Suggest a good DVD authoring program...?

[impmon2]

I've been using ULead DVD Movie Factory for quite a long time but I;ve decided to move on. I have not tried version 4 yet but the reviews haven't been plesant about that version. And I've had a few minor problems with 3:

1: Sometimes if I go forward to "Finish" section then back to menu to add one more video, Movie Factory crashes

2: If I mnake menu for individual video in addition to the main menu, the thumbnail of main menu never shows the image I select. It always selected the first frame of the video. This makes the main menu look a little cheap and unprofessional. However if I don't set menus for individual video, the main menu does display the correct thumbnails.

3: The window doesn't want to resize itself smaller so the bottom part (next, back, etc buttons) are hidden behind the XP Start bar. I have to turn on autop hide feature to get the whole window to show.

4: Resource hog. And extremely slow to encode any video that are not MPG.

I would like to consider alternative program that can make "main" menu featuring every TV shows I have, and individual menu for each one with multiple chapter points. Also friendly with VCD encluded video with 48KHz audio since most of the video I burn are in VCD res anyway. Preferable those that are reasonable priced. There are quite a lot of DVD authoring programs in the tool section I just can't decide which one to try but I don't want to download 15 or so programs to try them out.

Oh yeah I'd prefer if the program have an option to save to ISO format rather than burn to disc. That way I could mount the ISO as virtual disc and test preview the file to see if it is done right or if I made a mistake. I hate to waste blanks and my DVD players don't like RW version. :/

TIA for any suggestions.

[FulciLives]

I would try TMPGEnc DVD Author as it is easy to use and a very stable program. There is a fully functional trial period when you download it.

However ...

1.) Menu creation is somewhat limited BUT should do what you seek.
2.) Does not encode video ... you must feed it compliant DVD spec video.

I do believe it works with VCD resolution that has 48k audio but I'm not 100% on that as I never use that format.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[ZippyP.]

4: Resource hog. And extremely slow to encode any video that are not MPG.

If the files is not in DVD ready mpeg format then your program is doing more than just Authoring, it is converting the video as well. This can take a very long time and will consume almost 100% of your CPU power as you have found. That's quite normal.

So you've found that Moviefactory is crappy. That's quite normal as well. There are not many "all in one" packages that do each step of the process at a very high level. Most of them have limitations.

If all you want is an authoring program then TMPGEnc DVD Author is quite good. Free trial available. It doesn't create an ISO but will create the DVD on your hard drive so that you can play it before burning. It will not accept anything but mpegs. It will accept VCD mpegs and it will convert the audio for you so that it is DVD compliant.

[pharries]

DVDlab pro is great
There are also cheaper versions of the same program
See their web site

[slacker]

If you switch your authoring program, what will you edit with?

[Noahtuck]

If you switch your authoring program, what will you edit with?

Anything but Ulead Products
Ulead was something you used with Sonic stuff years ago to make vcd's when you got your first cd burner 8)

But i also would have to recomend TDA as FulciLives & ZippyP.
Great easy program!!!! with alot of options if you have a good imagination and think outside of the box, and TMPG/Pegasys makes acouple of good editing and encoding programs.....
I have been using TMPGEnc for long before dvdr's and TDA since it first came out (a long time ago) and they make GREAT products!!!

But also as pharries stated, DVD lab PRO is great!!! not as cheap as the pegasys programs, but you can't find a better authoring program for the $$$ with as many options and control 8)
+ it allows DTS audio files to be added if you are that deep into audio production

[Cunhambebe]

I would try Vegas and DVDA or DVD Lab Pro

[impmon2]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try the DVD Lab Pro and TMPGEnc DVD Author first.

And I keep forgetting I could rip my own burned DVD into ISO. An extra step for program that doesn't save in ISO format but it works.

[impmon2]

Looks like I'll go with TMPGEnc DVD Author. The first time I tried to use it I found it to be fairly easy to use. A bit more work than ULead program but still easy enough for me to figure out how I could get my DVD the way I wanted.

Also it finished the initial creation in under 8 minutes. Using the same VCD as source, I'd have to wait over an hour for ULead to do the same thing >_< This on 3.0GHz P4, 1.5GB RAM, and half a TB of combined disk spaces.

DVD Lab Pro seemed a bit harder to use. It seems to have a fairly steep learning curve. Like I have to actually read the manual :P I don't know if I'll ever get to try it or if I'd uninstall it and stick with the first one.

[FulciLives]

Looks like I'll go with TMPGEnc DVD Author. The first time I tried to use it I found it to be fairly easy to use. A bit more work than ULead program but still easy enough for me to figure out how I could get my DVD the way I wanted.

Also it finished the initial creation in under 8 minutes. Using the same VCD as source, I'd have to wait over an hour for ULead to do the same thing >_< This on 3.0GHz P4, 1.5GB RAM, and half a TB of combined disk spaces.

DVD Lab Pro seemed a bit harder to use. It seems to have a fairly steep learning curve. Like I have to actually read the manual :P I don't know if I'll ever get to try it or if I'd uninstall it and stick with the first one.

I keep forgetting that the company that makes TMPGEnc DVD Author has a new "upgraded" version which they are calling TSUNAMI MPEG DVD AUTHOR PRO. It has features not found in the old version with the biggest plus (as far as I am concerned) being the ability to handle 2 instead of 1 audio track(s).

I haven't upgraded myself but will sometime soon ...

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[toryamos]

TDA is for babies !. if you need subtitles, do not go for TDA. suggest ulead DVDWS2

[Noahtuck]

TDA is for babies !. if you need subtitles, do not go for TDA. suggest ulead DVDWS2

I would pay for any pegasys program before using any Ulead product for free

If you want something worth the $$ go for DVD lab PRO or TDA, like FulciLives said, they have a newer version of TDA that allows 2 audio tracks, if you are needing sub's or even more than 2 audio tracks, go with DVD lab PRO, as i stated earlier it also handles DTS audio and is half the $$ of Ulead DVD Workshop.

For just starting out, TDA is a good program to learn basic's on,

DVD Lab Pro seemed a bit harder to use. It seems to have a fairly steep learning curve. Like I have to actually read the manual :P I don't know if I'll ever get to try it or if I'd uninstall it and stick with the first one.

Don't let it scare you, play with it and you will be amazed at how fast and easy it really is, and all the things you can do with it that you can't with ulead or TDA 8)