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Put your photos on DVD

By Jason Parker, CNET.com on 02 December 2004

It's hard for some of us to believe, but there are people who don't own a computer. Some of them may even be your friends and family. But that doesn't mean you can't share your digital photos with them. We picks three apps that will help you create photo DVDs so that the computerless can enjoy your photos.

Not everyone owns a computer. This fact became very apparent to me recently when I told a friend that he could view some party pictures on his computer, and he said (somewhat embarrassedly) that he didn't have one. Gasp!

Once I lifted my jaw off the floor, I got to thinking: What other cool ways (beyond an actual stack of photos) are there to show people your digital pictures that don't require a computer? Then I remembered that my friend had a DVD player, so I did a little searching on ZDNet Australia Downloads and found some great software for making photo DVDs.

With these programs, not only can you have your friends check out photos on their DVD players, you can make slide shows with background music and captions for a full multimedia experience. Here are the ones I found that offer the best options.

MemoriesOnTV was the first photo DVD software I came upon, and I wasn't disappointed at all with the results. Using my regular CD burner, I was able to make a photo CD playable on a DVD player, including music, text, and a customised menu to make it easy for my friend to navigate. (Shareware/Windows)

PhotoDVD lets you create mixed audio and visual presentations with professional-looking results. Create your own slide show, add music, sync the music to your pictures, and even preview your work before you burn it to DVD. (Shareware/Windows)

Still Life for Mac OS X lets you experiment with panning over single images, using background music to present a unique photo experience in your DVD presentation. Use the zoom options and create a dramatic camera path to get the best effect. (Shareware/Mac)

If your friend doesn't have a computer but does have a DVD player, try this cool method for presenting your holiday photos. After a little experimentation, you might find that creating your own photo DVDs, complete with music, is the best way to present any given holiday or event your way.

Have you made a multimedia DVD? If so, how did it turn out? Do you have any apps you would recommend? Talk back to me below!

Topics: dvd, applications, photo, programs, downloads, music, friend, shareware

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  Chloe commented on 10/07/2008 10:28 Report abuse

  I really need a program where I can put photos onto DVD, but not for slideshow use but rather a storage sort of thing. Do you know a simple program where I can store the photos on my DVD and be able to upload them to another computer if nessary?

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  cburelle commented on 08/08/2007 06:57 Report abuse

  I have downloaded MemoriesOnTV after reading your column and found it quite easy to use! i even added some movies i had made with my camera! I am not very good with things like that and i found it quite easy! it made a beautiful wedding gift for my best friend!

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  dadofbrook commented on 04/06/2007 17:13 Report abuse

  For old pics, you need to digitalize your photos with scanner or digital camera. I tried these software tools recommended here and they work for me. But recently I search on download.com and found a much more easier software named DVD Photo Slideshow. This software is super easy and convert photos to DVD and even MPEG or web albums. http://www.dvd-photo-slideshow.com/ is the website of this software.

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  lindaralston commented on 06/03/2007 13:00 Report abuse

  I have many old pictures I need to create a slide show with music.on a DVD. I don't have a clue how to start

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  Paul Clarke commented on 12/12/2006 12:36 Report abuse

  Hi, Thank you for a very informative tutorial. I own a Sony 3.2 megapixel camera, when I view the images or print them via my computer the quality of the images is exceptional. I have Pro Show Gold and when I make a DVD Slide Show the quality via the TV is diminished to the point that it is just not worth the effort to create a Disc. I am a newcomer to this expierience and am always keen to learn. Any help in setting up correct resoulution etc. would be greatly appreciated. Kind Regards Paul Clarke

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  doke commented on 17/09/2005 13:12 Report abuse

  How do you add music to your cd/dvd without getting into trouble with copyrights.