iPhoto slideshow - how to mute all videos?

Question

iPhoto slideshow - how to mute all videos?

Hi there

I've put together an iPhoto 11 slideshow to be displayed during a party. This includes photos and videos. However, since this is really a background type thing, rather than the focus of the party, I don't want the audio from the videos to be audible (especially since they'll inevitably be played several times during the party). I'm using the same Mac to play music via iTunes, which of course I do want to be audible.

So far I can't find any way to avoid the video audio coming through and interfering with the music. Even if I adjust the video of the clips in iPhoto, it doesn't seem to remember this setting and goes back to full volume as soon as I switch to another clip.

Since iTunes and iPhoto both use the same sound device as selected in System Preferences, how can I make this work?

Note that I don't want to use the iPhoto music features, as I'll be controlling iTunes remotely via my iPod

So far it seems my only option may be to use the iPod stand-alone to supply the music, but this will be a major pain as I'll have to keep running back to the DJ booth to select tracks etc.

Any tips are most welcome!

Cheers

Chris

Macbook 2.4GHz, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 4GB RAM

Posted on Aug 2, 2011 6:44 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Old Toad

Level 10

216,208 points

Aug 2, 2011 12:13 PM in response to Trude Bordello

Use the Export button at the bottom of iPhoto's window. Select Display as the size and click on the Custom Export button. In the next window click on the Options button. In the next window uncheck the Sound checkbox, hit OK and Save. That will create a move file without any audio that you can play with Quicktime Player or put into iPhoto and play.

OT

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Answer 2

Aug 5, 2011 2:15 AM in response to Old Toad

In the end I had to use a free app called MPEG Streamclip to remove the audio. Even this was more complicated than I'd like, as I had to re-encode the files into a format chosen in the settings (ie rather than keep it the same as the source files by default). So, I'm not sure if the files are as optimal as they could be. One of the files wouldn't work like this, and I had to do it by exporting it as a one-movie slideshow. This took an incredibly long time, I it's a good job I didn't do this for all 15 video clips I have! Anyway the end result was what I was after...

....except....

I now seem to have a more fundamental problem. All the videos seem to play back very jerkily when in full screen or slideshow mode, compared to the standard iPhoto album view (ie the mode when you double-click a thumbnail and then hit play). This is true both for the non-audio files and the original un-modified ones!

I don't know what's causing this, especially on a Macbook 2.4GHz with 4GB RAM and a hybrid SSD/7200 rpm HD, and after a fresh reboot with no other apps running!!

Any ideas of what I can do to improve the playback? 😢

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

216,208 points

Aug 4, 2011 10:44 AM in response to Trude Bordello

To do what you want you will have to use iMovie or some video editor that can strip the audio from those clips. You might be able to create a slideshow with just one of the clips and export as we discussed to see if that will strip the audio and then import those new clips and use them in the album/slideshow.

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Answer 4

Aug 4, 2011 5:16 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks Old Toad, but I can't see any of the options you mentioned. There's no export button at the bottom of the main iPhoto 11 window (at least not on my machine) - only Share, which is for uploading, emailing etc.

If I select one of the videos and then got to File -> Export, I have a choice of four tabs - File Export, Web Page, Quicktime and Slideshow. Under File Export, there are no options for sound. If I select "Original" for file type, when I hit Export, it takes me straight to a File Save window, with no other options than to choose the save location and file name

All of the above is seen whilst highlighting the chosen video in the album.

Is there something else I'm missing?

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Answer 5

Aug 4, 2011 10:38 AM in response to Old Toad

Ah, I see. But wouldn't that export the entire slideshow as a single video file? I don't want to do that, as I want to have all the pics and videos in shuffle mode. That's why I'm doing the slideshow directly from an album.

Maybe there's a way to create silent versions of individual videos (even outside of iPhoto) so that I can then re-import those for use in my album?

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