Which programs to use for editing, photo/video montage DVD's, gift slideshows?

[GreatToBeGrammy]

I would like to know your opinions on which programs I should use for editing my vacation and family photos. I also want to use the photos to make montage DVD's with music as well as put our old VHS vacation tapes on DVD's with background music.

 

I currently have (but don't really know much about how to use) Photoshop CS, Photoshop Elements 5, Roxio Media Creator 8 (includes My DVD and VideoWave). I don't really want to load all these programs on my new laptop if it isn't necessary to use all of them to do these projects. What do you all suggest?

 

Thanks for your help,

Grammy

[pierces]

I would like to know your opinions on which programs I should use for editing my vacation and family photos. I also want to use the photos to make montage DVD's with music as well as put our old VHS vacation tapes on DVD's with background music.

 

I currently have (but don't really know much about how to use) Photoshop CS, Photoshop Elements 5, Roxio Media Creator 8 (includes My DVD and VideoWave). I don't really want to load all these programs on my new laptop if it isn't necessary to use all of them to do these projects. What do you all suggest?

 

Thanks for your help,

Grammy

 

I use ULead DVD Movie Factory and CD & DVD Picture Show. They are easy to use and offer a lot of control over things like music, voiceover, panning and zooming.

 

http://www.ulead.com/runme.htm

 

Dave

[choclitsnda]

If you have a MicroSoft PC(XP or Vista), try using Windows Movie Maker, which probably came already pre-installed on your computer.:)

[jerseyjk]

My vote for photo slide shows is always ProShow Gold from Photodex. http://www.photodex.com You can use still photos or videos or any combination of them in your shows. It does transitions, motion effects, basic adjustments (hue, brightness, cropping), output to DVD, exe, VCD, avi or a half dozen other formats. Lots of audio options too. The Gold version may even use masks and layers (I use the Producer version) Very easy to use.

 

For minor editing I'd use Photoshop Elements (Photoshop CS is overkill if you're not going to use the advanced features)

 

As for transferring old VHS tapes, I have a stand-alone DVD recorder that I use to transfer and then do my editing in Premiere and After Effects. Those are probably overkill too, but it's a hobby.

[miami]

I have Photoshop CS3, Elements 5.0 and 6.0. Just started using 6.0 and they have a lot more backgrounds, frames, etc. to make digital scrapbook pages. Some trial and error but I figured out how to use Elements on my own.

[calgarygary]

I have also used ProShow Gold with amazing results. I found it a very easy program to use and you have the option of allowing the program to do almost all of the work or you can edit each picture for panning, zooming etc. I first used the program in putting together a memorial for my father, combined that with using lightscribe to burn his image onto a dvd and receive heartfelt thank-yous to this day.