Every day we offer FREE licensed software you’d have to buy otherwise.
Aneesoft DVD Show was available as a giveaway on May 14, 2011!
Aneesoft DVD Show is perfect choice for travel enthusiasts willing to create slideshow of photos and video clips taken from their summer vacation. The feature-packed program comes with photo and video editing, 200+ transition effects, 40+ ‘multiple picture slide’ styles, express video output and DVD burning. In addition you can personalize your slideshow by including music, watermarks, captions and voiceover.
Aneesoft DVD Show lets you share your movies easily. Add your slideshows and videos to mobile devices like an iPad, iPhone 4, iPod, PSP or Zune. Pre-set profiles eliminate the need for any complex settings. Besides there is integrated DVD Creator to let you burn directly to DVD and Blu-ray to play on your large-screen HD TV.
Windows XP/ Vista/ 7
24.2 MB
$49.95
Aneesoft Flash Gallery Suite is the perfect solution to turn your vacation photos into stunning flash galleries. The suite includes two tools: Aneesoft 3D Flash Gallery and Aneesoft Flash Gallery Classic. With this flash gallery making suite, it's easy to bring your photos to life and share on Facebook, Blogger and your personal website. Special offers are only valid until May 15th, 2011, for GOTD users only.
iPad is now the perfect travel companion. Get Aneesoft iPad Converter Suite to rip DVD and convert video to iPad compatible movie for enjoying them on-the-go. The suite includes two conversion tools: Aneesoft iPad Video Converter & Aneesoft DVD to iPad Converter. Built-in presets are the optimized settings for iPad and iPad 2 with best video quality. Special offers are only valid until May 15th, 2011, for GOTD users only.
From Tech support:
You need to install the program within 24 hours after you have it downloaded to your PC. Later than that, it becomes to the trial version whose output files have huge watermarks on.
Save | Cancel
Has anybody had the problem with the watermark on the final project? I have no keycode to enter to get rid of it and can't find one. Perhaps I missed something during the initial download of it? I can't find active.reg that it tells me to run to register. I want to use this, help?
Save | Cancel
Disappointing - poor handling of Pan and Zoom and attachment of music. Good old Photostory 3 is still my choice. BUT --- the DVD authoring facility that comes inbuilt with this app can be used as a standalone product, making DVD videos with menus from your mpg video clips. So I will get some use out of this package after all.
Save | Cancel
I finally had time to test this product and all I can say is that even with a fast I7 computer, it is dismal! Screen transitions and music STUTTER so bad I through the DVD away. I say this during playback while I was creating the photo layout, but figured that by the time the process encoded to the DVD, the problems would have been resolved and I would end up with a good finished product. I WAS WRONG!!!
Another problem I had with the session was that I could not easily terminate or set the end of the movie easily. No matter how I tried to shorten the songs being played. it was hit or miss trying to get the music to end with the end of the last image.
So I guess it's back to using STUDIO 11 again, which major overkill for a photo show!
Save | Cancel
Download Microsoft Windows Photostory 3 & DVD slideshow GUI together they crush this sloppy program. Check out this for more info http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-free-photo-slideshow-software.htm
Save | Cancel
Windows Movie Maker for XP seems fine and you can capture or import video abd add audio and/or music Has 60 transition effects, etc. Any comparisons on this and today's offering?
Save | Cancel
Installed and ran great for me. I am using Windows XP Media Center Edition. This looks like a good way to present family photos. If the program add plugins to upload videos to YouTube and Facebook, that will be more convenient to share shows with my friends. Thanks Aneesoft,thank you also for having the PAL or NTSC options.
Save | Cancel
Giovanni/Comment #24. Your suggestions as to alternative slide show software are interesting. Can you elaborate on the particulars of each as to strengths and/or weaknesses of each?
Thanks, madalien
Save | Cancel
This is a generally good program.
I initially had trouble with the GUI because or the 120 dpi font size (as is the case with some of the other giveaways). I adjusted my desktop settings to be able to give it a try. I tried it with both Vista x64 and Windows 7 x64 and it works well with both.
