The other day I thought of a way to get people hooked on HDM and so far it has worked well. I downloaded a free trial version of video editing software, and found that with a click of a button you can create HD DVDs on regular DVD-Rs and also Blu-Ray discs too (you need a Blu-ray burner for those).

I took a whole bunch of my best digital family photos that have a much higher resolution than HDM and created a quick and simple slide show. I added some music, a few special effects, and what do you know? I now have a personalized HDM movie to show my firiends, and give to my relatives who already have or who are getting HDM players as gifts!

The best part is the slideshow looks absolutely amazing in HD. My wife even mentioned how some pictures look almost 3D on the TV, which is great because usually she normally could care less about HD anything...I always catch her watching her favorite show in SD when they are availalbe in HD!:eek:

I did a trail run last night with a few friends and the response was amazing. The all asked where they could get a DVD player that could play THEIR pictures in HD. All the wives joked about how it was the best HD show they had ever seen, and that it was much better that HD sports.

I asked them all, "Do you have an HDTV?", then said "well, you need and HD player!"...I should have added or HD game console too!:D


(btw, I had an earlier post in the HD DVD forum about this, but realized it applies to BOTH formats, so that is why I put this here).

It is a very nice idea for sure, but I doubt it will take off as a way to entice people to buy into HDM....

On a side note, my parents DLP has a card reader built in so whenever we want to see home pics from the digital camera, we just slide in the sd card and we're good to go...no added expense. :)

It is a very nice idea for sure, but I doubt it will take off as a way to entice people to buy into HDM....

On a side note, my parents DLP has a card reader built in so whenever we want to see home pics from the digital camera, we just slide in the sd card and we're good to go...no added expense. :)


Actually, that is very cool...but will it play cheesy music with the slide show?
I used that "wonderful world/over the rainbow" song from the old eToys commercials and also "ordinary miracle" from Charlotte's Web.

Actually, that is very cool...but will it play cheesy music with the slide show?
I used that "wonderful world/over the rainbow" song from the old eToys commercials and also "ordinary miracle" from Charlotte's Web.

Nope...but we don't really do the whole orchastrated picture slide show...if we have a few quick pics of something to show my parents, we just pop in the disc and show them...no editing etc...just not our thing to go through all the steps you happen to go through.

The other day I thought of a way to get people hooked on HDM and so far it has worked well. I downloaded a free trial version of video editing software, and found that with a click of a button you can create HD DVDs on regular DVD-Rs and also Blu-Ray discs too Three (probably) dumb questions. Would this also work with a CD-RW? With an SD reader attached to an HDM player with a USB port? And is a conventional, non-HDM player not up to the task, even if it upconverts?

Three (probably) dumb questions. Would this also work with a CD-RW? With an SD reader attached to an HDM player with a USB port? And is a conventional, non-HDM player not up to the task, even if it upconverts?

I am not sure about the CD-RW. I was going to try it because I have a slide show that is onlt 600 MB, but I can't find a burnable CD right now. My bet is that you can't do it, although in the past I made DVDs from CDs.

As for USB port, you would need a way tot tell the player to look for media there. I do know that you can do this with a PS3, but I doubt it would work on any stand-alone.

Finally, I think there are up converting DVD players that can play Divx files that are 1280x720. Besides that, an upconverting DVD player can only read 480i files (720x480 interlaced). For HD you need an HD player.

I should add, that I am loving this HD on DVD thing. I have burned about 10 discs and have not had a problem playing them. I also bought an HD camcorder, and am freaking amazed at how good it looks. I took some video at a college basketball game (it was the first game attended by my 3 year-old son) on Friday and the video ended up looking better than HD broadcasts!

I am not sure about the CD-RW. I was going to try it because I have a slide show that is onlt 600 MB, but I can't find a burnable CD right now. My bet is that you can't do it, although in the past I made DVDs from CDs.

As for USB port, you would need a way tot tell the player to look for media there. I do know that you can do this with a PS3, but I doubt it would work on any stand-alone.

