Questions on Powerpoint

[MossRoad]

Don't know if it's practical or not but I would like to set up a laptop computer to run a Power-point slide show in the background. The presentation would actually be displayed on a remote, wall mounted 26" flat screen monitor that will be around 37' from the laptop itself. While the presentation is running I would also like to be able to use the laptop for other applications ie. email or web site surfing. Is this possible, and would I need any special hardware or software? Will the laptop itself require any special configurations or memory requirements to work without being to slow?

Keep in mind that I have yet to purchase the laptop, monitor, or connecting cables so I would appreciate any input so that the correct equipment can be purchased the 1st time around.......

THANKS in advance!

Most decend laptops are now capable of running an external monitor at the same time as the laptop display. I do this every day at work. Just extend my desktop to cover both monitors. The mouse moves back and forth between them and you can drag any program to the other monitor or half way or whatever fits your needs. So, I would drag the Power Point presentation to the other monitor, maximize it and it will automatically fill the second monitor. I have a 50' VGA cable that works fine for this. I can plug it into the second monitor, projector or video input for our in-house cable TV distribution system and away I go. I can work on my laptop screen while the Power Point program runs on the other monitor.

The only thing you would have to worry about is the length of the cable and some signal loss. But I can tell you that I have been running several machines with remote monitors on cheap, crummy, inexpensive VGA cables with no problems whatsoever for 10 or more years. It should work fine.

 

[rswyan]

Now all I need to figure out is how to put a presentation on a CD-R

Mike,

I think what you actually need to do is create a DVD-Video (a format) on a DVD-R (aka DVD-Recordable, the physical disc or medium) - since your player will probably not play a DVD-Video which is recorded on a CD-R. (Desktop computers can play a DVD-Video recorded on CD-R, set-top DVD boxes usually can't)

Basically what you need to do is gather up your photos, decide the duration that you want each to appear, decide whether you want them to be static images or whether you want some zooming or panning across the images to create some motion (video that doesn't move or have any motion isn't real interesting - viewers' attention spans tend to be real short), decide if you want transitions (dissolves, etc.) or just cuts from one image to another and you need to decide if you want any background music.

Then you incorporate all the elements and "author" (or create) a movie in a program designed to do that. Personally I use Adobe After Effects.

Your movie will need to be compressed using MPEG-2, which is the format DVD's use. The audio should be compressed and encoded to Dolby Digital AC-3.

Then you take the compressed movie and import it into a DVD-Authoring program (I use DVD Studio Pro) and "build" a DVD-Video. Once the program is built, it needs to be burned onto a DVD-R disc using a burning program - personally I use Toast, but there are others.

 

[RFB]

And rswyan's post is why I suggested the MacBook Pro.

I have been a PC user since 286's with 20mb hard drives. This year I switched/added the MacBook Pro.

Mac excells at video composition (and all other artsy graphics, music and photo type stuff).

No computer is perfect, but the MacBook Pro is a signifcant step in having a multiple-use tool that solves the PC or Mac question. With the Parallels program installed, it is like having 2 notebooks in one, with no "stalls" running a Windows program on one side (like Power Point), while using the creativity and stability of the Mac on the other side.

 

[PineRidge]

Mike,

I think what you actually need to do is create a DVD-Video (a format) on a DVD-R (aka DVD-Recordable, the physical disc or medium) - since your player will probably not play a DVD-Video which is recorded on a CD-R. (Desktop computers can play a DVD-Video recorded on CD-R, set-top DVD boxes usually can't)

Basically what you need to do is gather up your photos, decide the duration that you want each to appear, decide whether you want them to be static images or whether you want some zooming or panning across the images to create some motion (video that doesn't move or have any motion isn't real interesting - viewers' attention spans tend to be real short), decide if you want transitions (dissolves, etc.) or just cuts from one image to another and you need to decide if you want any background music.

Then you incorporate all the elements and "author" (or create) a movie in a program designed to do that. Personally I use Adobe After Effects.

Your movie will need to be compressed using MPEG-2, which is the format DVD's use. The audio should be compressed and encoded to Dolby Digital AC-3.

Then you take the compressed movie and import it into a DVD-Authoring program (I use DVD Studio Pro) and "build" a DVD-Video. Once the program is built, it needs to be burned onto a DVD-R disc using a burning program - personally I use Toast, but there are others.

So Randy, do you think you can educate me enough that I might do this thing on my own or would it be simpler if I let my graphic artist guy (you) do it?

 

[MikePA]

If all you're doing is displaying photos, then there's a better product. Slide Show To Go handles photos, transitions, captions, creating standalone executables, continous playing, etc. much better than Powerpoint. It will also create a DVD or a CD. Forget Powerpoint for photos and no need for a graphic artist. Read all the photos into SSTG, select the transition between slides (or select random), select how long each slide stays on the screen, add text to photos (if needed), add sound, etc. All for $24.95. Much, much easier than PowerPoint. No muss, no fuss.

 

[PineRidge]

Mike I would actually like to display our web site HTML pages with graphics.

 

[MikePA]

Mike I would actually like to display our web site HTML pages with graphics.