Someone posted that the music lasts longer than the slideshow. You need to switch to Timeline view in order to adjust the music to the length of your slideshow. If you play around with the software a bit you'll figure out how to make certain adjustments (unless your issue is getting it to work in the first place).
One feature I think should have been included is automatic random transitions. This saves one from having to select each transition when you are using a lot of photos, and it allows you to simply replace the transitions you don't want if you don't like the selection. It would also be nice if the output folder would open after the slideshow is made. There is that standard option to shut down the computer but the only time I've ever found that option useful is when using an automated process.
A big plus is that this offers the widest range of output formats I've seen for a slideshow program.
Save | Cancel
I'm also working on a free eBook on DVD slideshow GUI:
Check it out here!
Save | Cancel
I'm the coder of DVD slideshow GUI. Thanks for the mention above.
Check out the video tutorial on free and open-source alternative DVD slideshow GUI here:
And download DVD slideshow GUI for free here:
Have fun,
Tin2tin
Save | Cancel
#31 MIKE
Was it in Windows 7 that you recorded 75 new registry entries? Does InstallWatchPro work on your Win 7??? It hasn't on mine (Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit)--looks like it does, but then when I go to check what has been installed, it comes up empty.....Are you using some other app?
Save | Cancel
problem running the program with win7 64 bit. says 100% loading complete but no farther.
Save | Cancel
After reading all the comments on todays software, I think I am going to be letting this one pass me by sounds like to many problems with the program. thanx for trying GAOTD
Save | Cancel
My problems from #11 above persist, and from all of the other problems I see others are having I have decided not to install it on my main desktop. I've just had too many problems with codecs and the like from useless GotD offerings break other video tools. If it isn't going to be useful better to skip it.
Giovanni, #24 above, thanks for the links. DVD slideshow GUI look particularly interesting. XnView might be handy, but I'm curious if it has merit over the also free Irfanview. Not interested in Roxio, which seems to be a web based service, but may investigate all of the others.
I've seen many complaints here in the past about posting links to alternatives. I can understand if the publisher feels this way, particularly if they publish a poor product and don't like letting the world know there are better free options. But as a community at large we should welcome this feedback. I have several tools related to this type of video encoding, some free, some commercial, and some from GotD. I actually really liked the MediaAvatar package that was offered here a few weeks ago, until I discovered that all of the work I had done in creating a complex video show could not be saved as a "project". I burnt a DVD, but with no way to go back and make edits without recreating everything from scratch, that tool will get no use unless I just want to put one or two video files on a DVD (and not sure why I would bother to use it for that). But the comments there and here have helped me find other interesting and useful software. So thanks to the GotD participants who offer quality and reliable software. To those offering poor and buggy software, I hope you go away with good suggestions and the knowledge that the market knows the difference, and improve your product and come back (only) when it is really ready.
Save | Cancel
Never got off the main window...once I loaded a picture it overlapped all the buttons...Couldn't resize the windows to anything work...no settings at all....uninstalled....
Save | Cancel
@Bob #15: "The file would only save as a .dss file and works ONLY with this program."
You probably used from the main menu 'file/save'
When you do that, you save your project but you didn't create any video yet. That is the reason you couldn't convert your dds-project-file and only play it with ADS.
A project-file is used to save all choises and setting you made before you created any video-file yet. This is done for easy editting your work if you were to change your mind about your work sofar.
Look just above the ribbon with selected photographs, the seventh little button from the left (like a filmstrip). When you hover your mouse over it, it will tell you "create video". from there you can choose various videoformats, the way you like it.
I hope you were not too disappointed and patient enough to not throw every thing away so fast.
Save | Cancel
hey guys i hav tried each option on the application....coool i hav enjoyed it!!! Thanks gotd and aneesoft software....
All the best.
