MediaShout processes transitions differently depending on whether you are using a still background or a motion background. This can cause some confusion because the process to change a transition setting is dependent on which type of background and transition you are changing.
If you are using a still background (JPG, PNG, etc.), the transition setting on the Cue tab and on the Background tab are linked together. This transition applies to both the text layer and the background layer since neither are moving layers. So, if you set your transition to Laser on the Cue tab, what you will see is the Text entered with the Laser transition but no change on the background as long as the background is the same image. Technically, the background is transitioning, but because it is the same image, you don't see it happen. However, if you have different backgrounds on consecutive stanzas/pages you would see that Laser transition happen on both the foreground and background between verses/pages.
For cues that use motion backgrounds (videos, animations, etc.) the transition settings on the Cue tab and the Background tab are still linked (and will control the transition into a stanza/page), but there is an additional setting on the Foreground tab that will control the text transition. This is due to the fact that there are different processes handling the text and motion BG transitions. There is no change in how you set the transition for the background, but the text transition is changed under the 'In' settings that are only accessible via the Advanced view in the cue editor. In addition, because this is a global setting for the entire cue, you must select the entire cue by clicking on the word 'Cue' at the top of the stanza/page list for these settings to be accessible. (These locations are indicated below.)
The transition types are limited to Cut and Dissolve for the Background layer (unless you have optional transition packs installed) and Cut and Dissolve Over Motion BG (Background) for the Foreground text.