An Experiment Designed for YouTube Presentation

[Lin Evans]

Lately, on YouTube I've seen several presentation slideshow companies post videos demonstrating why they think their product is "best" for creating slideshows. Some are pretty decent and some are, in my opinion, pretty pathetic - especially in their animation effects.

We all know that PTE is the "best" available for our purposes and even though the competition has some pretty neat features, PTE can do things with the others either can't do or do with much difficulty. Each of the main competitive products have strengths and weaknesses, but my personal opinion is that "we" have the very best right here with PTE.

Polaroid (not the same photography company, but someone who bought the name) has purchased a domain name (bestslideshowsoftware.com) and advertises their slideshow software as the "best" - see link here:

http://www.bestslideshowsoftware.com

This software has been winning "awards" from a company which "tests" and "rates" slideshow software. Of course they haven't tested or rated PTE or Producer or Wings Platinum or m.objects or any of the really "good" products - but I believe that the Wnsoft product needs to be advertised and promoted and the world shown what a "really" good and "professional" grade presentation slideshow software looks like. To help accomplish this, I purchased two domains (thebestslideshowsoftware.com and thebestslideshowsoftware.net) and put up a single page which when clicked leads to the Wnsoft site:

http://www.thebestsl...howsoftware.com

Further, I plan a series of YouTube video's demonstrating not only fancy animations and effects, but also simple and really "good" slideshows of the type found in major AVI competitions. I've made the first attempt which is one which demonstrates some of the more esoteric and "fancy" capabilities of PTE, but I'm asking for assistance from everyone to provide some really superior work. Let's all work together and get material which will knock the socks off of the competition - can we do that?

So here are links to what I plan to post to YouTube later today. The show runs a little over 10 minutes and is about an 85 meg download, so for those with reservations about downloading large files, you can click the video link if you want to see it. It's a combination of a number of my previous shows and designed to show off some of the fancy things possible. However, I want to make it clear that my idea is to equally promote "quality" shows in a series to knock the socks off the competition - so I need help, suggestions and donated shows....

http://www.lin-evans...ample/index.htm (video which was done at 1280x720 but smaller for this post) the upload to YouTube example will be 720p

http://www.lin-evans...lideshowmac.zip (84 meg MacIntosh native exe)

http://www.lin-evans...stslideshow.zip (84 meg Windows zipped exe)

Start Video and immediately click on Pause - Let the video buffer until the "gas gauge" is about half way across then restart for uninterrupted play back.

Lin

[fh1805]

Lin, I've sent you a PM.

Peter

[David Porter]

Hi Lin,

An excellent idea and your A/V's certainly show off the power of PTE. As A/V's I would not think of suggesting any changes but if you were thinking of this as a promotional video (which it is really) then I think it should be much quicker paced. The snow scene for instance would still get the message across if this were sped up to a third the length and this applies to some others as well. I would also move the Rubik cube nearer the beginning for more effect. Does Igor not have an advertising department that could advise?

[Lin Evans]

Hi Mick,

Those are great ideas, and one's we can implement in future uploads. This one is already on its way and there are technical reasons why I can't speed up this snow animation. With a "different" one, yes - but the one I selected has to stay as is.

For future demonstrations, I hope to have a variety from PTE users which represent not only the animation capabilities, but also the true "slideshow" superiority via award winning shows if possible. Hopefully, we can get input from a number of not only this, but our French forum as well where there are some amazing demonstrations.

Best regards,

Lin

[Lin Evans]

Hi Peter,

Here is the Youtube link:

If you get a chance see if you can post this link in a response:

http://www.thebestslideshowsoftware.com

Thank,

Lin

Lin, I've sent you a PM.

Peter

[xahu34]

Lin, I have sent you an e-mail!

Best regards,

Xaver

[coopernatural]

Lin,

Just my take, without PMs.

Youtube is a whole different kettle of fish to shows on our ‘Sleepy Hollow’ Forum.

Pitching a slideshow in a site predominantly video based, you are up against it.

As a software,PTE is up with the best of them.Promotion of PTE as far as things go,is a pretty low key.

I would be wary of making challenges to other software users. Might upset some peeps and unlike here,

no PC moderators to jump in to the rescue.

I’m not sure if video optimization tweaks still work for Youtube,but might be worth checking out.

Video, I would go to 1080 as that will allow better video and audio bandwidth.

Some of the PTE shows I hear,have the distinctive ‘scowl’ of low quality, low bit rate recording,and all to save a few mb of space.

Back to the presentation and to me,it just didn’t work.I viewed them as a would be Youtube viewer and things were just too slow.

No need to play each show in its entirety. The snow globe for instance took an age to develop.

A show comprising your AV compilation edited down to around 3 mins might work better as a promo. As Suzanne Vega said,” Don’t give away the goods too soon”.

AVs from others (if forthcoming)could focus on other aspects and styles. More scope to a wider audience.

Davy

[Lin Evans]

Hi Davy,

Good comments and as expected!

Actually, the purpose of the first demo has done exactly what was intended - stir up interest and commentary.

1080p on YouTube won't work for animations - there actually is no need to even try - been there, done that. The bandwidth is far too low and the quality goes down the tubes quickly (pun intended). 1080 works for simple transitions and stills without animation, but simply is, in my opinion, useless for trying to demonstrate smooth animation on Youtube or Vimeo.

I'm completely familiar with the "right" approach for marketing. I was married to a very successful marketing executive for 35 years. This first example wasn't intended to be the end-all for demonstrating PTE's capabilities but was indeed intended as a challenge to stir up controversy both here and on Youtube about slideshows. So far it's woking perfectly for that purpose!!