Save | Cancel
Aneesoft DVD Show is a video app that lets you string together stills &/or video & renders the result to a single video file. It will handle more than one audio track, & you can arrange things on the timeline, but using it could be more intuitive, & it may be a bit buggy. The GUI does not like it if you've set win7 to display large fonts, though it's still usable, & it opens full-screen, blocking access to the hidden Windows task bar. You can't drag/drop onto the non-resizable window, that BTW let's you choose full-screen, minimized, & a preset in between that for me was 1301x989 pixels on my 1080 desktop, & 995x756 in the XP Mode VM with display set at 1440x900. After getting repeated error messages of Access Violations in the XP VM I moved to my regular desktop, & still got the same thing a few times in win7 ult 64 SP1. Aneesoft DVD Show didn't have any trouble importing/using ~30 MB .tif files, letting me select more than one in the file open dialog, but you can't just import folders. The customizable transitions between images &/or video clips work well & look nice, but while there are quite a few included, I don't think any of them will surprise you, so if you're looking for that one of a kind effect to shock & amaze, look somewhere else. Today's GOTD will add text overlays, with animation [motion] if you want, but I was actually a bit shocked that they don't include shadows -- YOU DON"T PUT TEXT ON DVD VIDEO WITHOUT THEM... text for interlaced TV should have at least feathered edges, & preferably shadows or the edges of any horizontal lines in the letters flicker on/off. You can add motion to your stills & video [pans & zooms] & it looks OK, but the included styles looked rough enough to avoid IMHO. Output rendering is a bit slow, but you have a good selection of output formats to choose from, & most are at least somewhat customizable, though I would suggest the dev's include the std. 720x480 [+ PAL equivalent] in more formats (e.g. mpg2), & up their DVD AC3 audio bit rate to the std 192 Kbps from the current 160 Kbps default [I don't know if or how many players will object, but apps that do spec compliance testing will reject it at 160]. Note that DVD software that does compliance checking will not pass-thru DVD Show's encoded VOB files, insisting on re-encoding both audio & video.
DVD Creator is a separate app that takes your project from DVD Show & makes a DVD out of it, including rendering the video [this is the same approach that Roxio uses]. It too doesn't like win7's optional large fonts, & the representation of a remote you use for preview needs redone (if it was displaying for me at all correctly) to show the familiar 4-way directional buttons with the enter button in the center. DVDs produced were slightly off std, showing multiple BOVs [Button Over Video -- normally you occasionally have one set for special featurettes throughout the movie], but I don't know if or how often that might cause player issues. Menu options are few, it doesn't set chapters or anything like that for jumping to stills or video clips, but you do get a reasonable, if super simple menu that you can use & it should work.
Installation isn't bad, with everything but Start Menu shortcuts in the program's folder, which holds 164 files, 3 folders, ~ 100 MB. I recorded 75 new registry entries, made up mostly of shell-related keys [file name associations] & an uninstall key.
Save | Cancel
Guys --- TOO many issues AND advertising on product. Come on, get real! Check these things out a little more.
Save | Cancel
dont really want it. very weak function and stability. ~__~!
Save | Cancel
A very big thanks to comment writers MikeR and keN...
I was not aware of Microsofts quite impressive (and for free if you support genuine software)..Photostory 3 for Windows until now...good software..easy installation..and not filled with useless functions.
I like software to be simple !
Aneesoft DVD Show keept "frying" my internet connection
and de-stabilize my XP SP3...and I DO NOT like software to frustrate me and my PC..
Sorry GOTD and Aneesoft...
Photostory 3 by Microsoft won my heart....
Save | Cancel
I cant wait to try this out! Been using, and like sony but, hey,FREE is my favorite price!
Save | Cancel
This is one of the best progs ever given away here. Its a pity some of the commenters haven't taken the time to find out even a fraction of what it can do. Not only can it add sound to your 'slideshow' the 'slideshow' can include not just video but an extra timeline of video superimposed over the first with directional movement like animation and many effects and editing of both pictures and video. AND it makes dvds. Thank you GOTD and Aneesoft
Save | Cancel
Installed and registered on my Win7 (x64) HE Laptop without a problem. I was leary about installing the program after seeing the *full* requirements on the developer's website; seems a faster CPU than mine (2.0 Gig) is required (3 Gig CPU recommended). Never the less I gave it a shot. I loaded about 40 photos and 2 video clips (avi from my digital camera). I was unable to figure out how to do individual transitions, so applied *random transitions* to the entire slide show and added an .mp3 audio clip for background sound. On preview, the sound had some clicks and pops, but I saved the full slideshow as a 1270x700 something HD AVI file. On playback, the slideshow and audio played perfectly.
