getting photos on a DVD. Help and Advice needed

I want to make a photo slide show that plays on a DVD player.

I'm trying and it's not working out. I'd be willing to buy some software, but would like to know if it's going to be easy to use (that it makes sense to me and my 400 photos), and that my photos are still going to look clear on TV.

I made a disc, I'm ashamed to say I can't even remember how I made it, It'll do the slideshow, but the photos are way fuzzy.

Then I was looking at my Nero 6, tried using it, tried downloading the updates. but I don't think it's easy to use, and the disc when I put it in the player, wouldn't go past the menu. It has an option of making a Super Video CD, but I'd need to buy the special Meg 3(?) D/L.
Since I can't even get the first Disc to play, it seems pointless....

Then I D/L Photo Story three for Windows. Hey, it was free! I liked the way it worked better, I didn't have to place one photo at a time... It does have annoying transitions that I would have to change for each photo. And it had some different burning opinions. I tried two, DVD -NTSC and DVD -PAL. Neither worked in my DVD player.
Looking at it this morning I realize that it has Video CD opinions too, in PAL or NTSC. But the resolution looks lower and I want clear Pictures.

I'm flying through my blank discs too. And I do know this could be a problem with my DVD player.

I have learned that I could have left the pictures on my Camera card, hooked the camera up to the TV and showed them very clear and beautiful. I didn't leave them on the card though, they are on the computer. And I can't seem to put them back on the card. Sigh.