Create Photo DVD Slideshows Using Picasa and DVD Maker
I began using Windows Vista DVD maker for all of my picture slideshows, however when I learned of Picasa’s capabilities in this same space (customization of title screens, more flexibility with formats, and the ease of use inherent with Picasa) I began to use Picasa instead. The problem arose when I was ready to burn my movie slideshow.
Other than for backup purposes, Picasa does not have offer the capability of burning a DVD slideshow that is viewable by most stand-alone DVD players. I went back to DVD maker from Vista and instead of adding pictures as I had done in the past I simply added the video files generated in Picasa and burned the DVD from those files instead. The result is a wonderful highly customizable photo slideshow viewable in most stand-alone DVD players. The guide below will walk you through the steps necessary to burn your own movie slideshow to DVD using Windows DVD Maker and Picasa 3. If you have any comments or questions, please post them below.
Before following the guidelines found in this tutorial you should read the following articles that will walk you through the process of creating movies in Picasa and then customizing your DVD menu in Vista DVD maker.
Article #1 – How to Burn DVD Slideshows in Vista
Article #2 – How to Create Movie Presentations and Slideshows in Picasa
Once you’ve completed the light reading included in the two articles above, proceed to the directions below.
Create Hi-Def Video in Picasa 3
1. After you select the photographs for the slideshow (Step #1 of Article #2). Click on the Movie tab and select either 1280X720 for 720p video or 1920X1080 for a 1080p video.
2. Click Create Movie after making your selections.
Movie creation In Progress…
Burning Picasa Movie Slideshow to DVD Using Windows Vista
Once movie creation is complete you can close Picasa and proceed to burning your movie to DVD.
1. Go to the Start menu > All Programs and click on Windows DVD Maker
Note: In order to use Windows Movie Maker & Windows DVD Maker you must have Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate.
2. Windows DVD Maker will load, now let’s select the movie files to add to the DVD. Click on the Choose Photos and Videos button from the DVD maker splash screen.
3. Click on Add Items located on the top-left corner.
4. Browse to the directory where the movie file was saved (Picasa defaults to "PicturesPicasaMovies"), click on the file and click on the Add button. If you have multiple video files to add, hold the [Shift] key on your keyboard and click on each video to add to the selection and click the Add button when you are done.
5. Depending on the size of your slideshows it may take a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes to process the video, click Next when you are ready to proceed.
6. Configure the DVD menu you would like to use for this DVD, (please refer to Article #1 for more information). Click Burn when you are ready.
7. Burning will commence, this process may take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours (depending on the number of videos and your computer specifications).
Once burning is completed, insert your new DVD into a DVD player and enjoy the show!
Picasa does not have offer the capability of burning a DVD slideshow that is viewable by most stand-alone DVD players.
How about burning a Picasa movie using Windows 7?
Bill,
That’s what DVD Maker can be used for. Simply select the Picasa movie and add it to the media you wish to burn in Windows DVD Maker. Let me know if you need help with this.
OOPS I meant windows DVD maker. But, what is the difference between the 2?
Pam – Thanks for your question. Movie Maker allows you to put together images, videos, and other content into a single movie file…it then renders that file so that it can be brought over to DVD maker to create the actual DVD. You can create a movie in DVD maker without the Movie Maker application, but you loose a lot of the features and customizations that ship with Movie Maker.
In summary, DVD maker is great for a quick video that you are trying to put together and burn in same workflow. Movie Maker gives you more control over what you can do to customize your video and relies on DVD maker for the DVD burning process.
I hope this makes sense, if you need further clarification, please let me know. Good luck with your video project.
Can I use vista movie maker and add music to the DVD to run on the DVD player?
Solid information and well laid out. Thanks.
Helpful site! Wondering if you can play help desk for me… yes it all seems to simple but I’m getting stuck trying to create the file from draft. (Grrr) It says “in porgress” but doesnt actaully create the file. I’ve uninstalled ans reinstalled picasa. Doing my head in. Any advice?
Thanks G
@Georgia – How big is the DVD you are trying to create and what are the specs for your computer? If you have an older PC and large files this could be the reason why its taking longer…let me know so that I can help you. Good luck!
@Rich, nice, but not for $60.
Why don’t you use Photo DVD Maker? http://www.photo-dvd-maker.com
It’s by far the best I’ve seen. Individual pic transition, adding sub, multi format etc it has everything and is super highly customizable! I advise you not to give it a miss
@Rich – Thanks for the recommendation.
Alternative, you can burn picasa photo dvd for tv playback in one single software.
http://www.photo-to-dvd.com/tutorial/burn-picasa-web-album-slideshow-dvd.html#125
@vfox: Looks like a great application for this task. Thanks for sharing.