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Combining photo and video for a present

I’m trying to create a present for my son’s 40th birthday. I want to combine photos, video and music into a presentation. I have lots of old photos and some 8mm film to use. What’s the best way to turn these into my son’s present?

You certainly have an ambitious project on your hands. But it shouldn’t be too difficult to do. I’m sure your son is going to love your gift. He’ll especially like that you made it yourself.

First, you’ll need to get all of your media on a computer. That’s easier said than done. Your 8mm film is going to be the biggest obstacle. You need to convert the film into a digital format. It’s possible to do it yourself. But it’s fairly complicated, and can be expensive.

Plus, I’d worry about damaging the film. I’m sure there are precious memories stored there. You’d hate to see those ruined. The best idea is to send the film to professionals. They will be able to transfer the film to a DVD. Shop around for a company that can do it locally.

You can use a scanner for your old photos. If you don’t have a scanner, check out my buying guide. This is something you can easily do yourself. When scanning, the resolution should be about 300dpi. You’ll have more options that way. The photos will look good on a screen and on paper.

At this point, all the media should be in a digital format. Your photos have been scanned into the computer. And your film is on a DVD. You can start putting together your presentation.

You’re going to combine your photos and video into a movie. Probably the best program to use is Windows Movie Maker. It’s fairly easy to use. And it’s free. You’ll find it on your XP or Vista PC.

First, you’ll need to import your media into Movie Maker. But for the video, you’ll need to do a little work first. Movie Maker can’t pull the video directly from the DVD. You’ll need to convert it to video files. You’ll need software to do that. You can try FlasKMPEG, DVDx or AutoGK.

OK, now you’re ready to import your media. Open Movie Maker. In XP, click File>>Import into Collections. In Vista, click File>>Import Media Items. Navigate to any photo, video and music files you want to use. Select them and click Import.

I’ve got plenty more on this mixed-media gift. Just click here!

WOW! EXTRA HOUR THIS WEEKEND!
It’s happening this Saturday morning! I will be taking your calls for a whole four hours! The extra hour will be broadcast when I am away on a family reunion. So, if you have a question about something digital, let me help! It takes just three easy steps: 1.) Call the LIVE broadcast. That’s this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the East Coast, or, if you live on the West Coast, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. 2.) Know the phone number. It is, of course, toll-free 1-888-825-5254. 3.) Talk to me. That’s all there is to it!

Every day, Team Komando produces some of the best content you’ll find anywhere on the Internet. Here is a sampling of what’s new on our site today!

• Video of the Day: Most animals have natural enemies. Lambs and wolves, for instance, are a bad scene. But these “enemies” are pals.

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• Free Download of the Day: Say you’ve got a bunch of video. You’d like to put it together in a coherent order. You’ll find VirtualDub is a big help.

• Tip on the site: Does your hubby get lost when he travels? Maybe you should invest in a GPS unit. There’s a lot to know, so follow my advice.

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