Automatic dvd authoring and burning?

[winifreid]

I am looking for a one click solution for my 82 year old father. The current method is to capture from cable using Windvr to mpeg2 using a Leadtek Deluxe card and then authoring and burning with TDA. The problem is that there are numeruos steps that he can't really remember. One problem is that Windvr saves the files with .mpeg extension and TDA only recognizes .mpg, so it is necessary to click on "all files" to see the file list. Also, there does not appear to be a way to get TDA to just burn automatically without several clicks. Ideally, I would like a solution with no more than 3-4 clicks from authoring to finished dvd. He doesn't need menus or editing. I don't want to buy any more SW either. I thought there might be some way to create batch files that would work with TDA, but haven't a clue how to create one that would work under this situation.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

[canadateck]

I thought WinDVR had direct to Disc? Not sure how well it works though.

[jimmalenko]

NeoDVD is pretty much a 3-4 click capture/author/burn solution.

[winifreid]

As far as I can tell, Windvr does not have a direct to disc function. It does have a burn to disk function. There are several clicks and I am not sure how well it works. I will ty it.

[winifreid]

Burning with Windvr takes a coon's age, plus it isn't much simplier than TDA.

[Stormin Norman]

Get him a dvd recorder (tv to dvd), very simple setup and execution, and to boot, fairly cheap. Pioneer has some very good models. Start with dvr-220 and work your way up to prefeered model.

[canadateck]

I just tried it.

It burn as it captures.

[winifreid]

Is that what it was doing? How did you set it up? When I cliked on Burn under file, a screen comes up that shows a list of programs that I have already recorded. How do you get it to burn a scheduled program in the future? Thanks.

[canadateck]

Sorry,My Mistake I always mix the 2 up.

http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/WinDVDRecorder_Profile.jsp

[winifreid]

So any more ideas? As I said, I really don't want to buy any more. If I could get TDA to automatically see .mpeg extension and then burn without asking, it would help alot. But I suspect there is no way to get a batch file to do this.

[winifreid]

Any other sugestions?
Thanks

[harley2ride]

Don't know what to tell you. Even the all in ones like Ulead Studio, require you to go through multiple steps. It is all tab/menu driven, and you don't have to log out of one software and into another. But you still have to follow the tabs and go through multiple steps. I've used it for some home video projects, and it works pretty good, and was easy to follow. Mine us Ulead Studio 7, but the current is Studio 9. It costs around $70.00, but if you buy it with an ADS Firewire card on ebay, you can get the card and the software for around $50.00.

[winifreid]

I have ulead 8, but the problem is that it does not recognize ac3 wjich is the prefered audio for windvr. Also, there are several clicks between add and burn. But it is a little simpliar that TDA.

[harley2ride]

Ebay has Media Studio Pro 7 which supports up to dolby 5.1 sound with a buy now of $129.00. But I have never used it and can't speak for how easy it is or how many steps.. But it is a heck of a price for it.

[winifreid]

Thank you, but I don't even want to spend five dollars more than I already have. I am really looking for some sort of batch file solution or perhaps someone might know about some feature of the sw I already have that will solve my problem.
Thanks

[borax]

It is possible to do such things with batch files, if you use 'real' commandline tools (all the below mentioned programs are freeware). The following 'program chain' could be used for this purpose:

- Demux the mpeg2 with projectx or pvastrumento (CLI version)
(This will usually also clean up the mpeg2 for any transmission errors)
- Remultiplex with mplex (use - f 8 option)
- Author with dvdauthor
- Burn with nerocmd

All these steps can be started from a batch file. Another possibility is to set up some postprocessing in projectx to start up GUI for dvdauthor with correct commandline parameters (filenames). Then you could use the 'Auto accept video and audio files' option in GfD. Projectx would start GfD with the necessary parameters and the last remaining 'click' would be 'CreateDVD'

P.S. The only possibility to use TDA would be a macro tool like AutoIt

[winifreid]

Autoit ( http://www.autoitscript.com/ ) worked a charm in combination with ulead videostudio. Autoit will be a big help in the futre; this program can do most anything.
Thanks

[lordsmurf]

Buy a DVD recorder.

What you want does not exist on the computer. At least not one that works well and doesn't end up looking like crap.

[winifreid]

Just wanted to update. Id did write a little scipt with autoit and was able to get the videostudio to start with the screen where you just pick the file to author. Then all I have to do is click next twice and output and burning starts. So I went from about 12 unclear clicks with TDA, to about 8 still unclear clicks with VS to 3 easy clicks using VS with autoit. He tried and was able to do it wihout much trouble. Thanks for pointing me to autoit.

[toryamos]

Burning with Windvr takes a coon's age, plus it isn't much simplier than TDA.

what's a coon's age ?

[guns1inger]

72 on it's last birthday