Q: I hope you might be able to help me in finding a program. I would like to make a slideshow using family photos and add a voiceover describing each picture. I’d then like to be able to create a CD or DVD that could be played back on a set-top box with a TV. I am new to computers and don’t know a lot of technical stuff so the easier the program the better for me.
A: There are a number of applications that you can use to do this, but probably the easiest way is to use Windows Movie Maker. This allows you to put together a series of photos in the order you want simply by dragging them onto the timeline, you can then record a commentary in real time. Movie Maker is included in XP and Vista – Vista also has the DVD Maker program to make it easy to burn your finished project to disc and add menus to make it easy to access. If you’re running Windows 7 you’ll need to use Live Movie Maker which is a free download. This doesn’t have the option to record a real-time commentary but you can use the Add music option to use a commentary recorded to a separate file.
Live Movie Maker doesn’t have a commentary feature but you can add a sound file via the Music option
Originally featured in PCU121
