP Pavilion running WinXP Home, it has the HP DVD / CD burner combo..

Launched PEX 8.6, selected my photos, then choose to Burn TV Slideshow. It provided me with the DVD option. I burned the slideshow to the DVD. I was able to play this on my stand-alone Magnovox DVD Player. However for some reason my PC was rejecting this.

In Windows Explorer I opened the disc, and it displayed 2 folders, Video_TS and Media, however I could not see any files in either of these folders.

Next, in PEX I chose Burn PC Slideshow. Even though the program stated CD, I used the same DVD. The slideshow was burned to the DVD. I then tried playing this on my stand-alone DVD player. It rejected it, told me to get that thing outta here.. (well not exactly).

So I placed it in my Laptop (running Vista Home Premium) DVD(Fujitsu) tray, and it did play the slideshow. I then opened the disc using Windows Explorer. I found PEX burned the Slideshow viewer, the images, and a folder called Ulead.dat onto the disc. This is what the DVD players are using to view the slideshow. My HP PC still will not run it, so there's something messed up on my system. However don't care at the time, as I don't use it view slideshow discs anyway..

I don't have a solid, one shoe fits all, conclusion or remedy. My opinion is that this aspect of PEX is not consistent. Variables can be DVD player compatibility, DVD/CD brands and compatibility with burners. It also appears as if the Burn PC slideshow makes the DVD appear as a CD to some players, as in the case of my el-cheapo Magnavox that can play DivX and Glazed Doughnuts..

[heinz-oz]

The only thing I can think off right now is that NOVA may have something to do with it. Unfortunately, we are unable to help with the NOVA product and even Corel/Ulead cannot help. NOVA are not only re badging the PhotoImpact program as PI Pro but they also modify the code and add some of their own goodies into the deal.

I think my test, as well as Vidoman's which yielded the same result, proved that PI, in its original version, will do what it is supposed to.

I don't know how I could be of further help but would still pursue the hardware angle and eliminate ROXIO from the equation.

[Chadwikk]

I called tech support last night and this is what I found out:

Nova indeed has redone some of the program.

VCD is the ONLY option for tv slideshows
(why in the world they advertise you can make tv slideshows is beyond me...complete false advertising)

Cannot find slideshow player error is a known issue that happens on sone computers but they have no idea why and they currently have no fix

Bottom line is Nova's version can't do what I bought it to do

They say I can get a refund at least.

Thank you agian for your help in this matter and at least we know what the problem is....the Nova version of the program itself.

I hate to ask but is there another program out there that I can export my slideshow too so I don't have to spend all that time making it again??

I think I'm SOL but figured it is worth asking.

Thanks again for all your guys help.

Merry Christmas everyone

Chad

[Ron P.]

Export the project file ? No, that is a proprietary format. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're best bet is to rebuild it.

You can purchase PhotoImpact 12, from Ulead (Corel) for the same money that you spent on Nova. It also comes with PE8.6, and you can create/burn Slideshows on DVD.

http://www.ulead.com/pi/runme.htm

You might have a look around the Ulead site. There are other programs, such as Ulead CD/DVD Pictureshow 4, that does the same thing you're looking for.

However best bang for the buck is PI12.

[heinz-oz]

Try the trial version and download the extras also. It might let you finish your slide show and put it onto a DVD.

Worth a try.