free dvd authoring prog out there, that produce quality dvd?

[Denvers Dawgs]

Are there any good dvd authoring programs that are free. I have started burning tivo files, and have used sonics mydvd. I read somewhere that it's possible to change the files to mpeg and then just author with an authorinf program. The thing is I had spent $60 on mydvd, whicn takes for ever to encode, and don't want to have to spend $$ on an other program, if there is one that I can get for free that will allow me to create a basic menu, edit commercials, and insert chapters.

[Baldrick]

read https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=277622 about the tivo

if you are using dvdpathcer you can use most authoring tools, https://www.videohelp.com/tools?listuser=&orderby=Type&s=2#2 (order by freee tools first)

[Denvers Dawgs]

Thatsexactly the link I checked out. That's why I was wondering if there were any reliable free dvd authoring programs?

[jtoolman2000]

The thing is I had spent $60 on mydvd, whicn takes for ever to encode, and don't want to have to spend $$ on an other program, if there is one that I can get for free that will allow me to create a basic menu, edit commercials, and insert chapters.

Not really!

Nothing that is really worth using in my oppinion. You will have to pay a bit of $$$ for a good authoring program.

As far as the time it takes, well yes, it will take time to encode as you put it. Actually if you have prepared your video clips to perfectly compliant MPG2 files there is no encoding. Only the menus, motion backgrounds, audio, or animation buttons are being encoded. The more intricate the menus the more time it will take. The movie files (MPG2s) are merely re-writtent to become the VOBs of the DVD. They should remain identical. In fact if you take a VOB and simply change its file extension to MPG it will be an MPG again.

My DVD and DVDit will take about 1-2 hours to prepare a full DVD of say 1:30min length. So that's is perfectly normal. If you think it should take less time, then that's a bit unrealistic. You did not state how long My DVD was taking for your project so I can only guess as to why you were not satisfied with it. Anyway, authoring and writing the DVD folders and or files will take about 1-2 hours on the average machine and the average project, whatever average really is. So many variables involved it's almost impossible to predict.

[Denvers Dawgs]

thanks for the great replies. My first mydvd experience was about 1:45. I just thought that if I changed the tivo file to mpeg, it would be a shorter process. I have nothing against the output of mydvd, looked as good as original did to me. Just thought about trying the other way to compare the video quality....

[borax]

As soon as you have a mpeg file (I don't know the tivo format), most authoring programs like TDA, dvdlab, dvdauthor (with GfD or dvdauthorgui) will need about 5 minutes for 1GB Video on a medium performance computer (highly dependent on the speed of your harddisk!).
If possible I would try to demultiplex the tivo files directly with projectx first (there you may also do basic cutting), fine cutting with cuttermaran or mpeg2schnitt and authoring with GfD or dvdauthorgui. All these programs are free, have no limitations concerning resolution and produce high quality.

[Denvers Dawgs]

thanx borax