EasyWorship / SongShow Plus / Media Shout

[Paladin J]

First Post ( /everyone "Hi Jeff" /Me "Hi Everyone!!!") ... And I like so many am trying to decide between worship software.

So I was asked to check out MediaShout and EasyWorship... Well being the "lets try everything and make it real complicated!" kind of guy I am I expanded this to include:
MediaShout
EasyWorship
Song Screen Liquid
Sunday Plus
Song Show Plus
Presentation Manager

First Impressions: my opinion & nothing more, I've read enough posts and agree that there is an audience for all of them. But, My audience is going to be 90% people with limited technical abilities (these folks will think it is SO cool to get words on the screen) and 10% people who do not want their creativity hampered by limited software. Baring this in mind I have *pretty much* limited it down to EW and SSP
EasyWorship is true to it's name, I installed and went "OK" click click click - bingo bango I was doing stuff. perhaps this is why it's the #1 on the ChurchMedia poll (when you eliminate PowerPoint). BUT it appears limited in comparison to some of the other software.

MediaShout - Powerful and Complicated... Not Intuitive

Song Show... OK this is the one I think I'm going for. Seems to do everything MediaShout does with a complexity level slightly higher then EasyWorship. first time I looked at it I had to poke around and things were making sense.

Ok here's where you all come in

I want to be sure I'm not missing something - I've only been looking at them for a few days so far and here are my concerns / questions

Song Show- How do I get NIV and NLT *IN* SongShow?? I know I can make a slide and paste in the verse but I'd like to click on the book, chapter, and verse and have it in there. It looks like it requires me to have a separate program (@ around $700) to do this???? adding these to EW is ~$60 ... and it appears they are INCLUDED in MediaShout

EasyWorship - it appears that you can choose a font and your stuck with it for all the slides? I saw where you can pull up the slide properties and it says it's using the default font but when I change it to something else it doesn't appear to 'take' - we would like complete control on a slide by slide basis (font, font effects, background, Transistion, etc) for all slide types (one song in font a, one song in font b, one verse in font c, then next in font d)

Licensing- We will need 6 to 8 'projection' machines and would like at least an equal amount of 'workstations'
My understanding is as follows:
EasyWorship $399 site license - That's all there is to it $399
MediaShout $429 per two PCs ... So 8 projectors and 8 workstations would = $3432 ????? if so YIKES!!!!!!!!
SongShow Plus $400+ (7*$95) = $1065 Unlimited Workstations
SongScreen Liquid? not sure

Desires:
EASE OF USE
DVD playing (with the ability to set a start and end time)
LiveFeed (with titling)
PowerPoint integration
DigitalJuice integration
NIV and NLT Bible

Thanks in advance!

Jeff

Also the software MUST be able to work with USER rights. I see that SSP does this. We have an old version of MediaShout and SongScreen and they both require Admin rights. Will EW and MS work as a plain 'ol user? no Admin, no power user?

[newlife330]

We have been using EZW for about 3 years, and we have never had a problem. I think its a great program. Training our media team has been soooo easy. I have actually trained people in as little as 10 min. Everything you are waning to do, you can do with EZW. You also get a Site license that means you can use it on as many computers as you like as long is it is located at your facilities.

I have installed video projection systems in 3 sister churches and they have all purchased EZW.

I highly recommend it...

Hope this helps you out...Let me know if you need additional Help.

[sheldon]

We use SSP and have since version 2. Needless to say, we are pleased with it. We have 2 projection licenses and are about ready to get a third. As far as I know, you are correct on the $95 per. One thing though, you only need one service contract! We pay the ~$150 per year for upgrades and 24x7 phone support. We have needed it twice (once was Easter morning!) and we feel it is good insurance.

Did the download version of Song Show Plus come with the Online Bible? It is a free program and I think it is an optional install with SSP. I purchased the NIV and NAS translations for like $20 each. They have a slew of free and pay translations on their website.

