AVI File

[BobbyC]

Hello,

I have searched and searched and can't seem to find a simple answer. I need to create an avi file to be used on a website, no sound, just a simple slideshow. I've tried repeatedly to make one but it never places the file in the destination folder that I specify. Can anyone help?

Thanks!

[davegee]

if you are using the "avi video file" option the avi is only temporary.

you need to use one of the other features.

dg

[Ken Cox]

in addition to Dave's entry

from the 4.48 help file

How to create DVD-Video disc

Using PicturesToExe you are able to produce AVI video file which can be easily burned as DVD-Video disc with help of any special software (read below). Even it is possible to create SVCD disc on usual CD-R disc with high quality of image and sound (almost as DVD-Video). PicturesToExe provides fast and lossless transferring of video and audio for converting into DVD-Video format. This allows to keep excellent quality of your presentations and very smooth transition effects.

Advice: please create usual EXE files for playing of presentations on PC, and DVD-Video disc if you want to play your presentations on DVD players connected to TV.

1) Preparing of AVI file file in PicturesToExe:

• Start PicturesToExe; open your project; and then call AVI video output dialog ("AVI button in the main window of PicturesToExe").
  
• Choose "NTSC" TV system, if you live in United States, Canada, Japan, Taiwan or South Korea.
  Choose "PAL/SECAM" TV system you live in Europe, Australia, Africa, or in any other country.
  
• Select "DVD-Video disc", if you have DVD-Writer or "SVCD disc" if you have usual CD-R/RW drive.
  
• "Interlaced for TV" option is highly recommended to get excellent quality and smoothness of transitions on TV.
  
• You can click "Preview" button to immediately see the resulting presentation playing as video file.
  In this mode, please ignore that transitions may be shown not so smooth. But on burned DVD-Video disc all transition effects will play excellent as in usual EXE file.
  Also we recommend to make sure that text fonts are enough large to be readable on the screen of TV.
• Now click the "Create AVI file" button and PicturesToExe will produce video file within 10-30 seconds.
  Important note: Please don't click "Finish" button until you didn't fully burn the DVD-Video disc.
  

2) Converting and burning AVI video file into DVD-Video disc:

• PicturesToExe can not burn DVD-Video, so you need to make use of any special software which can convert produced AVI video file into DVD-Video format and burn the disc.
  
• We recommend you to use Ulead DVD MovieFactory2 http://www.ulead.com/store/dmf/runme.htm which can do it. Also you will able to make simple DVD menu.
  (In this program, please don't forget to choose NTSC or PAL/SECAM in the Preferences window. To call this window, press F6 key).
  
• Please click the "Finish" button in PicturesToExe when the disc will be fully written.
  (Temporary AVI video file will be automatically deleted, because it is intended only for converting into DVD-Video format.)
  
• Enjoy with your recorded DVD-Video or SVCD discs!

Advice: SVCD on usual CD-R disc gives almost DVD video quality

Even if you don't have DVD writer, you can burn SVCD on usual CD-R disc via CD-R/RW writer with almost DVD quality! So it better never create VCD video which will looks very blurred and shows terrible transition effects.

And DVD or SVCD will make maximally possible (for TV) details and smoothness of transation effects in your presentations.

SVCD video disc can be played on any PC with CD-ROM or DVD-ROM and software for playing of DVD video disc. Or on most of stationary DVD players connected to TV.

Note: Advanced users can use "Create custom AVI video file" option for various purposes. This allows to produce AVI video file with necessary audio and video codecs (MPEG4, MJPEG, etc).

ken

[nobeefstu]

BobbyC,

Pay particular attention to Ken's post above ... Note: Advanced users can use "Create custom AVI video file" option for various purposes. This allows to produce AVI video file with necessary audio and video codecs (MPEG4, MJPEG, etc).

What Video Codec have you selected to create your AVI ?

If you selected PicturesToExe Video Codec ... you will receive a message popup " Making of AVI Video File" after initial processing. This indicates the PicturesToExe Video Codec requires a 3rd party program to complete the AVI file process. *See attached image.

Another issue you have to be aware of ... if you successfully create a Custom AVI File with your selected Video Codec for use on the internet/website, your users/viewers will also need the Video Codec on their system to decode and play the avi file. i think you need to research a bit more on website development as most web content today uses Flash based video.

[BobbyC]

Thanks for the replies, I have been designing websites for my commercial photography customers for about 10 years now and I do prefer to use flash but I have a client insisting on avi for whatever reason and was hoping picstoexe could supply it, I upgraded my older version because it appeared that it did, but apparently not for general use. If viewers would have to download a codec, that will be a deal killer for me. I'll have to look for another solution.

Thanks again for the responses.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Bobby,

It doesn't actually have to be that complicated. There are some codecs which are very common and "most" people with PC computers will have them so the probability that one of the viewers might not be able to view the AVI file would be small.

Codecs such as Microsoft MPEG 2 or MPEG 4 are so common that nearly everyone can view an AVI which uses this. If you simply choose "Create a Custom AVI" then PTE will present the available codecs on your system. The probability is that Microsoft MPEG 4 will be among the choices.

In addition, if you simply suggest that your users download and install a popular free player such as Kantaris Media Player the necessary codecs are included and there will probably be almost no one who can't view the AVI file. This is not an issue with PTE, it's an industry wide issue. It's like Flash. If the computer which is playing the file doesn't have a Flash player (free from Adobe) they won't be able to play Flash either. For example, none of the Apple iPads can play Flash!

There are so many video formats today that it's impossible to be absolutely certain that virtually everyone will be able to play your video. Players such as Kantaris Media Player are perhaps the best bet for PC based customers. Windows Media Player can leave you in the lurch at times unless you use one of Microsoft's formats.

I write tutorials primarily using AVI format and whenever someone has a problem with audio or video, simply downloading and installing either Kantaris or VLC Media Player always solves the problem.

To get back to your original problem, the "easiest" way to place a video on a website that I've found is to use Xara Web Designer 7. It will allow you to simply drop in one of the PTE MP4 or AVI videos and virtually everyone will be able to view it. It takes about 15 seconds to create a Video Page for your website with this tool and all code is generated. Highly recommended!

You simply upload to a folder on your host server and give the customer the link or put a link in their or your site to the upload folder using your own favorite development tool.

Here's a link to literally a 10 second generation with Xara Web Designer 7.... you can make backgrounds as you wish, change the size ot the player, etc., but this is just a literal dump of the generated MP4, export in 10 seconds then uploaded... From import to export is literally instantaneous.

http://www.learntoma...ideshows.net/x/

Best regards,

Lin

Thanks for the replies, I have been designing websites for my commercial photography customers for about 10 years now and I do prefer to use flash but I have a client insisting on avi for whatever reason and was hoping picstoexe could supply it, I upgraded my older version because it appeared that it did, but apparently not for general use. If viewers would have to download a codec, that will be a deal killer for me. I'll have to look for another solution.

Thanks again for the responses.

[nobeefstu]

BobbyC,

I have a client insisting on avi for whatever reason and was hoping picstoexe could supply it, I upgraded my older version because it appeared that it did, but apparently not for general use.

Another option you can use if you have PicturesToExe Deluxe (with upgrade features - HD Video for PC and Mac) is to create the video in .mp4 video format.

Once you have the .mp4 file produced ... use the PTE VideoConverter tool. It will convert the .mp4 format video container and save it in a .avi format video container. Your insisting client then has a avi file which is more compatible than a .mp4 file.