CNET Editors' review
PhotoStage from NCH Software creates and saves video slideshows using your pictures, video clips, and tunes. It can save your slideshows to your PC, burn them on a DVD, send them to a mobile device, or upload them to a Web site. With drag-and-drop capability, video conversion, and download-on-demand features, it proved a capable tool for creating multimedia slideshows.
PhotoStage has an efficient layout that takes a step-by-step approach to creating slideshows. We began with Step 1, adding photos, music, and video clips to the Media List, which also let us insert blank spaces. Step 2 involved selecting effects from a tabbed menu, including Crop and Rotate, Pan and Zoom, Text Titles, and some basic video effects. Step 3, Record Narration, let us narrate our presentation and save it as an audio file. It automatically identified our audio inputs, including microphones (which you'll need to record your voice). Before we clicked on Step 4, Save Slideshow, we needed to create one, which we did quickly by dragging photos from our Media List to the clips track below. PhotoStage automatically configured each clip for our overall display time and each transition for our selected duration and effects, including a fade. Dragging sound clips to the audio track below the clips track added them to the production; likewise we could intersperse video clips easily by dragging frames from the saved conversions into our slideshow. We watched our production in the preview window, and, satisfied, saved it to a directory of our choice. It played normally in Windows Media Player when we clicked in it. PhotoStage's Save File wizard also gave us the option to burn our slideshow directly to a DVD, send it to a mobile device, or save it as an image slideshow.
At every step, PhotoStage was easy to use and practically self-explanatory, yet yielded top-quality results, quickly creating a desktop slideshow that we could share with friends and relatives. It also integrates with NCH's other video and media tools via the NCH Toolbox on the toolbar, should you choose to use it. If you're looking for a better slideshow experience, give PhotoStage a try.
Editors' note: This is a review of the full version of PhotoStage Video Slideshow Software 2.03. The trial version is limited to 14 days.
Publisher's Description
From NCH Software:
PhotoStage Slideshow Producer Professional creates a slide show from your videos and/or digital photos on Windows and applies effects such as fade, cross fade, zoom and much more. Burn your slide show to DVD for playback on TV, or as a standalone video file for enjoying on web and portable devices. Add a soundtrack, narrative or text captions to further enhance your memories. Touch up or enhance your photos and videos with ease. Transition Effects: Panning and zooming effects let you bring your photos to life. Fade transition effect gives your slide show that professional touch. Preview the effects in real time. Customize the duration of the effect. Photo Optimization: Fine tune brightness, saturation and color for photos and video. Add your favorite photos with a click of a button. Crop, rotate and flip photos easily and preview the changes in real time. Add text captions to individual slides. Add video clips for a complete slide show presentation. Audio Tools: Add music tracks to your slide show. Import pre-recorded narrations Share: Burn to DVD and watch in your living room on your TV. Show off your latest pictures and clips on PSP, iPod, iPhone, 3GP mobile phone, or Pocket PC. Explore the most advanced way to burn HD DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs. Output video files and share your creation with more friends on computer or through Internet.
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All versions:
3.1 starsout of 7 votes
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Results 1-7 of 7
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"I loved this program so I bought it!"
Version: PhotoStage Slideshow Producer Professional 2.12
Pros
Easy to use interface, nice auto features, looks great running on a plasma TV
Cons
Difficult to use multiple music tracks in one show
Summary
I tried out 3 other slideshow programs before buying this one. It has many nice features- like auto streatching a song so it plays through the whole show & being able to lengthen seconds each slide and transition play individually. I also like laying out my show on a timed strip so I could see how long the whole show played. I burned the finshed slideshow to a DVD for a gift & when my sister-in-law played it on the plasma TV it looked great.
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"What a disappointment!"
Version: PhotoStage Slideshow Producer Professional 2.12
Pros
Cheap. (Can't think of anything else good about it, but the review wouldn't let me use only the five letters in "cheap.")
Cons
(1) Does not follow Windows file sort convention. Thus, image files are not in sequence, making it laborious and time consuming to put the slides in order. No way to sort them other than the default, which really screws things up.(2) File names are not displayed in the timeline. This makes it a guessing game when trying to arrange the slides. (3) No way to generate a menu for selecting chapters. (4) No way to cue specific music tracks to specific sets of slides. THIS IS A KILLER FLAW! (5)Tech support is non-existent unless you are willing to pay. No way to offer suggestions for improvement. (6) When you pay, it is in foreign currency, (a fact they fail to mention)which results in a 3% surcharge from most credit card companies.
Summary
For a "quick and dirty" slideshow it is OK, but then there are FREE programs that do as good a job. This could be a good program with the changes mentioned, but as it is I would not recommend it to anyone.
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"Bad. Saty away! Don't waste your time!"
Version: PhotoStage Slideshow Producer Professional 2.12
Pros
easy interface, nice results
Cons
not able to save slideshows in any format. lots of crashes. technical support very low, not useful.program also installed unwanted subprograms and now my browser is funky too. Everything is slow since this program installed a lot of extra stuff without consent.
Summary
Whats the good of it if you can't even save the end product and the program keeps crashing. I never have computer issues--only this program which I've read lots of disappointing similar reviews.
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"nice ..........."
Version: PhotoStage Slideshow Producer Professional 2.12
Pros
..................
Cons
..........................
Summary
.........................
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"Don't like the automatic installs"
Version: PhotoStage Slideshow Producer Professional 2.12
Pros
I don't know.
Cons
I do not like when programs install little subprograms that have nothing to do with the main product. This program changed my browser settings--who knows what else it changed? Do not install this.
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"i have not used"
Version: PhotoStage Slideshow Producer Professional 2.10
Pros
i have not used
Cons
i have not used
Summary
i have not used this yet
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"Programa acessível"
Version: PhotoStage Slideshow Producer Professional 2.03
Pros
Fácil de fazer vídeos e apresentações. Eu não sou um usuário profissional, mas eu entendi muito rápido como fazer vídeo aqui
Cons
Eu usei apenas uma versão experimental
Summary
Eu gosto deste programa
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