14 DAY TRIAL // Technology gives us the chance of storing our memories on several digital supports. Photos are usually the medium we keep our memories on because it is easier to handle and the storage limit is not so strict. Simply keeping them on the computer is no longer enough for some of us and now you can make slide shows from them and write them to DVD.
A slide show is simply a set of pictures playing one after another without any action on the part of the user. That sounds great, as all you have to do is sink in a comfy armchair and watch the show. Embedding additional information or personal comments for each picture is also available in some slide show creating softwares.
VSO DVD Photo comes at a $25 price and offers you the chance to put your photos into a slide show and burn it to a DVD disc for later view. The trial version VSO-Software makes available for testing purposes has a 100-photo limitation and the final result will be marked with the company logo. Other then these restrictions, the software is fully functional.
Working with the application is simple as the intuitive interface is wizard like and you will benefit from step by step guidance throughout the entire process, from adding the pictures to burning the slide show to DVD.
The menu bar's only useful options are "Burn an existing compilation", project exporting/importing and the "Label edition" options. Every other option is covered in the wizard and the right click context menu.
Label edition is one of my favorite options supplied by VSO DVD Photo. Its purpose is to create a label for the disc and the user can almost fully customize it. To personalize the looks of the disc you can add a personal picture from your computer and also add some text of your own. The full customization is restricted by the fact that the text can only be positioned in four locations (top, bottom, left and right). Leaving the user the possibility of placing the text label anywhere on the surface (this option is available for placing the picture on the disc) of the disc would have added to the flexibility of the application. Despite this proof of stiffness, the software provides the user the chance of customizing the format of the disc.
Creating your own slide show from personal pictures involves getting over four easy steps. Adding the images is the first one and the set of options provided in here includes a little editing tool which comprises adding subtitles option, applying black and white and sepia effects. In the right part there is the Options pane allowing you to set the animation, animation factor, transition duration and duration of the picture display.
Adding some background music to play while the show is running is possible at the next step. The supported audio formats include the most popular ones (MP3, WAV and WMV) as well as more "non-conventional" types like OGG, MPC or APE. Just like in the previous step previewing option is available as well as playing the files in the internal audio player.
Step number three is where you make the DVD output format settings (PAL or NTSC and aspect ratio), set the DVD text label and choose the driver you want to use for burning the project (burning speed can be defined). Last stage of the operation is the burning operation itself. It begins with a quick format of the media and continues with the burning process. Given the multitude of burning engines on the market, I was concerned about the duration of the burning operation. Fortunately, VSO DVD Photo provides an estimated burning time so that you know when the process is over and plan other stuff in the meanwhile.
Settings menu is available at every step of the slide show creating operation. The first tab deals with languages. A monkey wrench thrown into covering the details of the software is languages tab. The 32 languages available will not provide the complete translation of all the options available in the application. Settings window is just an example, as Chapters menu is the one tab that has not been translated in any of the languages displayed. Also, getting back to English after selecting other language involves restarting the software for the change to take effects (this is not available for all the other languages as the effect will be seen right away).
Imaging tab supplies the user the necessary options for adjusting the quality of the image (for both Pan and Zoom effects), choosing the filter, the background color, general transition time and general display duration time.
Moving on to the DVD format the choices are the regular ones and you can make your selection depending on the device you will be using to view the project (aspect ration settings) and the region (PAL for Europe and NTSC for America and Asia).
The three subtitle channels available in the software can be configured to have different fonts, and the number of chapters can also be manually set or the default 5 chapters can be used.
The Good
VSO DVD Photo provides the means to create and burn the project you choose. It supports multiple burning devices and the final project can be saved on the computer.
The wizard like interface provides the ease of use every average computer user is looking for.
The Bad
Transition effects are definitely not the strong point in this case. Putting the price and the options available in the balance results in a heavy price tag and light features.
The Truth
Very easy to use, VSO DVD Photo fails in providing more than four transition effects. Considering the alternatives on the market, the price can be labeled as high.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