I opened the DVD burner and added an .flv clip to the .avi file I'd just created to see if the program would accomodate different formats. Added a different .mp3 audio clip, played with the menu background, buttons, text, etc. to make a test DVD. On preview, the audio was terrible; repeated sounds like the audio repeatedly jammed and was stuttering. Rather than waste a DVD disc, I burned the DVD to an ISO file on my HD. On playback, the menu and background music played perfectly, as did the two video clips - the slideshow I made and the .flv clip I added.
I was leary, but liked the description of the program offered so really wanted to try it out. I'm glad I did. Thanks, GAOTD. There may be a learning curve to tweak what I want, but I know it will produce quality results.
John38111
Save | Cancel
Yes, I totally agree with MIKE: Microsoft Windows Photostory 3 is BETTER than Aneesoft DVD Show.
Other great FREE PROFESSIONAL PHOTO SLIDESHOW MAKERS I recommend to use, instead of today's giveaway, are:
* DVD slideshow GUI
http://download.videohelp.com/tin2tin/
* Ashampoo Slideshow Studio Elements 2.0.1.153
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Graphic-Editors/Ashampoo-Slideshow-Studio-Elements.shtml
* XnView
http://www.xnview.com/
* Roxio Photoshow
http://www.photoshow.com/home/start
Enjoy!!
Save | Cancel
Very unstable and freezes at random transitions on the fade in effect.
Uninstalling it from win 7 pro 32 bit and my laptop win 7 ult 64bit.
Tried all kinds of combinations and it failed 80% of the time.
Wasted 2 hours for nothing.
Save | Cancel
to #10: MikeR >
Excellent review, tanx! I'm a ms-xp Luddite who would lust for a similar-to-MS:WPhotostory3 freeware.
If you, or anyone has a recommendation, please(!) reply with its URL. Now, to dial-up download today's DVD Show GOTD-offering. It DOES read to be "similar", even if the exact term "KBE" was not in the copy. Still, maybe...its a given in this catagory's most-recent Programs?? Hope so! If Aneesoft canNOT, even, match MS:WPhotostory3, its a non-starter, as its only market would be to mx-xp'ers. Like me? And...how many others aren't rushing to W7, right?
Thanks, Aneesoft, for your Program's try-out! :-) Hope its a "keeper"!!
Save | Cancel
UPDATED:
system: HP pavilion
OS: Windows 7
installed with no issues
tried creating a video
issue 1) can’t drag and drop files
nice selection of image transition screens
issue 2) can’t create fade in effect at beginning of video
added about 20 random photos
added random music approx 2 minutes worth
tried to play video
issue 3) tried to play video – application locked up with in 3 seconds of starting. application error, immediately closed, lost work.
work was recovered upon restarting: (good)
It appears the issues are related to the transitions. The program bogs down at the transitions:
Tried burning to a MPG file. The mpg output was OK. It played fine through Windows media player... Well... except ...
issue 4) The song was longer than the photo show .... the program didn't stretch the photo show to match or truncate the music to match .....
At about 1 minute 10 or so, the screen just goes blank while the music still keeps playing ....for another minute....!!!
It appears the program is still in ALPHA stage ....not ready for prime time. (IMHO)
Save | Cancel
Cute, but, since you can't do anything with sound, or adding links, it is VERY limited in function. Nice effects, but you apparently cannot manipulate much of anything. Not a keeper.
Thanks, GOTD, one semi-lemon among your many great releases, small price, right?
TO MANY COMMENTERS, YEAR-ROUND:
So many, many, many of your comments on programs are like mini-tutorials, and deeply appreciated. There must be a dozen people in our office who would LIKE to give you a thumbs up, but GOTD doesn't distinguish between computers or even different browsers on different computers, only one vote is allowed from the whole building. Silly, isn't it?
