Record JPEG scans on DVD player?

[john_b]

So having scanned some imaged, and saved as JPGs, I thought it'd be a doddle to view them on a DVD player...

...how naive am I? The images are fine; there's no problem viewing them on my PC, but the DVD player won't recognise the format. Might there be software that either saves them in a format that can be recognised or, alternatively, creates some kind of slide show/presentation?

And does it make a difference whether I put them onto CD or DVD?

(with apologies if we've been here before)

John

[ktinkel]

I still don’t have a DVD burner, so cannot speak from experience. But I have read about problems with external units in general, the wrong driver, with trying to use USB (you need USB2 or Firewire) to make DVDs, and with disc type (single or double layer). There is no problem with JPEG (must be one of the commonest formats for images, and I have seen them on homemade DVDs).

You could do a couple of tests. First, can you record these images on a CD? If so, you might want to look into speed, discs, etc. If not, can you record anything at all with your unit?

I imagine someone here will have something more specific to say. And there was a long thread on a similar problem (http://snarkish.com/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=1;t=7021) on a Mac over on Snarkish (you can read without registering). There is a lot of technical information mixed in that thread, some of which may give you a clue.

[john_b]

I still don’t have a DVD burner, so cannot speak from experience. But I have read about problems with external units in general, the wrong driver, with trying to use USB (you need USB2 or Firewire) to make DVDs, and with disc type (single or double layer). There is no problem with JPEG (must be one of the commonest formats for images, and I have seen them on homemade DVDs).

I think the title of the thread has been changed and it isn't really about recording onto DVD, so my apologies for any confusion.

I scanned some images and want to make them available to an elderly person who doesn't have a computer, but does have a TV and DVD player. I thought - wrongly, it seems - that most DVD players would be able to show the images, just as if you got your photos put onto CD. Unfortunately, the machine just won't seem to see the individual JPG files...;-(

So I suppose I'm asking if there is a simple way of converting the images into some sort of slideshow at <sigh>minimal cost</sigh>...

I'm going to assume that the DVD player in question can read both -R and +R formats, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Sorry again if I didn't make this clear.

John

[iamback]

So I suppose I'm asking if there is a simple way of converting the images into some sort of slideshow at <sigh>minimal cost</sigh>...Indeed what you neeed is software that converts your images into a DVD format that's "playable" on TV. There are lots of those programs, actually, and I think even freeware - but I have no experience with any of them.

Still, try a Google search for [image slideshow DVD format] (put what's between [ ] in the box - that will bring up several candidates to look at.

[john_b]

Indeed what you neeed is software that converts your images into a DVD format that's "playable" on TV. There are lots of those programs, actually, and I think even freeware - but I have no experience with any of them.

Thanks Marjolein. I'm happy to stump up a few Euros if there's a sensible package that isn't all eye-candy. Of course, there are never any guarantees that the finished product is going to run on all DVD players...

...but 99.9% would be good. and if anyone has recommendations then I'd be delighted to hear them!

John

[roaryg]

Not too knowledgeable in this area but I believe all you need is a dvd player that can read cd-rw or dvd-rw disks. The jpegs can be loose on the disk, don't have to be converted into anything. Is this an older player?

[john_b]

Not too knowledgeable in this area but I believe all you need is a dvd player that can read cd-rw or dvd-rw disks. The jpegs can be loose on the disk, don't have to be converted into anything. Is this an older player?

I've tried this on two newish DVD players/recorders using, as you say, just JPG files. One machine wouldn't read the disk at all. The other would actually offer to 'play' the images as a slide show - zoom in/out, forwards, backwards and so on - but only if the files were on CD, and not on DVD...

You'd have thought it would be easy...;-(

[Cristen Gillespie]

John:
I've tried this on two newish DVD players/recorders using, as you say, just JPG files.

I'm not sure how much this will help, but Macs running OSX include free iMovie and iDVD software to do just what you want, and I recall being told the same was true for XP with Microsoft's Media software. IOW, you might have a program already on your hard drive.

[ElyseC]

I've wanted to try it myself, but haven't had any time to experiment. I think the format you want is called "video CD" or maybe "photo CD." I trust someone here will speak up if I'm wrong.

[john_b]

I've wanted to try it myself, but haven't had any time to experiment. I think the format you want is called "video CD" or maybe "photo CD." I trust someone here will speak up if I'm wrong.

Thanks and, yes, it seems to turning into something a little more complicated than I wanted. I am now trialing a copy of Adobe Premiere Elements and I'm sure it's going to do the job, albeit at a price. No doubt there's other software - and probably cheaper, too - but I've got a kind of deadline so need to get the job done.

The downside is there's a learning curve. The upside is that it looks to be an impressive piece of software and I do like to learn - I'd just like it a little more if I could do it at a more leisurely pace...;-)

[john_b]

I'm not sure how much this will help, but Macs running OSX include free iMovie and iDVD software to do just what you want, and I recall being told the same was true for XP with Microsoft's Media software. IOW, you might have a program already on your hard drive.

Thanks Cristen and you may well be right. I'm running XP Media Centre Edition but this is an area - video, audio - that I'm really not familiar with. I did once start the Media Centre Setup Wizard but just became too daunted to continue with it...;-(

I'd hoped there might be a simple solution but now suspect there's learning curve involved - see reply to Elyse...

[Steve Rindsberg]

Nero comes with a bunch of different apps, one of which allows you to combine images and sounds and video clips into shows and burn them to CD/DVD formats that'll play on at least some home DVD players.

[john_b]

Nero comes with a bunch of different apps, one of which allows you to combine images and sounds and video clips into shows and burn them to CD/DVD formats that'll play on at least some home DVD players.

I did have a look at Nero but nothing leapt out to me - could you say which app it was?

