ability to integrate video clips into PTE shows

[Ed Overstreet]

I know this point has been raised multiple times in this forum, but I want to make yet another pitch for the ability to integrate video clips into PTE. Numerous other programs can now integrate video and stills, but PTE still can't. I consider this to the be most important priority for the next version of PTE, trumping all other proposed new features IMO.

Just look at all the new cameras coming out with HD-video capability.

check out the excellent new "beginner's guide" to HD video at the DPR website:

http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Guides/hd_beginners_guide_01.htm

The writing is on the wall. If PTE doesn't respond, it's going to fall behind other programs very quickly and may lose some loyal users.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Ed,

Actually, Igor has responded to this type post several times and patiently explained that he is working on it as quickly as possible and will have it soon.

Though I'm also looking forward to the feature; when it has been done, I'm betting that it will not be one of the favorite PTE features because users are going to quickly realize just how large video files will make their slideshows. Only a few moments of an HD quality video can add "hundreds of megabytes" to a slideshow size even with the very best compression.

Want to show friends your new slidshows with video clips? Be prepared to absolutely must have fast broadband and hope that all your friends also have the same. Be prepared to wait for long periods for download viewing slideshows containing high resolution video clips.

I have numerous presentation slideshow products which allow video clips myself, (Photodex, CodeJam, AVStumpfl, Cyberlink, etc.) and I rarely use them because PTE has features none of these others have which are more important to me. I also have several high-end presentation video products (Sony Vegas Video - full complement, Adobe Premiere) which easily allow me to mix stills and video clips and I rarely use them either. Yes, it's nice to sometimes drop in a video clip in your slideshow, but the novelty quickly wears thin.

Yes, PTE must have video clip drop-in and also sound controls to stay competitive. But I think not because people "really" need these features as much as that they "think" they need them.

Best regards,

Lin

[jfa]

At a recent meeting one of our members proudly distributed an AV which contained a full-HD video made with his new Canon 7D. The .exe file size was a huge 410Mg and contained 70sec of video, 2 minutes of images, (about 25 images), with a little pan on a few but no other effects and a mp3 music track. The AV was made with that other AV software that will remain nameless.

Of the 7 people that took a copy home only 3 were able to run it without any problems on their equipment.

Yes Lin you are so right!!

Thanks for the link Ed it was very informative.

[xahu34]

... Yes, PTE must have video clip drop-in and also sound controls to stay competitive. But I think not because people "really" need these features as much as that they "think" they need them ...

Hi Lin,

I consider this as your personal opinion. What do we "really" need? I really like programming shows using scene graphs (parent/child stuff), but do we "really" need it to make a good AV production?

We should all be happy to have PTE's features on the side of the images, but having better support for audio would "really" be an improvement (maybe not in the focus of users whose interest concentrates on complex animations).

Regards,

Xaver

[Lin Evans]

.. Yes, PTE must have video clip drop-in and also sound controls to stay competitive. But I think not because people "really" need these features as much as that they "think" they need them ...

Yes, indeed my opinion. Of course the implicit assumption in your statement is that PTE is primarily for AV productions, which is itself yet another opinion, even if shared by the majority.

We indeed do "need" better support for audio to help those preparing AV productions, etc. We also "need" video clip drop-in support because it's necessary in order to keep PTE "competitive" in today's market even if when it is finally incorporated, it may not be as popular a feature as imagined for the stated reasons.

The only caveat which, in my opinion, developers need to keep foremost in mind is not to let "feature creep" overwhelm an otherwise fantastic tool. All the "features" present in some competitive products tend to make them a (please pardon the American expression) "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" in my opinion. Excessive features frequently lead to yet more "bugs" and sometimes make using a product so complex that only specialists can take advantage of them. It's always a difficult path for developers to travel when trying to maximize utility and still keep the product simple enough that it doesn't overwhelm new users.

Best regards,

Lin

Hi Lin,

I consider this as your personal opinion. What do we "really" need? I really like programming shows using scene graphs (parent/child stuff), but do we "really" need it to make a good AV production?

We should all be happy to have PTE's features on the side of the images, but having better support for audio would "really" be an improvement (maybe not in the focus of users whose interest concentrates on complex animations).

Regards,

Xaver

[Laszlo K]

Well!

I agree that the audio should be the primary improvement, at least a pair of stereo tracks, and maybe the possibility to split the stereo to 4 mono chanels. Now be demanding at this point crossfade and split/cut.

With this we would not have to go into all different audio editing programs. I'm sure creating or buy a plug in, that would work like the PTE's disc burning engine could be added without rework the whole program.

Video? I have been editing video for over 30 years, not professionaly but as a very fussy amateur. Using editing programs from Pinnacle to Elements. You need huge horspower, massive storage and at the time when lots of people having issues even to play the Rubic's Cube and JPD's show seamlesly, what you think will happen when video is added, unless it is seriously compressed.

Take the video and use a newer version of video editing program ( under $150.00) that can edit and output to HD 1080, import your stills, there you have multiple audio track and 3D FX. All in a neet package.

I like PTE for what it stands for and enjoy stressing it to hell ( don't forget I have a video editing desktop and laptop ) with the help of this forum.

Laszlo

[keithmart]

Hi

I found this free program, which will convert video to an exe file.

http://mulder.dummwiedeutsch.de/home/?page=projects

scroll down the page to makeinstantplayer.

PTE then can run the exe file within a slide show.

it works well enough, but it would be better if it was done properly from pte.

regards

Keith

Leeds UK

[thedom]

I found this free program, which will convert video to an exe file.

Hi Keith, thank you for the link.

I tested it (with mpg and avi files) and it works perfecly well.

The only problem is that it takes a lot of time to load the video, even with very short ones.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Dom,

It works well with mp4 h.264 conversion as well.

There is a command line parameter to remove the gif "splash" and the text in the read.me file says that this will greatly speed up the appearance of the executable but so far I'm unable to get it to work. It's probably a syntax problem on my part. I've registered at their forum to ask about how to remove the splash (exact syntax including spaces, etc.) but they require a five day wait before posting (go figure!!).

Best regards,

Lin

Hi Keith, thank you for the link.

I tested it (with mpg and avi files) and it works perfecly well.

The only problem is that it takes a lot of time to load the video, even with very short ones.

[Urmas]

Video? I have been editing video for over 30 years, not professionaly but as a very fussy amateur. Using editing programs from Pinnacle to Elements. You need huge horspower, massive storage and at the time when lots of people having issues even to play the Rubic's Cube and JPD's show seamlesly, what you think will happen when video is added, unless it is seriously compressed.

Take the video and use a newer version of video editing program ( under $150.00) that can edit and output to HD 1080, import your stills, there you have multiple audio track and 3D FX. All in a neet package.

Yes, it is possible to use some video editing software and put together stills and video already now. However, if you use PTE to show a still image for 5 seconds, it results in file size of just that one image file plus few lines of commands. It you use video to show the same image for 5 seconds, it results 5*25 (or 24 or 30 depending on your output frame rate and resolution) times the size of the image.

It means, if you need to use 20 seconds of video in 10 minute slideshow you actually result in 10 minute video clip. Here the file size gets unnecessary large and ability to integrate still images with video without rendering still images to video stream is of real importance and real space saver.

Still images are here to enable a viewer to see high quality details, to go into the picture. Video is to show movement. Being a nature photographer I realize the importance of both and really wait for the possibility to integrate still images with video in PTE. Hope it can be done.