MyDVD, DVDIT, ??? DVD authoring?

[Lamont Cranston]

MyDVD V2.3 was bundled with my Pioneer A03. IMHO it is a sad program. I tried to look at V3.0 but you can't download a demo and the specs at Sonic web site are lacking in any real inoformation. The same is true for the specs DVDIT. What is a good choice, if there is one, for authoring DVDs wothout spending a fortune?

[AntnyMD]

Do any of these DVD packages offer anamorphic widescreen? The two DVD authoring packages I've used so far (SpruceUp and DVDmotion) restrict you to 4:3 aspect.

[susie]

Have you tried Sonic ReelDVD 2.51 ?
it works with Pioneer A03 burner

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On 2001-12-27 08:07:13, Lamont Cranston wrote:
MyDVD V2.3 was bundled with my Pioneer A03. IMHO it is a sad program. I tried to look at V3.0 but you can't download a demo and the specs at Sonic web site are lacking in any real inoformation. The same is true for the specs DVDIT. What is a good choice, if there is one, for authoring DVDs wothout spending a fortune?
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[Skunkwerx]

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On 2001-12-27 08:07:13, Lamont Cranston wrote:
MyDVD V2.3 was bundled with my Pioneer A03. IMHO it is a sad program. I tried to look at V3.0 but you can't download a demo and the specs at Sonic web site are lacking in any real inoformation. The same is true for the specs DVDIT. What is a good choice, if there is one, for authoring DVDs wothout spending a fortune?

AntnyMD, wrote:
Do any of these DVD packages offer anamorphic widescreen? The two DVD authoring packages I've used so far (SpruceUp and DVDmotion) restrict you to 4:3 aspect.

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I agree that MyDVD was limited to say the least. I "acquired" DVDit PRO 2.5? and based on my tests, the program seemed a bit buggy. Yes it burnt DVD-Rs and RWs fine with an Pioneer A03 but it seemed to recognize the file sizes differently from other DVD burning softs. (usually saw them larger) IMHO, DVDit is a simple menu and burn program, nothing tooo plain but nothing to fancy offered in this program. There are wallpapers, buttons and text features. The user interface is above NOVICE but pretty easy to catch onto if you tinker a bit. It does burn CDVDs so that you can test some of your short captures on CD-Rs before cap and burning 4.7gb images.

I "believe" this program supported 16:9 aspect though I'm at work right now and cannot confirm.

Ulead DVD Movie Factory is another alternative. Though you can be limited by the templates and parameters that are given to you. The program interface is VERY user friendly. The program supports capture, minor editing and format conversion (slow). But its a pretty good package for someone starting out.

Sonic REEL DVD:
This is the program that might be what you are looking for. But I have not been able to import and files successfully into the version that I "acquired". BUT it looks like it is closer to a Professional authoring system. Motion menus, seperate audio tracks etc

This program appears to support 16:9 aspect.

[tort]

Using MyDVD, gives you a choice of 4:3 or 16:9, but using it or DVDit! gives me out of sync audio and video after 40 minutes....

I have since gotten VideoWave 5, which is a TRUE Video Editor, allows unlimited menus, etc., and has Built in DVD authoring.

As soon as I get it installed and start working with my files, I'll let you know how it is, but it seems to be able to do a lot more than anything else on the market.

[rphunt]

In terms of DVD authoring (NOT video editing)..

MyDVD is extremely simple. But this means the user has very few options. Very little can be done with menus. But it does work, mostly.

VideoWave is mainly video editing. But the DVD authoring tends to add audio glitches to the start of the videos when compiling. Also, when using AVI files trimmed in VW, the audio really gets chopped up in the compiling. I had to edit the AVIs using VirtualDub. Also, chapter-points cannot appear as separate icons in menu.

ULead allows flexible capture, allows a video to be inserted before the menu, allows chapter-points to appear in menu. Can't position icons on the screen tho'. Main prob is that the MPEG2 encoding is very blurry. But the videos are encoded individually in the edit process, so they don't have to be re-done everytime the DVD file structure is re-created, real time-saver!

I'll have to try Sonic REEL.

[rphunt]

Of course you're talking about...

MyDVD--free with some drives.

Videowave---$130

ULead---$50

Sonic REEL---$1000

[Lamont Cranston]

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On 2002-01-02 07:20:19, rphunt wrote:
VideoWave is mainly video editing. But the DVD authoring tends to add audio glitches to the start of the videos when compiling. Also, when using AVI files trimmed in VW, the audio really gets chopped up in the compiling. I had to edit the AVIs using VirtualDub. Also, chapter-points cannot appear as separate icons in menu.
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Which version of VideoWave were you using?