Authoring -- time spent

[mister]

I have Nero vision express and it takes forever to make a DVD with it.

The time it takes to import the video and output the necessary files can sometimes take hours.

I've heard that there may be more efficient programs out there but was really wondering HOW they can manage to do the same thing in less time.

Is it just creative software writing/algorithms ? or is something about Nero in particular.

Someone suggested a program "Muxman" and said that compared to Nero, we're talking minutes rather than hours.

I don't get it.

Thanks for any insight.

[redwudz]

'Authoring' is just converting a DVD compliant MPEG-2 video and audio into the DVD format and structure. That usually takes a few minutes. What you are probably doing is encoding or re-encoding the video and audio. Nero can do that sometimes even with DVD compliant video and audio.

Try a real authoring program like TMPGEnc DVD Author or similar. But you need to have DVD compliant video and audio first. See 'WHAT IS' DVD for the DVD specification and format to the upper left on this page. <<<<<<

There are also freeware authoring programs like DVDAuthorgui or GUI for dvdauthor that work well.

[Bjs]

It's pc spec vs what is input (file encoding to suitable format) .

If the file's are dvd complaint mpegs , then nero may have the idiot option still engaged which allows it to re-encode all ready dvd mpeg compliant file's ... disable it if this is so .

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There are many encoder's available ... some are faster than other's ... but the quality can be very different in final output .

If you want to start down this road ... try freeware first as it is well supported , especially with guide's in this forum and other's .

As with freeware vs commercial ... you need to be ready to learn ... especially that not all commercial products actually deliver what they offer .

If you get stuck ... you only need to ask ... but it need's to be specific in order to get the right answer .

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Nero dose the lot in your case (encode and generate dvd file types ... and burn to media) ... muxman only works with dvd compliant stream's ... it dosent encode , it simply packs them into the required file types as associated with dvd .

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Do you really want to go anywhere near rubbish such as tmpgenc dvd author ... beware ... it now need's to phone home every now and then to confirm lisence issued ... something one should avoid like the plague .

A bit like my sony product's ... every 15 days it wants to check and register itself ... I can atleast tell it to rack off .

[mister]

Hey, thanks for the replies.

I'm using the outout files from DVD shrink which are VOB files and wanted to edit some parts so then I used Videoredo.

(I did see the option in Videoredo to save as mpg but didn't try it....I thought you "had" to have VOBS to make a DVD) ?

I suppose I'm stuck with the re-encoding if I have VOB's to start with?

So, regardless of what authoring program I use, will they all be equally time consuming?

[ZippyP.]

So, regardless of what authoring program I use, will they all be equally time consuming?

No. Some authoring programs will accept the vob's as well as mpegs, TDA for one. It should not atke more than a few minutes to re-author.

If you are editing the vob's then you might as well save as mpeg, that way any authoring program will accept them. Normally vob's are created at the authoring stage, if they're being edited and re-authored then they will be re-written anyway. Use a proper dedicated authoring tool that won't re-encode your video like Nero is doing.

BTW, DVDshrink can edit your files at the same time as it's shrinking. It might save you a step.

[Bjs]

Not really ... you say you want to cut thing's out ... that will depend on a few things ... some , if not all are a bit tricky for first timer's .

The main issue with this is you want to avoid just cutting and butting piece's back together , as this can cause issue's with everything related to dvd ... there's three problem's , mostly to do with video / audio / sub's cut's ... not a nice thing to do .

Both process's can take the same amount of time ... and require more than one tool to accomplish properly without minor issue's coming back later .

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I'm pretty sure the simplest method which might cause less headache's all round , is to use dvdshrink ... no need for transcoding .

This is to say , dvdshrink is used to save out the part's of the title , less the bit's you dont want ... someone mentioned this before .
Reauthor mode and throw all the bit's you want back in correct order in dvdshrink , and output .

Play test on pc ... if your happy with it ... burn with imgburn and enjoy .

It's just not my way of doing it ... as I add crossfade to both video and audio , and fix up time code's for subtitle's .