Anybray, thanks, GOTD, and thanks to audience for hundreds and hundreds of great comments.
Save | Cancel
Software installs , but the activate key does not work. It gives error: failed to connect, try again later. And when I try later, same error. As long as the activate key does not work, the software does not work either, so useless. Candidate for removal. Shame, since it looked promising.
Save | Cancel
@elations, #9: It will please you to know that I found WOW-entries in the registry. It is 64-bit compatible.
Save | Cancel
Comment 13.
Since others did not appear to have a problem I rebooted and re-installed and still had the same problems.
Leaves lots of files after the uninstall.
Save | Cancel
Software download and Installed very quickly on Windows Vista
Activated very quickly
Tested with couple of hundred photos and it crashed
Uninstall very quickly
Overall software is very quick.. Software doesn't look promising.
Hunt still continue for good photo to dvd show software...
Thanks GOTD Team for these decent concepts
Save | Cancel
system: HP pavilion
OS: Windows 7
installed with no issues
tried creating a video
issue 1) can't drag and drop files
nice selection of image transition screens
issue 2) can't create fade in effect at beginning of video
added about 20 random photos
added random music approx 2 minutes worth
tried to play video
issue 3) tried to play video - application locked up with in 3 seconds of starting. application error, immediately closed, lost work.
DEVELOPERS: any tips on what might have gone wrong ????
Save | Cancel
1. Ads on main screen in red lettering.
2. When loading music the splash screen froze and said "Loading" while loading indicator bar showed 100%.
3. Checked internet for a second and the program splash screen froze with a picture of my internet page. Could not get rid of it.
4. When closing the program to start over, got an "access violation" error screen.
5. When trying to enter a slide transition, the window would not close and got another "access violation" error.
6. Continued to get error screens.
7. Program is unusable.
8. I'm using the most recent version of Vista with all updates installed. No other programs running.
9. When closing, locked up quick launch toolbar.
Save | Cancel
No problems wit installation or activation on Vista laptop,easy to make basic editing of small video files from portable devices, output file can be specified by type, bitrate, size etc., transitions btw. video files beautifull. The small banner is for me not annoying. I guess this program supports many more video types (.mov, .avi, mp4 etc. ) than Microsofts PhotoStory. The movie preview can be laggy but the final video was ok for me.The .mpg video I made with .jpg,.wmv,.avi and 3gp files from different gadgets had fine transitions.Thankyou Aneesoft and GATD
Save | Cancel
I put together personal video DVDs as a hobby, so I'm always interested in seeing tools for this offered. Not very impressed yet. Lots of transition effects, but most are things one would never want to use unless the intent is to really annoy the audience. Also, the last 7 (the 3D effects) seem to be broken and just produce a "black transition". I've looked but so far can't see how to control the time for individual slides (with no junky effects applied), but it might be hiding somewhere. Would have tested more, but had several crashes already. Really don't like seeing that this is the "Giveaway Edition"; would rather be offered a registered version of the normal product. Will look again after I get some sleep, but will likely stick with the free foto2AVI and DVDFlick as my primary tools for this function. Too bad, it would have been nice to have something more professional.
Save | Cancel
The essence of a good, home-made DVD slideshow is that it doesn't look like a home-made DVD slideshow but as near as darn it to a professional TV production.
Seeing as how pro productions don't batter the viewer with daft "transitions" but cut, fade or dissolve, the idea that an amateur production can benefit from tapping into the 200 "transitions" in this software is absurd -- as is the notion that playing visual trickery with images-in-images or spinning, exploding etc is anything other than massively irritating for the viewer.
But what especially distinguishes the amateurish from the professional is the extent to which the DVD production has the look, and feel, of a video production, rather than a compilation of single images sequenced in a storyboard time-line.
The developer here says there are "60 ways" to achieve pan and zoom when in fact, er, there's only one way to pan and zoom: by doing just that.
The technique is known as the Ken Burns Effect, after the pioneer of sequential single-image based US TV documentaries (the Civil War series remains one of the finest documentary series ever produced -- yet included no video footage at all.)
