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November 21, 2009 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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by Ben Rand |
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The household DVD player is typically used for watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster or special “added” content offered by your favorite musical artist or with a video game. But professional movie-makers are increasingly competing for time in the drive with an item that’s more personal to individual consumers: Picture Movie DVDs. Large retailers and local photo shops alike are starting to equip self-service digital imaging kiosks with the capability of burning digital snapshots onto DVDs. These kiosks have historically been used to print pictures instantly, but now are also allowing users to leave the store with personalized digital slide shows that can be viewed on both computers and television sets. And at the same time, the process of creating photo DVDs at home is also getting easier and more streamlined, actively promoted by companies such as Hewlett-Packard Corp. and Microsoft Corp. The companies say that the DVD medium provides a highly reliable way of storing original copies of your photos and creating unique photo products such as slideshows. “DVDs are cheaper to store and less likely to get damaged than printed photos. And consider this: The lifespan of a disc ranges from 10 to 100 years, depending on storage conditions and media quality, so there's a good chance those discs will easily outlive both your computer and digital camera,” HP says. The growing interest in the DVD medium fits with the expanding world of digital photography, which is redefining picture taking to include silicon (DVDs and CD-ROMs) as well as silver-halide prints. “People are taking pictures in more ways, in more places, and on more devices than ever before. Our job is to make sure than whenever people interact with images…they have exciting, high-quality and easy-to-use choices than enable them to share their life stories,” says Pierre Schaeffer, chief marketing officer of Eastman Kodak Co.’s digital photography business.  Kodak Picture Movie DVD
In-store DVD-making got a big boost in July, when CVS/Pharmacy (www.cvs.com) announced it would become the first national retailer to offer Eastman Kodak Co.’s Picture Movie DVD Service. CVS is the nation’s largest drug chain with more than 4,500 stores nationwide. Using Kodak’s popular walk-up line of Pictures Kiosks, consumers will be able to upload their digital images, arrange them into a personalized story with basic transition effects and add a popular song. Kodak estimates the entire process, beginning to end, should take about 15 minutes. Click HERE for information. Images can be brought into the store in almost any physical format -- prints, photo CDs, memory cards and USB Flash memory cards. The DVD can to hold up to 60 .jpeg images from multiple sources. . The DVD will play on all DVD home players compatible with DVD-R recordable media. Consumers can synchronize their pictures to a single song, chosen from among 30 different artists who have licensed their works to Kodak. The songs include a range of musical styles from several well-known artists. Due to copyrights for the music and software on the DVD, consumers will not be able to make copies of the Picture Movie DVD at home, but can order up to five copies at the store, Kodak says. They will also be unable to add additional digital music at home. Picture Movie DVD’s suggested retail price is $19.99. Another popular service – available in Ritz Camera stores and other local photo retailers – comes from Lucidiom Inc. Using Lucidiom photo kiosks, consumers can produce “DVD Cinema” photo slideshows set to music. The Lucidiom DVD will accommodate up to 200 photos in any standard photo format. Transitions include basic, classic, old-time movie and fun flips. Consumers can also choose from more than 30 DVD frames to give the slideshow a theme.  Lucidiom's DVD Cinema
The DVD Cinema disc features 15 music tracks, including exclusive content from One Story Music. For copyright reasons, consumers cannot move their own music onto the DVD or make additional copies at home. Suggested retail price is $19.95. Designing and burning the DVD takes about 12 minutes, according to Lucidiom spokeswoman Jenny Pareti. While stores are now offering easy-to-use solutions, don’t overlook the do-it-at-home approach. HP, for instance, promotes the DVD as safe and efficient medium for storing your precious memories. The advantages, according to HP’s web site, are that DVDs allow you to store originals in a secure location, clear space from your hard-drive, simplify sharing and – of course – create multimedia slideshows. HP says that a DVD can store up to 15,000 “high-quality” images – which it says is seven times the capacity of a standard CD-ROM. The process, HP says, is as simple as moving a file from one part of a computer to another. According to HP’s web site, by using DVDs for your photos, you can: • Store originals of your digital photos in a secure place. The company has developed and posted on its web site a step-by-step guide on how to burn DVDs at home. Access the guide by clicking HERE. “Saving photos to DVD is one of the easiest, most reliable ways to store and preserve your memories,” HP says.
Photo Story 3 will allow users to add special effects, soundtracks, and even your own voice narration. The software is available for free via a download at Microsoft.com to users of genuine Windows XP, which you can download HERE.  Photo Story 3 Screenshot
Microsoft has also tried to simplify sharing – Microsoft Photo Shows can be delivered to friends and loved ones via e-mail, on portable media devices or on CD or DVD. Stores and the home are not the only places consumers may find new tools for electronic photo story-telling. In August, Roxio, a division of Sonic Solutions, launched Roxio Online with PhotoShow, a new web service that enables the quick creation of multimedia slideshows. Families and friends are able to view the slideshows either online or by ordering a Photo DVD delivered through the mail. Users can also upload their creations to popular social media websites, such as Facebook and MySpace. Go to www.roxio.com/online to sign up - the cost is $39.99 a year. “There is nothing more gratifying than being able to share the joys of our lives with the ones closest to us,” said Matt DiMaria, general manager of the Roxio Division of Sonic Solutions. “Roxio online brings families together by not only making it easier than ever to create unique stories…but also by providing a computer storytelling platform that appeals to any memory keeper.” A basic service is available free for testing. The subscription service offers more than 150 one-click themes, 500 animated graphics, 40 different title and caption treatments, and synchronize their creation to a song selected from more than 400 professional music tracks.
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