I still don't understand all this format business. Apart from the +R and -R formats for the actual disks, when I look at the 'DVD' disks that do play on a 'domestic DVD/TV' system - for want of a better phrase - I see directories called, for example, VIDEO_TS and files with extensions such as VOB, IFO and BUP...

...is there there, perhaps, a Ladybird guide that I could take into a dark room and which would illuminate these - for me, anyway - mysteries?

[iamback]

I did have a look at Nero but nothing leapt out to me - could you say which app it was?Only the later versions support this - 7.x is current. What version do you have?

[john_b]

Only the later versions support this - 7.x is current. What version do you have?

It's version 6 but on investigation I found an Update button. Installed all the new bits and it's still version 6.something but now I don't see the familiar Smart Start centre...

...ah well, I'll take a more thorough look but maybe, as you say, what I'm looking for is only available if I upgrade to version 7

Having had a quick look at Premiere Elements, I've decided I want the ability to add simple titles and some way of navigating to different sections (are these called 'chapters'?) using some kind of menu. Nothing fancy, but something that is functional and produces a reasonably professional result.

If you reckon Nero can do that then I'd be interested.

Pinnacle Studio is another package that was mentioned and I'm going to nip over the hill to a friend's house to look at that later today, so we'll see how it shapes up...;-)

[iamback]

...ah well, I'll take a more thorough look but maybe, as you say, what I'm looking for is only available if I upgrade to version 7 You might check if there's a demo version to try out (careful you don't install that over your registered version!) so you could see what it can do and compare with Premiere Elements (which sounds nice). As said, I have no experience at all with this kind of functionality.

Also watch the magazines - it seems Nero is pushing its latest version with a free upgrade on the CDs; I'm not sure if that will take you from 6.x to 7.x though.

Keep us posted!

[Cristen Gillespie]

Thanks Cristen and you may well be right. I'm running XP Media Centre Edition but this is an area - video, audio - that I'm really not familiar with. I did once start the Media Centre Setup Wizard but just became too daunted to continue with it...;-(

I'd hoped there might be a simple solution but now suspect there's learning curve involved - see reply to Elyse...

Most of these programs are stunningly simple, once you find the tutorial or Help note that walks you through it<G> I was actually embarrassed, having floundered about with no clue, by how simple it was once I knew how to get it off the ground. iDVD even has a plain slideshow -- no "movie" needed, and you can add music that will time the slideshow to the music. Of course, authoring the menu was the real stumbling block for me there. XP probably does the same with Media Center, but I definitely sympathize with your feelings about the complication when you haven't even had time to pick up the terminology.

I looked at my Nero 6.6 on my W2K machine and it does have a DVD video burner, but it appears you must have made the "video" first. It doesn't make the slideshow from scratch, so maybe that's only v7, as I think Marjolein noted.

Premiere Elements (I'm thinking I'll get that when I get an Intel Mac to run both OSes), will definitely do what you want and more. I found the "and more" rather nice as I quickly wanted iMovie and iDVD to do more. The plus side to PE is you have available to you a LOT of tutorial help, whether from Adobe, on their web site, or from 3rd party books. I know you wanted to just get something done quickly, but now that it isn't going to be quick, may as well be fun. '-)

[lurkalot]

We bought a cheap £20 DVD player, and that supports JPEG's no problem.

Just dragged a few pics into folders, and then copied the folders to a DVD-R disk. Popped it into the player, and all the folders come up on one side of the screen for me to select. Highlight a folder and press play. works nicely. ;)

[john_b]

The plus side to PE is you have available to you a LOT of tutorial help, whether from Adobe, on their web site, or from 3rd party books. I know you wanted to just get something done quickly, but now that it isn't going to be quick, may as well be fun. '-)

Yes, one of those things that starts off as a bit of a chore, but then you discover new aspects that hadn't been apparent before. As I said, PE looks to be quite a powerful piece of kit, although I did find myself getting a little frustrated with its not entirely intuitive interface.

I'm sure that was just my fault - I was in a rush and trying to make sense of it in the limited time that I had access to it.

I'm just back from a friend's who let me have a dabble with Pinnacle Studio and in just a few moments he'd shown me how to set up a menu, insert titles and get the whole shooting match up and running. Perhaps it doesn't do as much as PE, or maybe it hides its lights under a bushel, but in any event it certainly seems clear enough for me to do the job and so has got to be a strong contender.

Haven't checked relevant prices yet so that's the next thing...;-(

[john_b]

Keep us posted!

Just had a dabble with Pinnacle Studio. It certainly does the job and seems to have quite an easily understood - for me anyway - and uncluttered interface.

A new world is starting to open up...;-)

[Steve Rindsberg]

Here's the page where you can d/l updates to v6. I think it was one of the apps in the second package (VisionExpress, maybe?) I only used it once or twice and must have formatted the computer it was on since then.

http://ww2.nero.com/nero6/enu/nero-up.php

[Steve Rindsberg]

Even 6 includes more stuff than anyone could possibly have use for.

http://ww2.nero.com/nero6/enu/nero-up.php

[john_b]

Here's the page where you can d/l updates to v6. I think it was one of the apps in the second package (VisionExpress, maybe?)

Thanks Steve. The Vision Express update seems to have a limited life DVD Video Plugin and the full enchillada comes in at GBP20

I've had a quick look at what it says it can do and was starting to get impressed but quickly came up against an obstacle. The help files don't exist (to save download space, they said) but there was a link to where you could get a PDF version...

...of course, that web page had been removed - good of them to let us know...;-(

There's another product from Nero called NeroPhotoShow that seems to offer the ability to burn a show to DVD among other stuff... BUT that part of the application only works if you upgrade to NeroPhotoShow Deluxe.

This all seems like confusion marketing to me and I'm afraid I get a wee bit irritated by it...;-(