Can I convert an EXE show to something I can put on a USB for TV viewing?

[carolphoto]

Hi,

I unfortunately lost the project version of most of my P2E shows when I changed the file structure on my computer (PC).  I only have the saved EXE shows, with music.  It would be too much work to re-create them.  My HP Notebook that would normally have played the EXE shows on my TV has stopped working. Is there any way to save the EXE shows in a way that I could put them on a USB stick, such as an AVI format, to play them on my TV directly from the USB?

I can only see that this can be done in Pictures to EXE from a project.  Any suggestions?

Thanks a lot,

Carol

 

 

[Lin Evans]

Hi Carol,

Since an exe file is played (executed) by real-time instructions to the computer, there is no way other than by screen capture to convert an exe format to a video format. 

Using a really good screen video capture might suffice, but remember it will probably only work well if there is minimal animation in the shows and it will only capture at screen resolution. 

Best regards,

Lin

[carolphoto]

Hi Lin,

Thanks so much for your quick reply.  There isn't any animation in the shows, only music.  How do I do a "really good screen video capture" as you suggest. To me it sounds like I need to play the show and video it.  

I also found this on the internet.  Any comments on it?

http://tips.betdownload.com/how-to-convert-exe-to-video-mkv-avi-ect-1353n.aspx

Thanks for any additional help.  You are a tremendous help to the P2E community and I really appreciate all you have  done.

Carol

[Lin Evans]

Hi Carol,

The software you found doesn't covert a true exe file to video format, it converts a special type of video having an exe extension to other video formats. The video file which has an exe extension is a special case where the video may have a player built in. Using the extension .exe for this type file is somewhat misleading because it really should be called a self executing video file rather than an exe file. Unfortunately it will not work for what you want to do.

You don't want to try to use an optical video recorder to capture your shows. I mean a video camera capturing the actual screen. This causes all types of issues with synchronization problems such as artifacts (lines rolling up, etc.). What you need is video capture software which will capture at at least 30 frames per second. 

Here is an example:

https://www.movavi.com/screen-capture/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Win Screen Capture - USA - En - MozzherinaSTOP_20_06_2016&utm_term=video capture software&utm_content=Video Capture Software (-screen)

Best regards,

Lin

[carolphoto]

Hi Lin,

Thanks so much for the additional information and the link.  I will give it a try.

Best regards,

Carol

 

[Lin Evans]

Hi Carol,

This was just one example and some products work much better than others. Depending on your individual computer configuration, RAM, graphics card, etc., there may or may not be sufficient resources to both play an executable file and simultaneously screen capture smoothly. Always try a product on a trial basis before purchasing. The Movavi product will not function properly on my Win XP computer which has a decent video card and is maxed out for RAM - I haven't tried it on my Win 8.1 system so can't really comment on its suitability.

The important thing is that whatever product you try it must capture in at least 30 frames per second to be useful.

Best regards,

LIn

[Ronniebootwest]

High Carol, I can't offer any assistance with your problem I'm afraid, Lin has given such in depth adivice that I hope will help you. However, you are not the first person to have lost your project files it has happened to me in the past!  To protect myself now, I always save my shows as an mp4 file (in addition to  the project and backup in zip) and then copy the mp4 to a usb stick. I can then use this usb to connect to my TV.

Ron

[carolphoto]

For Ronniebootwest,

Thanks for the commiseration Ronnie.  I have just learned how to make an AVI file for my PTE shows (it works on a USB to TV), and will do that from now on.  So simple to do.  

Something very useful that you mentioned about saving a project in zip.  I didn't know that I could save a project in zip.  That's even better if it then allows you to make changes to the show later on, even if you've changed your file structure.  Terrific.

Thanks a lot,

Carol

 

 

[Ronniebootwest]

Carol,

AVI are fine but, an MP4 file will produce a much better and higher resolution.
Check the slide shows on my website:  http://www.ronniewestphotography.com

You might also like to read my tutorial on 'making your first slide show' that you will find on the Tutorial Page.

[davegee]

A word of warning.

An AVI produced by PTE is not recognised by all TVs.

Check the spec of the TV (or projector) to ensure compatibility with AVI.

DG

[jt49]

AVI is just a container format. Devices typically do not care that much for the container, but of course there may be problems with the video or audio codecs used inside!