Others may have a different take on this, but from our perspective... they are simply two different terms for the same thing. We use them interchangeably.

That's really a personal decision and it depends on the particulars of your situation. For illustration purposes, consider a wedding event... Some customers elect to show it to family and friends at the rehearsal dinner. Others choose to show it at the reception during dinner or during the cocktail hour. Some just want to have it running continuously off to the side of the main event as a "decoration."

Sure you can. If you have the time and expertise to do so, or simply enjoy that sort of technical/artistic work, of course you can. However, we have years of experience and have completed literally hundreds of slide shows for customers big and small. We know what works and what doesn't, and we want to help you avoid any problems. Secondly, there may be time concerns with doing it yourself. Scanning photos and learning the software to do all that we do may not require a Ph.D., but it will certainly require MANY HOURS of effort. We can help off-load that task from your to-do list and you can concentrate on other things... like getting married, planning your event, or simply life in general.

Many people choose to build their own slide show in PowerPoint, but we don't think that's a very wise decision. For one thing, in order to view your slide show again you'll need to use a computer and the PowerPoint application. That can be very limiting. Secondly, the DVD format is highly universal and portable... meaning that years from now if you want to look at your slide show to reminisce, you'll need nothing more than a DVD player and a TV.

It's entirely up to you and how many pictures you choose to share. Typically our customers include about 100 photos (roughly 8-11 minutes). Some customers prefer a shorter slideshow and only use about 50 photos (roughly 3-6 minutes). The longest slide show we've ever done included over 850 photos and lasted over 1 hour! However keep in mind that if the slide show is too long it might begin to irritate the audience (depending on the situation). We are of course completely flexible to your requests, and every situation is unique.

Absolutely! If you have lots of photos, going through the photos too fast is not a good thing, and can be distracting if done poorly. The speed of the music should be relatively similar to the speed of the photos. For example, you should not play slow music and flip the photos quickly - or visa versa. We generally do not recommend less than 3 or 4 seconds per photo. Remember, part of that time includes a transition to the next photo - and that takes a bit of time too.

The technology permits us to put hundreds of photos on a DVD without any problems. One client had us put together a slide show of over 400 photos and there was plenty of room to spare. It's entirely up to you how many pictures. However, a typical wedding slide show viewed by guests at a reception is less than 10 minutes (approx 50-100 photos).

We can work with photographic prints up to 8"x10" in size (3x5, 4x6, 5x7 are all just fine). Paper prints must first be scanned, and you can save some money by scanning these photos yourself (if you have a scanner). Digital photos from your digital camera or from a CD-ROM are also acceptable, and there is no need to scan digital photos.

The short answer is yes, we can take red-eye out. Generally red-eye distracts from the slide show, so we do our best to minimize/eliminate it's impact. We also usually adjust contrast, brightness and do some automated clean up of photos which require a little help. However, we are not claiming to be, nor are we aiming to be, photo restoration experts. We do however want your slide show to look its best, so we do a little tuning of the photos.

Through our experiences, we have found that the best DVD slide shows are the simplest. We typically fade from one photo to the next in the slide show because we feel it is the most elegant transition and honestly, it looks the best. However if you have a special request we can certainly try to work with you to meet your needs.

Yes! We highly recommend our pan, scan, zoom capabilities for your slide shows. The movement of the photo adds considerably more visual appeal to the slide show without detracting from the photos. In fact, they often enhance the photos. While it is entirely up to you, we generally recommend that all photos add this "pan-scan-zoom" feature - it does not add substantially to the cost and is well worth it in our opinion. Our Platinum and Diamond packages include pan, scan, zoom effects in them at no additional charge; our Silver and Gold packages do not include this ability, but you can add that option for a nominal amount per photo.

Yes, but you must provide us with the music on CD you wish to include. Professional Digital Publishing can not provide you with the music. There is no limit to the number of songs we can include, and there is no additional charge for this (ie, we don't charge you "per song" like some others will).

We have several dvd slide show song suggestions for you... We are constantly compiling a list of music that has worked well for our customers. We don't list every song ever included in an order, just the ones we feel work exceptionally well. The list can be found in our Advice section.

It's entirely up to you. Keep in mind that music sets the tone of the slide show. If you have lots of different kinds of songs and frequently switch between songs, that can get annoying. We generally recommend trying to use at least a minute of each song if at all possible. Entire songs are fine too. If there are certain songs you definitely would like to have played in their entirety, please make a note of that on your order form.

Yes, you can add one or several short video clips to the DVD slide show. Just include your video clip or tape and fill out the section of the order form for this. If you are submitting a tape or DVD, it must first be converted to a digital file format we can work with (MPG, AVI, MOV, QT or DV). If you are submitting a tape or DVD, the video is not yet in this format and must first be converted. You can do this yourself or we can do this for you at a nominal fee.

Yes. We provide you with a DVD which can be played in both a standalone DVD player (like what you might find in a home theater system) as well as a computer's. So if your computer/laptop has a DVD drive, it should play your wedding slideshow. NOTE: Our DVDs will play in virtually all DVD players. Please click here to check your DVD player.

Standard turnaround time is approximately 4 weeks, but rush processing is available by request. During peak periods, it may require more time than normal. Very large orders (many photos) may also require additional time. We will let you know if this is the case. Please ask if you have specific timeline requirements. While specific requests will vary, it is unusual that we can turn around a slideshow order in less than 1 week.

Complete pricing information is available on our website, just click here. If you would like us to provide a free quote or have any additional questions, please contact us.

Our two base packages - Silver and Gold both include up to 50 photos. Think of that as a minimum. In other words, if you only have 35 photos to include, we still charge the full base package amount. However, beyond 50 photos... everything is a la carte. So if you have 65 photos, you would start with a base package (Silver or Gold) and add an extra 15 photos to your project cost. You are also not limited to only 200 photos (because the Diamond package only includes 200 photos). Again, additional photos are a la carte. You don't even have to use the Diamond package. You could start with the Silver or Gold and add on photos well beyond 200 if you wish.

Yes. Each additional copy is an exact duplicate of the original and includes the same customized DVD case and label. Copies can be ordered when placing the initial order, or within 3 months after the order. The cost of additional copies starts at $20 per copy and is reduced depending on the number of copies ordered. For very large orders, prices can be substantially lower.

Yes. If desired, we can set up a special web page which you can point your friends and family members to. From that page, they can place an order for a copy of your DVD, pay online with a credit card/PayPal and have a copy sent directly to their home. Let us know if you are interested in this free service. The per-copy pricing will vary depending on the specifics of your slide show order, but is very reasonable. Please also be aware that we keep backups of your order for 3 months, so additional copies must be ordered during these 3 months unless special arrangements are made.

You don't actually need to complete the pricing worksheet to submit an order. The worksheet is provided to help you give yourself an estimate and a better understanding of the costs involved. If you have questions, contact us and we'll be happy to help you complete the form or provide a quote.

Absolutely! We strive to meet every request of our customers and want you to be completely satisfied. Our willingness to "bend" and fully customize the slide show for you is what makes working with Professional Digital Publishing more than just a "business-to-customer" relationship; we prefer to think of you as a new friend we plan to have for years.