Isn't this DVD burning support included in Windows 7? If you download the content for free from Microsoft? Sorry, but I just installed Windows 7 and have not had time to check everything out thoroughly. But there are all kinds of video and imaging support applications that Microsoft offers for free to download. The access and download selection is included in 7 and you should find it in the getting started section.

David, the problem, as near as I can figure it out, is that I can only access my saved slide show through the Photoshop Elements Organizer. And when I try to select the option of burning it to DVD through the organizer, it tells me that I can *only* do this by using Adobe Premiere Elements (which, as I said previously, I don't have). I have tried locating the slide show outside of Elements to attempt to burn it to CD from there, but I can't find it! Even searching through "My Computer" and going through the various Adobe folders yields no results. I'm supposing that Adobe designed it this way so that you have to use their Premiere Elements if you create a slide show in regular Elements.

However, I've been exploring Windows 7 a bit more and discovered that I can burn a slide show to DVD through CyberLink Power2Go, which came on my computer. I will try that, but it means I will have to start all over again and re-create my slide show in that program. Wish I would have done that to begin with, but I didn't know that Elements wouldn't allow me to burn the slide show I created to DVD without Premiere Elements until *after* I had created it!

Thanks for your reply, David.

Adobe is a bit proprietary as Steve Jobs president of Apple Just published. And I have to agree, but on Windows there are other options that one can use with maybe a little more freedom of choice as to how to do what you want without spending a bunch, and is Corel's PaintShop Pro X3, as well as a number of either free or inexpensive Corel support utilities.

Well, I thought I would update my situation. I've been exploring the CyberLink programs that came with my computer. I found the Power2Go program to be very basic for creating a slide show (no transitions, no music). Then I found there is an expanded program called CyberLink DVD Suite Deluxe. I spent the better part of the day, off and on, trying to compile a slide show, with many frustrations along the way. First of all, this is a pared-down version, and the company obviously wants you to upgrade and pay for more features. Also, there are no instructions or guidance of any kind, so just figuring out the program took much extra time. I finally had my slide show compiled, complete with transitions and music, and just as I was attempting to burn it to disc--the program shut down and I LOST EVERYTHING! I do not think I like CyberLink!

I will have to look into other alternatives.

Usually, but there are exceptions, when it is free you don't get much - cheap is what cheap gets. And, who do you complain to and get a refund if you have paid nothing.

I hate to have to say this, but if you had an Apple Mac you get iPhoto as part of the operating system that is simpler but just about like Adobe Elements, and Apple also has all the DVD and movie and other fun applications in iLife for $79. And you also get pretty good Apple support in a web site that is easy to use. Oh! yes you can hate me but stuff like making slideshows and recording them on a DVD is the kind of stuff Macs do well and easily, and other stuff to.

Yes, David, I'm sure you're right. It's just that I hate to spend significant money on software that's primarily for video editing when all I want to do is create photo slide shows. Unfortunately, buying an Apple computer is not a possibility since my Windows 7 computer is a recent purchase. I have been exploring Windows Media Center for the first time and found that it is able to compile and burn slide shows. However, the whole process seems agonizingly slow for some reason, so I'm not sure I will pursue it.

I have come to this conclusion: I am willing to pay for some software that will allow me to easily create photo slide shows with transitions and music added and then burn them to DVD. But I don't want a full-blown video-editing software that costs $50-$100. The question is, is such a software available?

I appreciate your input, David.

Janet,

Sorry to have to tell you this, but the only way to export a slideshow in a format that will play on a TV with a DVD player, is by converting the series of slide images to VIDEO.

If you want a slideshow just for computer playback the easiest and best image quality is Acrobat PDF that is included in many different versions of Adobe Photoshop. All you need is a folder of image files and Acrobat will do the rest in a very high quality computer screen reproduction with quite a few choices of transitions from one slide to the next, but no easy-ready way to include sound, although the latest Acrobat application can include sound.

As I mentioned before Corel has many imaging applications, and one called Studio does all that you are looking for. You can find it at the following URL

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/ca/en/Product/1186000605036#tabview=tab0

It has a list of $59, but Corel allows a free trial download for most of their software, so take a look, its about the best consumer stuff for Windows.

Okay, I'm learning a lot here! Now I understand why slide show making capability seems always to be tied to video. (As I said before, this is a new area for me.) I know about making a slide show in Acrobat, but I do want to be able to burn it to a DVD for viewing on TV. I will be looking into the Corel software you mentioned.

David, thanks for all your help. It seems I can always count on the good folks at Shutterbug to provide answers that I can't find elsewhere. I've been a faithful Shutterbug subscriber for many years, and I plan to continue.

The only reason to put a slideshow on DVD I can see is to send it to people who just have a TV and DVD player. For home use if the computer and TV are reasonably close (if its an HD LCD) is to use a DVI to HDMI cable from computer to TV and then anything you would view on the computer can be seen on a big TV screen. Simple and inexpensive.

I see your point, David, but as for us, our computers are nowhere near our TV. Also, I want to be able to give DVD's to my parents, who have no computer.

You mentioned earlier the Corel software, which you seem to be pretty sold on. I've been looking around, and I'm wondering about Roxio Creator. I used to have an older version on my last computer, though at the time I didn't have a DVD drive, so I never used that part of the program. Do you have any experience with Roxio Creator? Would it be comparable to Corel's program?

Thanks!

Although I use Roxio software to burn production CD's, I have not used or explored it as a user software for making slideshows and burning them on a DVD. I have used many of the Corel products over a lot of years and tested and reviewed quite a few for reports in Shutterbug that is my basis for suggesting them as a resource. For instance, in many ways Corel's PaintShop Pro X3 is a better serious amateur photo editing application than Adobe Elements. You can download a copy of Studio and try the Corel product and it doesn't cost you anything but a little time. But you can go any direction you like, it makes no difference to me.

Thanks, David, for all your helpful advice!

I Used to use "Nero" for this - have you tried it?

For many years I made up slide shows using Photo Story 3 for Windows XP. I note that it is now available for Windows 7 and free to download. It has and had everything I needed to make an excellent Presentation from DVD. This info is probably too late but it may help someone else if not you. Nero is my choice for burning from the finished Photo Story 3 file.

I used Designer Premier for this and i must say that it was the best software for what i needed. It depends of what operation system you use on your computer. I recommend to move from windows 7 to Ubuntu because it will be easier to burn cds.

You should also know if you want to edit the slide shows after burning or not, this can lead you to a different software. You should also make sure that you don't have any zombie virus on your system before starting otherwise you risk infecting your slide show.