Cute photo slideshow is a free photo to video slideshow maker program that does well on the last two words in its name. The ‘cute’ bit is a bit objective and will be ignored for the remainder of this review. It can very well be refuted, but that is a matter of personal opinion. The program basically takes a number of pictures, puts together a slideshow of the selected pictures and creates a movie from that slideshow. It is a pretty nifty program in theory, but this review will reveal if it stands up to the test.
Features of free photo to video slideshow maker
The feature list is pretty impressive for a program from a small company. As the program is also free to use, that makes the inclusion of few features quite pleasantly surprising. The program allows the user to include any audio file in the movie. The audio file can be played in between pictures or as background or both. The effects, or transitions, between the photos can be randomized. So far, we haven’t been able to find out if there is an upper limit on the number of photos that can be included in the movie. The delay between each photo can be set as well. The lowest value is 1 and there is no threshold on the upper limit. The transition delay can be set as well. The program allows a number of choices to the user in the output format of both video and audio. The video can be in one of five modes:
- Mp4: This can be played on most portable devices
- Swf: ShockWave flash videos are not very popular any more, but it can be done
- Flv: Flash videos are preferred for internet viewing and uploading
- WMV: Windows Media video files are meant for personal computers and laptops
- MOV: Quicktime movies are also meant for personal computers
Audio output can be stereo or mono. The bitrate can be selected and can range from 8000 to 44100 Hz. A higher bitrate file will take longer to create and will be larger as well.
Downloading and Installation of photo to video slideshow maker
The installer file is quite small at 4.4 MB. Downloading is hassle-free. Installation was done on an Intel Core2Duo computer running Windows 7 32-bit. The software will also run on Windows XP and Vista. Installation is quite easy and quick. It can be downloaded from its website here.
Working and Interface
This is where the company and its developers’ shortcomings come through. The interface presented to the end user leaves a lot to be desired. Mistakes in spellings abound such as ‘Outpur’ instead of ‘Output’. This shows the absence of quality control mechanisms. Working is nothing great, but it doesn’t really disappoint either. Rendering is quick and easy and the files can be played back without any jerkiness.
Verdict
As a product from a small company, it is not very bad. But there are other programs available out there which do the job better. Small improvements could have been made to the program to make it much easier to judge. But Cute Photo Slideshow can do the job. Just don’t expect fireworks.
