Photo-DVDR- Is there an easier way?

[Buggerlugs]

As a keen photographer I have amassed a huge collection of my own photos over the past 3 years slowly improving to better digital camera's as time has gone on. I now have nearly 2gb of photos sitting in a folder containing over 200 subfolders.

I have been looking high and low for the past 6 months for a program capable of allowing me to "drag and drop" this "folder tree" which will then "create" a photo-dvd which i can share with my family members.

Unfortunately of the 20 or so programs I have tried so far, none allow me to simply drag and drop folders. Each one makes me go into each folder seperately and highlight each group of photos....obviously this is impossible to do as it would take forever and is compounded by files named the same but in different folders.

I understand this is a more video related forum but in essence I am wanting to create a MPEG2 video containing the photos arn't i? (obviously with some menu structure that the folders ideally already provide.)

Does anyone know any program or method which would allow me to do what I am wanting to achieve?

[Zhnujm]

MemoriesOnTv can do this. It creates VCD,SVCD or DVD.
Dont know if it allows such a huge Menu with 200 Albums, but you can import whole folders, each folder becomes a seperate album wich you can select with a menu. Nice Program IMHO.

http://www.picturetotv.com

[Buggerlugs]

I've tried this program but it adds 10 folders gets to around 500 photos added and then just freezes up, and I end up having to end task.

Also states at the bottom that the media is 800mb max, when I'm wanting to use a dvd, do i have to change this?

[Zhnujm]

You can change the disc type in the burn settings, the size switches to 4.7GB if you select dvd.
I just tried importing some files, i could import 33 folders with 36 pictures (total 1188 pictures), then the dvd is full :).
Also the menu seems to work, it creates multiple menu pages.

[Buggerlugs]

aha, getting somewhere now...although it appears I need the mpeg2 plugin! arghhhhhh!

[callstreet]

MyDVD 4 can import a folder and can make it into a slide show with all the effects. It's bundled with my burner. It's so useless otherwise that it should be free. I think a few other entry level DVD authoring tools do that also. Yes, I think the number of photos in each folder is rather limited. And the number of folders is also rather limited.

[Zhnujm]

Can MyDVD make pans and zoom in/out with the pictures ?
Im just interested.

[callstreet]

Sure you can zoom with your player if you player have it, I tried. The new entry level Sony's don't have it! My Apex don't pan.

How about JPEG compatible players? Normally JPEG and MP3 compability means CD. But I heard that the new APEX players can play anything on CD as well as on DVD. If that's true, you don't even need to anything extra with your photos. Though no fancy menu and sound track.

I looked at all the recent APEX models, which said JPEG compatible. The only one changer that I got said Kodak photo CD compatible. The manual said it can read Kodak CD and jpeg CD's (they are the same thing). I tried to put jpg on DVD but they doesn't play. But that made me wonder IF JPEG compatible means more than Kodak compatible on Apex players? Jpeg compatible means photo on CD as well as DVD?

[Buggerlugs]

yeah the apex players can play mpeg files on dvd/cdr and even some WMA files, aswell as jpegs. The player does the fancy effects.

They had some going cheap a while back at ASDA here in the UK (Wallmart), and I tried a few hoping to get one with vcd\svcd and dvdr compatability. Unfortunately only a few apex played all media types.

In the end I ended up with a Toshiba SD220E which plays all media types and is in a different class to any of my other players with picture quality.

[Zhnujm]

Well, thats not exactly what i mean, with MemoriesOnTv you can create "videos" of your pictures, it pans around or zooms in or out to a specific point of your pictures.
It makes it much more interesting to look at the photos than just a still image.
Sometimes it really looks like a real self made video.
Im just wondering if there are other programs that can do that.

[Buggerlugs]

I don't think there is. It really is a good program. Its just a shame they've not included support for mpeg2 built in. Like ahead with nero they've opted to make more money by making you pay for the same product twice instead.

It will still crash if too many files or ones with long file names are added, and it now emblasens all the photos with "evaluation version" instead.

So i'm getting there slowly.

[Zhnujm]

Especially funny as you can select to use TMPEGEnc for mpeg1/2 encoding, but the "evaluation version" is still in the picture.
So for what did we pay again ? Obviously not for mpeg-2 encoding... :D

[callstreet]

MyDVD don't do fancy things, because it's not a video editor. But entry level DVD authoring tools most support making slide shows of photo archives very easily. That's why I don't fancy JPEG compability, unless you can put JPEG on DVD. I have a DVD burner and it doesn't make economic sense to go back to CD, except for my old CD changer in my car, and some old CD players around the house.

Showbiz, the video editor that comes with MyDVD 4, and similarly ULEAD, can put on some more fancy effects like transition, that includes zooming. I tried to use the original picture and a blow up picture as the end points, and use transition effects such as zooming and fading in the middle. It's OK to use those better pictures as menus of blurry home movies. I just have no time for more fancy things. Half a live time of VHS waiting to be converted, and everybody have literually tons of digital pictures on something.

I was in love with my first Apex until now. Some time in life you find that your DVD tray is in-and-out all the time. I got the only Apex 3 disc changer and on trial together is the Sony 5 disc changer. The former is like running while the latter is like dancing a ballet. Though there is an nostalgic sound to the Apex box. It's noisy - you may feel like the VHS running or even 8mm wheels are on the projector! Precision mechanics and Apex just don't mix. Though you are unlikely to hear it in your seat unless the disc is wrapped - that's not uncommon. I can give up everything on the Apex, as long as the Sony can do -R and +RW. I have a Sony burner as well. But the only problem with the Sony is that it refuses to play PAL DVD (but play PAL VCD). That's not region protected, it's my own PAL home movie. Not a big deal but I may got a stash of PAL DVD's on any trip any time. Ripping them is easy but coverting to NTSC is I think is hard work!