I'm trying to make slideshows to post on my smug site and need some advice on the right software to use. I tried Quicktime Pro but it wouldn't load right and found out there's no support for pc users. I got a refund.

Originally Posted by Sasquach I'm trying to make slideshows to post on my smug site and need some advice on the right software to use. I tried Quicktime Pro but it wouldn't load right and found out there's no support for pc users. I got a refund.

I take it you aren't using the built-in Smugmug slideshow because you want music playing?

I would try Windows Movie Maker first, because it's free (included with your computer). If that doesn't get it done you might try Adobe Premier Elements.

Whichever you use, before you upload it you can convert it to h.264 by using the software suggested on this page.

Originally Posted by Sasquach I'm trying to make slideshows to post on my smug site and need some advice on the right software to use. I tried Quicktime Pro but it wouldn't load right and found out there's no support for pc users. I got a refund.

Sasquach, welcome to the Digital Grin.

I moved this to the SnugNug Video Support forum because H.264 is a video format.

I think Photodex ProShow Producer Gold is rapidly becoming the best tool for producing a video slideshow. It allows timed audio and motion control of the slides and it works quickly and accurately.

I do not see an H.264 output option for ProShow so, on my system anyway, I would output to HuffYUV from ProShow and then transcode using Super into the final output format and wrapper.

BTW, Super is available here:

http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

AFAIK you need Apple's Quicktime Pro ($20) to convert/export to h.264 and this includes Windows systems.
I am on a Mac but know that before I upgraded to a Quicktime Pro account the h.264 option was missing from After Effects. It's been years but that's how I remember it.

Originally Posted by Tiziano AFAIK you need Apple's Quicktime Pro ($20) to convert/export to h.264 and this includes Windows systems. I am on a Mac but know that before I upgraded to a Quicktime Pro account the h.264 option was missing from After Effects. It's been years but that's how I remember it.

"Super", that I mentioned above, is free and it converts fine for me. I believe it uses an internal codec. The resulting video stream seems very compatible with SmugMug.

Some have mentioned that you can get a codec called "x264" to work with some software to provide encoding that is compatible with the H.264 convention. I have not tried this myself.

H.264 has all sorts of dialects and not all are compatible, with video editing/encoding software or with SmugMug.

I've been trying to learn AVCHD's ins and outs before I decide to plunk down some cash on either a Core i7 PC or go with, say, the top-of-the-line iMac for HD video editing. Trying a file or two in iMovie on a friend's Mac made me drool!

But on my own dual-core PC, I've been trying different programs to make a decent workflow to avoid the ever-present stuttering, out-of-sync sound, etc., that editing in Windows seems to deliver (and the long rendering times).

I was having some problems "resizing" for web, email, etc., yet maintaining the correct aspect ratio (16:9) of my 5D MK II 1980x1080 (full 1080p HD), as I gave Ziggy's suggested Super© a try even though I had selected its 16:9 setting.

Anyway, FWIW, what I found was that I could click the "more" box in Super's "Video Scale Size" twice to get to custom sizes. Plus, I found a simple online ratio converter at http://andrew.hedges.name/experiments/aspect_ratio/ for resizing but retaining the same aspect ratio.

I used a custom setting of 640x360 and the output looked great! Next I just tried picking the "Video Scale Size" pre-listed in Super's menu that was closest to the numbers the aspect converter provided, and it worked also. Moreover, Windows Movie Maker works with the files I output, once it is set to 16:9.

Thanks for the tip, Ziggy ... Super© looks like a winner.

Now if I can only find an efficient Windows NLE I like! I've been spoiled by my friend's iMovie and iDVD, I'm afraid. That is one very nice program, with green screen and everything, for an HD video duffer like me!

Originally Posted by ziggy53 Sasquach, welcome to the Digital Grin. I moved this to the SnugNug Video Support forum because H.264 is a video format. I think Photodex ProShow Producer Gold is rapidly becoming the best tool for producing a video slideshow. It allows timed audio and motion control of the slides and it works quickly and accurately. I do not see an H.264 output option for ProShow so, on my system anyway, I would output to HuffYUV from ProShow and then transcode using Super into the final output format and wrapper. BTW, Super is available here: http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

Photodex Proshow Producer has H.264 (MPEG 4 AVC) available under Create Video File Custom. Photodex Proshow Gold does not. You may be mixing the two products. Proshow Producer is their top of the line product and Proshow Gold is under that.

Originally Posted by lifeinfocus Photodex Proshow Producer has H.264 (MPEG 4 AVC) available under Create Video File Custom. Photodex Proshow Gold does not. You may be mixing the two products. Proshow Producer is their top of the line product and Proshow Gold is under that.

I spend much of my life being confused about a great many things.

Thanks for the clarification.

The latest versions of Proshow Gold do have H264 available. I already made several slideshows with it in H264

Originally Posted by GSPeP The latest versions of Proshow Gold do have H264 available. I already made several slideshows with it in H264

Cool. I found that the resulting shows look better when I save as Mpeg 2 and then use Streamclip to convert to H.264. If I use Photodex H.264 fade in and fade out images are very fuzzy to start. Mpeg 2 converts faster so even though a second program it takes about the same amount of time.

Phil