Finally, I think there are up converting DVD players that can play Divx files that are 1280x720. Besides that, an upconverting DVD player can only read 480i files (720x480 interlaced). For HD you need an HD player.

I should add, that I am loving this HD on DVD thing. I have burned about 10 discs and have not had a problem playing them. I also bought an HD camcorder, and am freaking amazed at how good it looks. I took some video at a college basketball game (it was the first game attended by my 3 year-old son) on Friday and the video ended up looking better than HD broadcasts!

I appreciate your report here: both the stills and camcorder video have seemed to me such an obvious use of an HDTV--so glad to hear your setup works so well. I was thinking a CD-RW on an HDM player ought to work in theory because--it's just a jpg data file, yes? Ditto the camera's SD flash card (inserted in a reader, attached to a USB port) if, as you say, the player would have to "know" what to do with files.

Meanwhile, I burned a few 16:9 images from our Panasonic Lumix onto a CD-RW, put it in our conventional DVD....and the results were underwhelming. So I'm sure you're right about needing an HD player. Or at least a built-in slot on the HDTV.

What software does this?

What software does this?

DVD Studio Pro

...I was thinking a CD-RW on an HDM player ought to work in theory because--it's just a jpg data file, yes? Ditto the camera's SD flash card (inserted in a reader, attached to a USB port) if, as you say, the player would have to "know" what to do with files...
If you want music and author discs as HD DVD/BD, then CDRW/memory cards are not going to work. If just showing a static pictures/slide show, it comes down to what your player can do. I guess most players can read jpg files, but not necessarily a slide show?

Meanwhile, I burned a few 16:9 images from our Panasonic Lumix onto a CD-RW, put it in our conventional DVD....and the results were underwhelming. So I'm sure you're right about needing an HD player. Or at least a built-in slot on the HDTV.

Conventional DVD players are only 480i. Even the upconverting ones start with 480i before making them 720p or 1080i. That means those pretty 6 MP pictures get reduced to 720x480...yuck.


What software does this?


Several packages. I use Video Studio 11.

I am not sure about the CD-RW. I was going to try it because I have a slide show that is onlt 600 MB, but I can't find a burnable CD right now. My bet is that you can't do it, although in the past I made DVDs from CDs. This evening, a friend and I tried reading a set of jpgs burned on a CD-RW on a his Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player, but all we got was a screen saying the player doesn't read non-DVD media. (The unit has no USB port.)

A lot of bd players come with flash memory slots that you can insert the camera cards in and play the slideshows in 1920x1080. xb360 also has usb slot you can add a flash reader.

The slideshows look better read directly from the jpeg files than if you scale them and compress them.

If you put the files onto any optical media, the players also play the slideshow.

The recent A2 sale has been a good boost to the gift-giving season. Im gonna give one to my damned stubborn brother who just wont upgrade even though he is a movie buff. Now he will have NO choice because Im not giving him the receipt to return it.... hehehehe:D

The recent A2 sale has been a good boost to the gift-giving season. Im gonna give one to my damned stubborn brother who just wont upgrade even though he is a movie buff. Now he will have NO choice because Im not giving him the receipt to return it.... hehehehe:D

Maybe he's not a fan of the high priced media and thus wants to wait things out....of course he could rent if he is indeed a movie buff.

A lot of bd players come with flash memory slots that you can insert the camera cards in and play the slideshows in 1920x1080. xb360 also has usb slot you can add a flash reader.That sounds promising. Any card slots/USB ports on HD DVD players? (Haven't committed to either; just wondering.)

That sounds promising. Any card slots/USB ports on HD DVD players? (Haven't committed to either; just wondering.)

If you just want to show pictures get a cheap 360 or PS3. They can play HD pictures/music/video from USB ports and also stream them from your PC which is even cooler.

My goal is to make HD DVDs that I can give to family members for the holidays. I have several family members who live a thousand miles away and do not get to see us very often. For them I am making a few slideshows with video mixed in, and also a few special home videos that the kids are acting out.

I had thought about getting an LCD picture frame, but with these HD DVD, I can add text and video. Titles/descriptions are very important.