Nothing in this developer's bumf makes any mention of the Ken Burns Effect, on which basis, therefore, it seems safe to assume it doesn't have it.
By contrast, Windows Photostory 3, free of charge from Microsoft since 2003, continues to be the best Ken Burns Effect-implemented software out there -- use Photostory on your holiday pix, add soundtrack and rolling end credits, and the resulting production will indeed look satisfyingly professional.
(But also make use of the various online Photostory help forums, too: this software has a learning curve, and especially in terms of oputput and also wide-screen re-sizing -- Microsoft developed it in the era of 4:3 monitors, not 16:9, and then abandoned development, leaving everyone else to figure out how to implement in the 21st Century a program designed in and for the 20th.)
As Aneesoft makes no mention of the Ken Burns Effect in its DVD Show features list, then on the basis that if it's not on the tin, it isn't in the tin, I'll give today's GOATD a miss and stick with the forever free Microsoft Windows Photostory 3.
But thanks anyway.
Save | Cancel
The system requirements should indicate clearly (explicitly) whether the product is 64-bit compatible or not. Google keyword search also doesn't easily bring up this information, which gives an indication that the lack of clarity in this respect isn't restricted to this giveaway but that this detail is left out as a rule. This seems odd these days, considering the percentage of 64-bit system users is substantial and continues to rise all the time. In response to this trend, software specs, these days, tend to be clear in this respect, without any need for guesswork.
This is not meant as mere criticism but constructive feedback, because developers (and users too, of course) will be disadvantaged if the vagueness remains. 64-bit sytem users who can't find clear information, are forced to proceed on assumptions. If they assume it's probably going to be compatible, they'll perhaps try a test installation. Others may prefer to play it safe and give this a miss - or, if there is time, wait till the info comes up in this discussion (visitors to the developer's website won't have this advantage, though).
That means there are two possible scenarios, depending on whether the product is or is not compatible with 64bit systems.
-- If it were compatible, the developers would loose, as potential customers, the cross section of 64-bit users that aren't prepared to risk a test installation in the absence of clear compatibility information.
-- If it were *not* 64-bit compatible, this crossection would be okay. Loosers would be the other half of 64-bit system users, the ones who did install. Hopefully, they didn't harm their systems but, at the very least, they've put an unnecessary burden on it and wasted time and energy. As result of this negative user experience, user perception and corporate/brand image of the software and its developers would be hit and take a dip, so they'd loose out too.
Small detail, large consequences.
Save | Cancel
If, assuming that the first comment (Tom) is correct I wouldn't download anything with adware included in the package.. the last thing I want in a program is to watch ads that will slow the progress of my machine..I really like the sound of this program, and have been waiting for something of this magnitude. I will be watching comments during the day. If I like what I see I will download this app and give it a try.
Save | Cancel
Downloaded, activated and working perfectly here on Windows 7 x64.
Loaded a selection of slides, added some music, played with the transitions etc and made a working slideshow with just a little help from the help file.
Excellent piece of software. No problems here.
Save | Cancel
At first I thought a decent slide show maker but was disappointed when I used it. I do not like the interface, the icons leave you guessing as to their function. It is another slide show maker that does not allow you tie the audio to the photo or video. It is probably possible to do so but it would be a horror to try, sadly not a keeper.
Save | Cancel
this program will not run on resolution lower than 1024X768 The areas become overlapping and some can't be seen. Instructions are a little misleading but it does work.
Photostory 3 From Microsofe is always free and works nearly the same and wortks with lower resolution screens.
This is free today so why not try both and chose.
Save | Cancel
I am very eager to try it out.....but can´t activate with activate.exe.
Unfortunately it seems to "fry" my internet connection and make my XP SP3 unstable...
Suggestions please...
Save | Cancel
can any one get this to work,
load first picture and thats it,
100 percent load,will not go any further.
Save | Cancel
Good morning GOTD crew!
This has nothing to do with today's giveaway - just wanted to give a huge 'thumbs-up' for the new categorized ideas widget.
Cheers m'dears!!
Save | Cancel
It doesn't really feel like it's a full GotD when it shows ads in the application.
Save | Cancel