All the pages in your website? If it's just a few (20, 30, ????), you could screen print them and create separate pictures for each screenshot.

 

[rswyan]

So Randy, do you think you can educate me enough that I might do this thing on my own

Mike,

What software tools do you have access to ? And do you do you a DVD recorder ?

How many images are we talking about ?

or would it be simpler if I let my graphic artist guy (you) do it?

I'm sure that it would be simpler for you.

I've done it long enough to be intimately familiar with the process.

 

[rswyan]

If all you're doing is displaying photos, then there's a better product. Slide Show To Go handles photos, transitions, captions, creating standalone executables, continous playing, etc. much better than Powerpoint. It will also create a DVD or a CD. Forget Powerpoint for photos Read all the photos into SSTG, select the transition between slides (or select random), select how long each slide stays on the screen, add text to photos (if needed), add sound, etc. All for $24.95. Much, much easier than PowerPoint. No muss, no fuss.

MikePA,

I would concur on avoiding the use of PowerPoint, to be sure. I can't speak to SSTG ... never used it myself.

and no need for a graphic artist.

Errr .... well ...... I guess that depends ...... if all you're looking to do just is display photos ..... then yeah, probably.

If you actually want a professional looking end product then ...... maybe .... depends on alot of things ....... including the graphic talents of the individual involved, what tools he he access to, ........ and his familiarity of the technical details of the medium.

I'm not saying that an individual can't produce a good-looking product ..... but then I'm sure that you aren't saying that an experienced professional brings nothing to the party either.

Being able to run a program doesn't necessarily mean one is able to design.

 

[MikePA]

No offense intended.

I was going by Mike's requirement, "The TV can be connected to the DVD player and constantly show web pages via Power-point for items that we offer."

I assumed this implied static screen shots of content of their web site, e.g., pictures of items for sale, description, price, etc., in a continous loop. The only 'problem' with this is it's static content. When something is sold, the DVD would have to be recreated.

The other issue I see is the pages on the web site that show items for sale require the person to page down to see both the description and the item for sale, Click Here. I'd think it'd best to have everything on one screen. Actually, that might be a good change to the web site.

I've attached a zip file that contains a 'quick and dirty' Slide Show To Go executable. All I did was a couple screen prints, cropped the browser parts of the screen print out, pulled them into SSTG, selected all the pictures, and applied random transitions, show each slide for 10 seconds.

 

[rswyan]

MikePA,

None taken.

I was going by Mike's requirement

Yup, I understand.

The only 'problem' with this is it's static content. When something is sold, the DVD would have to be recreated.

You are correct - the problem is the static content .... although not for the reason that you posit. I suspect Mike inventories multiples of any given item and any permanent changes in inventory mix could be fairly easily updated on the DVD.

Here's the real deal: People viewing static (non-moving) images on a TV have an attention span of probably about 2 seconds .... unless the item is something they are specifically interested in and then you might have double or triple that if you are lucky. ......... after that you've lost them.

People expect video to have motion or change - something has to be going on - otherwise they lose interest very, very quickly. Next time you flick on the TV observe that there is almost always something going on in the frame - whether it be motion of the objects .... or panning and/or zooming of the camera - there is almost always some motion .... even if it's only slight.

The other issue I see is the pages on the web site that show items for sale require the person to page down to see both the description and the item for sale, Click Here.

Yup. A standard definition TV screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio - 4 units wide by 3 units high. The webpages do not follow this aspect ratio (simply because they weren't designed to - and in fact the aspect ratio of the webpages is somewhat changable, due to the nature of HTML and the way it will reflow text depending on the size of the browser window.)

Another problem is that alot of the text is designed to be displayed on a computer screen - not a TV. It's small and very fine. Computer monitors and TV screens are very different animals - even though they appear to be very similar. Most computer monitors have inherently more resolution (1024 x 768 pixels and higher) than a standard definition TV screen (around 720 x 486)

Additionally, the way a computer monitor draws the image on the screen is vastly different than a TV. A computer monitor's electron gun starts at the top and fires left to right, then goes down one line or row and fires left to right, repeating itself for all lines (768 as an example) from top to bottom ... and then does it again, about 60 times per second. A TV does similar - except that it skips every other line or row until it gets to the bottom and then it comes back up to the top and draws all the lines that it skipped on the first pass. This is what is known as interlaced video. Computer monitors use non-interlaced video.

Interlaced video is problematic for thin horizontal lines and very fine text (IIRC, the standard guideline for text to be displayed and readable on a TV is 18pt and larger.) What happens is that they will appear to vibrate or "buzz" on a TV set - therefore you just don't include them in your designs.

All I did was a couple screen prints, cropped the browser parts of the screen print out, pulled them into SSTG, selected all the pictures, and applied random transitions, show each slide for 10 seconds.

I'm afraid that I can't view it as I'm on a Mac right at the moment ..... I'm sure it looks nice. I have one question though - did you look at it on a TV ? ....... cause it may look very different than it does on a computer monitor.

