[DentalMac2]

For his wedding reception my friend wants me to make a high quality video presentation using still photographs and background music.

How should I do this? What app should I use? One catch, it must be cross-platmform since he has a PC.

I have the following apps that might work:

iMovie
QT pro
Photoshop 7.0
Toast Titanium 5.2.1 (not the very latest version)
Graphics Converter 4.4.4
iView Media 1.0
PowerPoint from Office 98 - unfortunately

I would prefer to use iMovie so I can use titles. But I don't know how to best export the presentation.

I was thinking of exporting it as a full quality DV in iMovie then hope I could find a PC app that could play it.

I made a VCD using iMovie and Toast but the quality was terrible.

If all else fails I could take my Pismo with me, hope it connects to his video projector and run the presentation directly from iMovie.

Any help would be appreciated

[Uncle Skeleton]

I'm about 99% sure your pismo will connect fine to the projector, but...

you can export to whatever you want from iMovie and quicktime will play it in windows. I recommend 3ivx because with that you can play it back in any windows app (except apparently recent versions of Powerpoint). and it's free.

if you stich the original pictures together with QT Pro, though, you can save a ton of space on framerate. QTPro can add transparent titles, too. And moving titles, but those are trickier

[Hydra]

Can you get your hands on a Mac with iDVD? It's made for things like you describe above. You can add a folder of pictures to iDVD and add music for the background to your taste and even have iDVD fit the timing of the slideshow to fit the length of the music. Burned to a DVD-R and you have the ultimate in cross platform.

You can use the latest version of iMovie ( you already said you like it) and do the same thing with even more control. If you have a DV camcorder you could print to tape and just play it from the DV camcorder hooked up to the projector (just ask your friend what connections it has - but most have composite connections). That is probably the best solution for you.

-Jerry C.

[scottiB]

To have the best control, I'd suggest using your Pismo (since you can set-up a dry run at home ahead of time). Stuff always happens in the most inopportune times. Afterwards, you can promise your friend a version in whatever format he wishes.

I'd create it in iMovie and export it as a QT movie (NTSC>Sorenson3>29.97 fps>640x480>thousands of colors), and play it in QuickTime, looping, in "Present Movie" mode (Movie Menu>Present Movie). I'm not familiar with 3ivx, but I'm sure it has the same capabilities.

Set the resolution of your Pismo to 640x480 (in OS9, 800x600 in X) and connect either via your RCA/Composite out (or with the S-Video adapter) or a VGA (DB-15) cable (if using the VGA cable--make sure the projector's resolution is set to 640x480--you don't need to do this using the projector's RCA inputs).

In Present Movie mode, QT gives you the option of playing full screen on black. Downscaling your monitor to 640x480 will curtail any pixelation (which won't be much--even at 800x600). Using the RCA connections, 640x480 is required. (See AppleCare documents #28504: "PowerBook G3 Series: External TV Out" " & #58344: "PowerBook (Bronze keyboard and FireWire): Supported Resolutions for External Displays"). Plug your Pismo into a wall outlet, turn off any sleep or HD spindown options, and you should be all set.

Random thoughts: If running OS 9, apply a lot of memory to the QT (or 3ivx) app. I chose Sor3 codec for smallish size and relatively decent quality. Since the playback will be 640x480 via RCA, the quality need not be HD. Play around with various export codecs (not DV) and see what you like. Try to have a throughout of less than 1MB/sec to avoid stuttering (see this by selecting command+i while the movie is open)

Finally, sound. Your Pismo speakers (nor the projector's, I'd think) will not crank out the dBs. Bring some powered peripheral speakers, or, if this is to fill a room, a Bose Wave Radio will do the trick in a small package.

Have fun.

[DentalMac2]

Thanks for all of the replies. To be on the safe side I will take my Pismo on the trip. I was hoping not to since it is the server at my office.

Having the Pismo will allow me to edit the presentation if my friend wants me to.

With all of these detailed suggestions I should get it to work.

I had not thought of the sound issue. I do have a cable that will split the sound into right and left RCA outs. With this I can connect to whatever sound system is present at the wedding reception.

As a backup I will burn the presentation on as a DV onto a CD so my friend can hopefully read it. I will try running the CD on my sister's computer before I go to make sure this works.