[Rod Luhrs]

Song Show- How do I get NIV and NLT *IN* SongShow??

Its very simple.
SSP provides support for multiple third party bible programs.
Most of us are using the online Bible $20 (i think) NIV..
you can download that direct from the online bible site on the web. (you can simply add alot of other versions the same way as well..)
then its just a matter of selecting the bible version, and one click and the scripture is either added to your program or displayed..
you can find some more info here. http://www.rtechnics2.com/TechnicalS...uirements.html

I have been using SSP for about 5 years now and are VERY happy, there are alot of Little things that make big differences, like the inbuilt visulizations, photo show builder, slideshow builder, countdowns, etc etc.. and Version 7 is about to be released that has even more features,
the more you play with this software the more you will find,

My suggestion is you wander over to www.ssplash.com and check out the user forums and ask a few questions there, as well..

also check out.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Worshi...mediaExchange/
This is a group of over 800+ SSP users world wide, this is also an excellent place to ask any questions you need answered, also a great place to pick up some great tips, just from listening to others,

Good luck with the decision,
hope this helps
Rod

[kbob]

EW will work with user rights-we do that all the time. Take the time to read the forums, but you'll find it can be done with a little bit of prep.

We love our text in EW-but you're right, one font for everything for now.

There's a lot going on with the beta-but you have to have a paid version to check it out (which I wish wasn't so, jeftay!-tryouts miss all the new functionality).

DVD playback, folders for images, straight image insertion is now possible without creating a faux song, just to name a few things. so far, very stable, at least for me since version 4 of the beta, and I think they're getting close to release (but at least one more preview would be my guess).

BTW-on the dvd issue-you will be able to set cue points, but their are some issue with that-and I think they exist across all worship softwares. Something to do with setting in and out points across different sections of the dvd-if the dvd is set to come back to a menu, it will fail. Not likely to be a problem, just a heads up.

[[Admin] osborn4]

First, let me echo Sheldon and Rod with their endorsement of OnlineBible with SongShowPlus. You can use any of the electronic versions listed here. But OnlineBible is definitly the value priced alternative.

You can download the code and then purchase, download and unlock which versions you want to use, beyond the "Authorized Version" (which comes free). Currently, NIV is $20 and NLT is $5.

You are correct on the pricing. DVD support relies on supported DVD software, usually WinDVD. Powerpoint support requires a full version of Powerpoint being installed on the projection machine(s).

I'm not sure what you mean by DigitalJuice integration. SSP comes with some sample DJ loops and stills which work fine. But somehow I don't think that is what you are talking about.

But there is a lot to like about SSP and a lot of extra features like 3-d animations and animated background visualizations that are included.

[[Admin] skstarkiller]

Originally Posted by Paladin J

MediaShout $429 per two PCs ... So 8 projectors and 8 workstations would = $3432 ????? if so YIKES!!!!!!!!
Desires:
EASE OF USE
DVD playing (with the ability to set a start and end time)
LiveFeed (with titling)
PowerPoint integration
DigitalJuice integration
NIV and NLT Bible

Thanks in advance!

Jeff

The most you would pay for MediaShout is $929 - $429 retail for the software + $500 for an unlimited site license.
FYI you can get MediaShout 3# for $379 all over the place!
As for your desires MS has all that.

[Paladin J]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Originally Posted by Sheldon

Did the download version of Song Show Plus come with the Online Bible? It is a free program and I think it is an optional install with SSP. I purchased the NIV and NAS translations for like $20 each. They have a slew of free and pay translations on their website.

No it didn't .. If I recall correctly SSP was the one that asked me what options I wanted when I installed it... is there a way to install an option without reinstalling the software?

Rod Luhrs, Thanks - been to the ssplash as well. Will checkout the yahoo group

Kbob, I think one font is a deal breaker for our use, but I may suggest we get EW -&- SSP. And I think I get what you mean about the DVDs, perhaps we will just need to rip the DVD segments we want.