It's quite O.K. to "challenge" the competition. They can then post their best efforts and we all know what that will unveil... We here know that the competition can't compete with either quality or animations with PTE. The "world" doesn't know it yet, but maybe we can make more people aware of the differences. Competition promotes advancements in both features and quality. Tip toe through the tulips is not the way to get there in my opinion.

I spend lots of time "looking" at what the competition can and can't do. It's a fun hobby. Some even here on this forum are fond of telling us where PTE has shortcomings and how thing are better with certain other products. Funny thing is, I can't find a single example of this demonstrated and I look very hard. Please, if someone has a slideshow done with m.objects or Wings Platinum or Proshow Producer, or Polaroid new "prize winning" software, which demonstrates superiority. lead me to them so I can see this superiority for myself. I'm not holding my breath because I use most of these products also and am pretty familiar with their strengths and weaknesses.

Yes - the snowglobe took exactly as long to develop as it was intended and necessary - LOL. That was the absolute purpose. One doesn't go from Spring to covered with snow in a few seconds if the intent is to convey some modicum of "reality." Only the first (the snow globe) was a "complete" show. The remainder were only parts of shows designed to fit the intended background music and demonstrate, at a leisurely pace, some of the possible effects with PTE.

Future examples planned as marketing devices and will be short and focused and should include something for everyone. There should be examples of fancy and animated and examples of smooth, beautiful and family oriented. The intent is to show people what can be done with this product. If in doing this a few feathers are ruffled with users of other products, that's fine. Maybe it will stimulate them to do better work.

Keep the comments and ideas coming - the more discussion we can generate, the better things will be in the future...

By the way, here's some of the "competition" ....

Best regards,

Lin

[coopernatural]

Lin,

I should have known you had a good reason not to go 1080. I didn't know about the problem with animation.

Haven't been much of a fan of Youtube for AVs when comparing the quality there to exe files.

I wasn't meaning that you should not challenge the competition,but more to to with the acne faced air heads who will use x,y,z software instead

and their responses. Lots of colourful language etc.

Being from the old school,my marketing skills are limited. 'You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.'

This is a very interesting project and I hope it gets the attention it deserves, both here and Youtube.

Have fun.

Davy

[coopernatural]

Lin,

My vote for a nominated AV to go along with other contributors would be Jan Frojdman's 'Do it in a Basket'.

It worked so well in HD.

Davy

[Lin Evans]

Hi Davy,

That's true - but what we need to do is to demonstrate the differences between what is "possible" with PTE and what is possible with the competition. Xaver was kind enough to send me a link to AquaSoft's page where they have some demos - worth watching I think: A good one to start with is at the bottom labeled "Windmühle"

- really professional animations

http://www.aquasoft....ashow.as#videos

And I added this Youtube link to a demo of a Proshow Producer presentation on Youtube with a rather interesting title on my prior post - see it here for comparison:

Obviously, the above isn't a good example of what "could" be done with Proshow Producer because, unfortunately, it plays to Proshow's weaknesses rather than its strengths. But it does show what some people "think" are great examples of what can be done. I think it works "very" well in favor of what is done daily by members of this and the French PTE forum members with PicturesToExe and demonstrates quite well the differences.... Check it out and I think you will agree that the "competition," when they attempt to "animate" for the most part look pretty much like cartoon characters. There are "attempts" to overcome the obvious with loud percussive music, but if you turn off the tunes and just look at the images and animations, it's pretty sad in my opinion.

Best regards,

Lin

[coopernatural]

Holy crap,are these people having a laugh. I even noticed a magic mushroom in there.

Too bad to be true.

I have Proshow Producer.Just don't like it. PTE for me everytime.

Re the first link. It came up all German.Lucky there was an English tab there.

I thought you were having a laugh too.

Davy

[coopernatural]

Lin,

Not forgetting the French.

They have the best food,wine,women and of course the best PTE manual.

I would nominate Canteau for his superb 3D work.

Davy

[Lin Evans]

Absolutely!

Lin

Lin,

Not forgetting the French.

They have the best food,wine,women and of course the best PTE manual.

I would nominate Canteau for his superb 3D work.

Davy

[Lin Evans]

Hi Davy,

You got it! I think the person who made the show was quite serious. The issue is that it's just too hard to do the things we can do with ease in PTE using Producer. Producer is very good for what it does really well and that is that it is superb for lending itself to the manipulation of rectangular objects in novel ways. It's also very amenable to "styles" and such making the inexperience user able to produce a decent show with minimal effort and experience. Kudo's to Photodex for this.

The bottom line is that when one becomes tired of "toys" and wants a tool, they gravitate to PTE. Like the comic (though perhaps not intended that way) animations in AquaSoft's example, they simply appeal to a totally different user I think.

Lin

Holy crap,are these people having a laugh. I even noticed a magic mushroom in there.

Too bad to be true.

I have Proshow Producer.Just don't like it. PTE for me everytime.

Re the first link. It came up all German.Lucky there was an English tab there.

I thought you were having a laugh too.

Davy

[fh1805]

1080p on YouTube won't work for animations - there actually is no need to even try - been there, done that. The bandwidth is far too low and the quality goes down the tubes quickly (pun intended). 1080 works for simple transitions and stills without animation, but simply is, in my opinion, useless for trying to demonstrate smooth animation on Youtube or Vimeo.

Lin,

As I mentioned in our PM exchange, I uploaded my Rubik's Cube sequence to YouTube shortly after I completed it. The file is a 1920x1080 H264 HD Video (same as the one I provided you with via the PM exchange). Provided that you leave the YouTube playback at its default size, i.e. don't try and run it at full-screen, I think the animation comes across reasonably well.

YouTube link is:

regards,

Peter

[coopernatural]

Peter,

A cool AV that works really well.

I liked the 'Swingout Sister' version of the song better.

Have it somewhere.

Davy