Another thing is the NTSC colorspace - it's not the same as a computer, which can display a larger colorspace. It is possible to use NTSC illegal colors - many programs will allow you to do that - but it creates some interesting phenomena with both video and audio. It's easy enough to handle if you know to filter your colors so that they are legal.

The above are a few of the techincal details that one should be aware of when designing for video.

 

[MikePA]

No, I didn't create a DVD and look at on a TV. No blank DVDs.

 

[PineRidge]

Couldn't view your slide show Mike WinZip said it was corrupted.

 

[MikePA]

Couldn't view your slide show Mike WinZip said it was corrupted.

I had created the show at work and am at home now. I double clicked on the zip file, which opened Winzip, doubleclicked on the .exe file. I did get a Caution message from Winzip about running .exe files, but no corruption message.

 

[jwstewar]

MikePA,

I get the corrupted error message as well. I'm on an XP machine w/o a version of ZIP installed. Meaning I use the built in XP uncompress function.

 

[PineRidge]

I have tried downloading and uncompressing several times and always get the corrupted message. I would like to see your work Mike.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Corrupt for me too.

Here's the WinZip error report:

warning [C:\Temp\SlideShow1.zip]: extra 280 bytes at beginning or within Zip file (attempting to process anyway)
Extracting file: C:\Temp\SlideShow1.zip
Extracting to "C:\Temp\"
Use Path: yes Overlay Files: no
warning [C:\Temp\SlideShow1.zip]: extra 280 bytes at beginning or within Zip file (attempting to process anyway)
Error in file #1: bad Zip file offset (Error local header signature not found): 0
(attempting to re-compensate)
Error in file #1: bad Zip file offset (Error local header signature not found): 0

 

[MikePA]

I have one question though - did you look at it on a TV ? ....... cause it may look very different than it does on a computer monitor.

Another thing is the NTSC colorspace - it's not the same as a computer, which can display a larger colorspace. It is possible to use NTSC illegal colors - many programs will allow you to do that - but it creates some interesting phenomena with both video and audio. It's easy enough to handle if you know to filter your colors so that they are legal.

As it turns out, SSTG can burn to a CD, and a DVD. So, I burned CDs of an NTSC VCD, a Full screen MPEG1, Current Monitor Aspect Ratio, a NTSC SuperVCD and an MPEG2. The transition from computer based video to TV based video renders the images unusable. Way too much detail is lost. People wouldn't look at these images for 2 seconds. If they did, they'd leave and go to an eye doctor. SSTG can also create an NTSC DVD, but I still think too mauch detail would be lost.

Hopefully, Mike, you were able to see the slide show by now. My opinion is if the content starts with computer based images, then this solution should be computer based and not converted to show on a TV.

 

[rswyan]

MikePA,

Not to be pickin' on ya but .....

Way too much detail is lost. People wouldn't look at these images for 2 seconds. If they did, they'd leave and go to an eye doctor. SSTG can also create an NTSC DVD, but I still think too mauch detail would be lost.

The way to handle this is with proper design of the content in the video frame .... what is being shown in it - web pages simply just aren't designed to be shown on TV frames - they usually have way, way too much information. They are absolutely fine for someone who is surfing the web and is probably on a page because they are already interested in something on that page or site and are willing to sit there and take in all the info on the page.

I would think we're at the "zero" point here - not at the point above (which is maybe "one" or "two".) These people are walking thru an area browsing and you want to catch their attention and invite further interest in your product(s) - particularly ones which they may not even be aware that you have. Stimulate their curiosity and pull them in. Not assault them with an information overload. It's a fairly fine line.

The idea is to generate the initial interest and an inquiry in a product that Mike maybe doesn't keep in the store, but has in inventory back at the Ranch.

My opinion is if the content starts with computer based images, then this solution should be computer based and not converted to show on a TV.

Mmmmmm .... just curious .... what are you basing that on ?

The reason I ask is that CGI (computer generated imagery - animation, video, graphics, etc.) is extensively used in TV and video - in fact much stuff you see these days on TV and video is CGI - rather than practicals or mechanicals which are shot or filmed. Although often it's a combination of the two.

The reason I would vote to go with a DVD player and display on NTSC is that it is near bullet-proof. Hit "Run" and forget it. Shut it off at the end of the day.

Computers are fraught with difficulties. I can't imagine that Mike wants to repeatedly field calls from Rose ...... while she's in the middle of a busy day ....... about how to fix the laptop that has crashed and is now frozen. If nothing else, having to mess with equipment problems in front of potential customers would project an unprofessional image.

Just my take on it - it's an opinion and is probably worth what it cost.

 

[rswyan]

Here's another reason not to go with a computer:

Imagine "Mom" rolling in with the rug rats in tow. While she's browsing your display (with her back turned) eight-yearold "Jr" decides to see if ya got the latest version of Doom loaded up on that new laptop. And after that he decides that the slot for the optical drive would be a neat place to stick his chewing gum ... now that he's done with it.

Seriously, laptops are a highly targeted item - they are easy to lift and once lifted very easily to conceal. A desktop would be pose a bit more of a problem.

In either case, both are far more of an investment (and potential loss) than a $50 DVD player from Wally World.