# Recommend me a DVD slideshow maker, please **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dvd-slideshow-maker-please/435550 "2008-01-30T04:19:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dvd-slideshow-maker-please/435550/1 "2008-01-30T04:19:55Z")
Just not Memoriesontv, which I just spent the entire day experimenting with, (" :rolleyes: " ) and have given up trying to make it understand that I want _this_ caption to stay with _this_ slide, and not to repeat itself on the slide in front of it–or two slides in front of it, or the slide at the beginning–and that when I change the timing on a slide in the queue, I do not want other slides to change. And yes, I realize there’s a command for “All slides” vs. “Selected slides”, but evidently I don’t have enough computer juju to make it behave. Also was not happy with Picasa, which I turned to about suppertime. And rumor has it that there’s supposed to be Windows Movie Maker somewhere here on my Vista computer, but damned if I can find it. Anyway. So. Beyond those three, there’s a plethora of Google hits for “create dvd slideshows” and my head’s about to explode. Here’s what I need: I need to put captions on slides and have them play synchronized to music, the whole to be burnable to a DVD that will play both in a DVD player and on a Vista computer. And it needs to be extremely user-friendly, because life’s too short to spend another afternoon like the one I just spent. Top price I am willing to pay for something that actually works would be about $100. I am long past the stage of being willing to spend days learning to use some bare-minimum freeware or shareware utility, working around its little quirks; you get what you pay for, and I’m willing to pay for something that _works_. Free trial would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dvd-slideshow-maker-please/435550/2 "2008-01-30T04:28:16Z")
Try [Nero PhotoShow](http://www.nero.com/enu/photoshow5-introduction.html) for $40 (free trial) Features: \* Create unique photo and video PhotoShows \* Add music, animation, and special effects \* Easy-to-use interface and professional tools \* Edit and touch up photos \* Free personal web space for uploading PhotoShows and videos \* Burn PhotoShows to DVD to watch on a TV set \* Windows Vista® Ready \* Much, Much more I’ve had lots of good luck with Nero products. Never used this one but I use Nero 8 Ultra and it’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dvd-slideshow-maker-please/435550/3 "2008-01-30T13:50:02Z")
[Vegas Movie Studio?](http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/vegasfamily.asp) I know, not technically slideshow software, but it’ll do the job, is under $100, has a free trial and comes with a DVD authoring kit (though I’ll be damned if I know how it works). The manual is crap but the interactive tutorial is nice, and it’s fairly easy to learn. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dvd-slideshow-maker-please/435550/4 "2008-01-30T14:51:05Z")
I’m pretty sure you should have Windows Movie maker on your system. My bro made a slideshow DVD and it came out great. Titles, transitions, music overlay, etc. I haven’t used it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dvd-slideshow-maker-please/435550/5 "2008-01-30T15:33:55Z")
[QUOTE=Uncommon Sense] I’m pretty sure you should have Windows Movie maker on your system. [/QUOTE] Right, that’s what I thought, too. But, like I said, damned if I can _find_ it. I tried Searching Explorer under variations of the name–no soap. Somewhere on Drive C there’s a Moviemaker hiding in the shrubbery, but its mommy has it well hidden, and of course it gives off no scent. Ask your bro where _he_ found it, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dvd-slideshow-maker-please/435550/6 "2008-01-30T15:57:15Z")
I’ve been very happy with [Roxio Easy Media Creator](http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/creator/suite/overview.html), which is right at the $99 mark. It’s probably a more complete package than you need, but it’s got a lot of nice features. The disc label printing app is a good extra, kinda puts a nice finishing touch on the project. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dvd-slideshow-maker-please/435550/7 "2008-01-30T17:39:54Z")
I’ve been happy with both Ulead Pocket Slideshow (very quick/easy generation but sparse on features) and ProShow Gold (many more features). I’m also just getting into Vegas Studio and am enjoying it, but I only use it for video. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dvd-slideshow-maker-please/435550/8 "2008-01-31T06:18:37Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Right, that’s what I thought, too. But, like I said, damned if I can _find_ it. I tried Searching Explorer under variations of the name–no soap. Somewhere on Drive C there’s a Moviemaker hiding in the shrubbery, but its mommy has it well hidden, and of course it gives off no scent. Ask your bro where _he_ found it, eh? [/QUOTE] On my XP Home box, Windows Movie Maker is in the following location: C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\moviemk.exe