Thought I"d share this handy tip I got from my Gnome mail
Question: I have been asked to make a Web site for my family reunion, and on that Web site I want to place a slideshow or movie that cycles through all the family pictures and news clippings. My problem is that a lot of my family is still on dial- up and I don"t want them to have to wait hours for the slideshow or movie to download or buffer. Do you know of any way I can pull this off without the excess buffering or download time?
Answer: I am proud to say that you came to the right place, and I"m certain I know exactly how to fix this problem! Lockergnome has mentioned in past issues a piece of software called Boomer, created by Crazy Ivan Productions, and this is the software you need. Boomer consists of two components: Boomer Video and Boomer Audio. You don"t have to worry about incompatible file formats because Boomer outputs to a Flash (SWF) file. So, as long as your family members can install the free Macromedia Flash Player, they can watch your slideshow. I know what you are thinking... "What about the buffering problem?" My answer for you is simple... there ISN"T any buffering problem if you use Boomer to create your slideshow! With the Boomer Video component, you can import image (GIF, JPG, PNG) or movie (AVI) files to create your slideshow. Boomer will also allow you to place play, pause, and stop buttons on your finished product so that your family members can pause the slideshow. There are other programs you can use to create your slideshow such as Windows Media Encoder, but then you will still have your file-buffering problem. For only $49.95, Boomer is easy enough to use and delivers more than you paid for. Head over to Crazy Ivan Productions" Web site at gfx2swf.com to learn more about Boomer and to give it a test drive.