Originally Posted by osborn4

You are correct on the pricing. DVD support relies on supported DVD software, usually WinDVD. Powerpoint support requires a full version of Powerpoint being installed on the projection machine(s).

I'm not sure what you mean by DigitalJuice integration. SSP comes with some sample DJ loops and stills which work fine. But somehow I don't think that is what you are talking about.

But there is a lot to like about SSP and a lot of extra features like 3-d animations and animated background visualizations that are included.

We have a zillion copies of PowerDVD so we'll be using that unless it causes a problem. I'm guessing all it really needs is the DVD codecs.

DigitalJuice integration - my experience with DJ is next to zero, Right now if we want digital juice our video team makes a DVD of oh say 1hr of the desired digital juice jumpback. SSP had a 'digital juice' branch on one of the menus with a few sample jumpbacks. I'm not sure, maybe there just AVI's and anything could play them.

[[Admin] osborn4]

For DigitalJuice, you just need to have the video team make up AVI (or WMV or MPG...) loops for you (just not MOV).

If you already have SSP installed and then install the Online Bible, you can rerun the SSP installation and just install the OnlineBible proModule. I do not know if that is part of the demo or not.

Also, the transisions and visualizations that come with the demo are a small subset of the full products.

[Jerod]

Originally Posted by Paladin J

EasyWorship is true to it's name, I installed and went "OK" click click click - bingo bango I was doing stuff. perhaps this is why it's the #1 on the ChurchMedia poll (when you eliminate PowerPoint). BUT it appears limited in comparison to some of the other software.

EasyWorship - it appears that you can choose a font and your stuck with it for all the slides? I saw where you can pull up the slide properties and it says it's using the default font but when I change it to something else it doesn't appear to 'take' - we would like complete control on a slide by slide basis (font, font effects, background, Transistion, etc) for all slide types (one song in font a, one song in font b, one verse in font c, then next in font d)

I'm assuming you downloaded the 2.3 build 11 version of EasyWorship. What I would recommend is downloading the latest snapshot of EasyWorship 2006. It will be a free upgrade to all existing users and we should have a final release this month. Some of the quick features it adds is DVD clip selection; allocating backgrounds, fonts, text location and ect. per song or scripture; ability to put images in schedules; a logo button to escape out of a slide to your churches loge; ability to edit the scripture text displayed; plus many more... You can download it and run it over you demo copy. For more information see this post on our message board
http://easyworship.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3607

Originally Posted by kbob

There's a lot going on with the beta-but you have to have a paid version to check it out (which I wish wasn't so, jeftay!-tryouts miss all the new functionality).

You should be able to run any of the EasyWorship 2006 snapshots over a demo copy of EasyWorship. It will just expire at the same time as the standard demo copy or 2.3 build 11 does.

[rkresge]

Originally Posted by Paladin J

We have a zillion copies of PowerDVD so we'll be using that unless it causes a problem. I'm guessing all it really needs is the DVD codecs.

Unless something has changed big time, SongShow Plus can't use PowerDVD to support DVD playback. To the best of my knowledge, SSP requires WinDVD in order to support DVD playback from within SSP.

There's nothing wrong with PowerDVD, and you can certainly use it separate from SSP - it's just that SSP's DVD playback feature requires WinDVD.

Blessings,

Roger

P.S. We've been using SongShow Plus for 5+ years and have been delighted with it. I encourage everyone who is considering worship software to look very hard at SSP. I've tested several of the others and have yet to find anything that does anywhere near what SSP does for us. Having said that, I'm also looking forward to the new features that will be in SSP v7.

P.P.S. We just updated to the newest version of Online Bible (the 2-CD set) a couple of weeks ago. Our old original version did not include The Message, which the new one does. We only needed to buy the CDs, as our original "unlock codes" for NIV, NRSV and NLT are still good for the new version. The upgrade cost us something like $40 - not bad.

[Jerod]

PowerDVD is the prefered codec for EasyWorship's DVD feature although we can work with most of them.