Downloads

Photodex's least expensive presentation product is ProShow Standard. Unlike the ProShow Gold and ProShow Prodcer versions of the product, Standard handles only images--not video. But it handles them well, and it offers an impressive array of slideshow features. The program has a full timeline editor--including soundtrack, tons of transitions, multiple freely placeable captions--and serves up a variety of photo editing tools.

Besides being a highly competent editor, ProShow's offers wide variety of output formats: CD, VCD, SVCD, DVD, an executable file, or even a Windows screen saver. Nice touches include transitions that can be previewed simply by hovering over them with the mouse, drag and drop of multiple files from Windows Explorer, and synchronizing soundtracks to the slideshow.

About the only thing I found to complain about was the unintuitive methods for applying edits across multiple slides. For instance, to apply the same background to all slides you have to right-click over a checkbox to bring up the option--something I've never seen before. Applying transitions to multiple slides is easy; you just select them and click on any transition icon. My nit here is that the dialog doesn't give you the least hint that you're editing multiple transitions. Picayune complaints aside, this is a powerful slideshow editor that's well worth your perusal. Kudos to the company for an exceptionally fuss-free uninstall as well.

--Jon L. Jacobi