recommendations for dvd authoring/editing software

[kaoru21]

I'm having audio synch problems with vids so I decided to buy a good program. Here's what I need to do: Author and burn multiple avi or mpeg vids on each vcd/dvd with no synch problems. Pretty simple right?! Not so unfortunatley for me. Well I bought Pinncale Expression and Ulead Video Studio 6 and they both freeze up and wig out on me. So I need some recommedations plz. I was thinking about Dazzle DVD Complete. I need something relatively simple and not tooo expensive. What do you think?

[donpedro]

How or where did you get your "multiple avi or mpeg vids" ? Problem might be right there ? If it is downloded, I think you need to "clean" them little, but I am notexpert on this.

[kaoru21]

the files are downloaded and perfectly fine before encoding. TMPGEnc isn't reliable when it comes to audio syching even when you split the av(in my painful experiences atleast). I'm trying to get a good reliable program that works. as i said the two programs I bought don't work for what ever reason and I'm about to pull my hair out. I have a brand new top line pc but i can't get things to go right. it's really frustrating.

Let me put it this way; The extent of my skills and knowledge can be reflected by this: I thougth I had to join the files to put them on one dvd! Until I got pinnacle expression which lets you just put them all on their without joining. Only problem is expression doesn't work on my pc. So I need a program that'll let me do that and works on my pc. So if someone can tell me some that would be friggin great! I don't see a way to do it with the ulead dvd movie factory demo(which is the only one I've used for authoring menus and burning. Can you do it? I could'nt figure out how to. It seems no one knows, even though it should be simple to anyone with some experience.

[donpedro]

Try to follow this for AVI and tell me if it worked.

http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=124811&highlight=

[letgoofmyears]

Are you using VirtualDub to extract the audio, so when you use TMPGenc you're actually using seperate audio/video sources? I sometimes had the same problem, especially when DLing from Kazaa. Using VDub to create a wav file beforehand usually fixes this.

If that doesn't help, you need to go to TMPGenc's settings, and get to source range. In here you can actually mess around with the audio by changing the delay. It's best to slide the scale to somewhere in the movie where there is a lot of dialogue. This way you can encode say 30-45 second clip, to see if there are sync problems. If there are, just keep adjusting the audio delay and reencoding. It shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes to get the a/v synced up. Then, when you have the audio delay where you want it, you can encode the entire movie without worry.

[bugster]

If programs like Ulead Media Studio and Pinncale Expression freeze up and/or crash you have a problem with your PC, either software or Hardware.

I nay case, getting audio sync right requires a number of checks and methods, depending on the source material, but it can all be done within TmpGenc and a few other tools.

As
letgoofmyears says, try extracting the audio with virtualdub first and encoding with seperate audio and video streams. If Virtualdub warns about VBR audio the another slightly different approach is required. In tese cases I use goldwave to extract the audio and it usually solves the problem. If the audio is AC3 then another method and set of tools is required, look to the user guides or search the forum for how to handle this.

One last point, make sure you use TmpGenc to encode to the same framerate as the original avi to help prevent gradual loss of sync type problems. If the original is PAL framerate (25fps) and your TV/DVD player can only handle NTSC then you will have to learn how to do standards conversion.


There is no single program that will solve sync problems in one easy step. If there was this forum would be a lot quieter!

Be patient, experiment, read the guides and learn how to handle each different avi file type as it arises and most of all have fun.

[kaoru21]

BUGSTER - Actually Video Studio freezes up every time. But I bought it on eBay and it's a cd-r copy so that may be why. And Pinnacle Expression hangs during transcoding or I get an application error that says: 'The instruction at "0x07d6bd9b" referenced memory at"0x04a44320". The memory could not be "read"'. (???) I'd hate to think it was my brand new sony vaio that was messsing up(shutter).

OK LET ME SEE IF THIS HELPS: I've used Virtual Dub and/or Goldwave before to encode to mpeg2 dvd and it synchs up fine! But when I used to join them(because I thought I had to) the audio would de-synch. So I can encode them properly, but where do I go from there? I need a program that will let me put the multiple files on the disc while I'm during the authoring stage(like expression). IT SHOULD BE SO SIMPLE. I KNOW IT IS, I JUST HAVE A HARD TIME EXPLAINING. SORRY!

[bugster]

I guess you are trying to write to DVD. For DVD you want a specialist authoring program and there are several to choose from. You could try the trial of Spruce but you can no longer purchase this. Another option is Ulead DVD Workshop fo Mivie factory, for which there are trials available also.

Any of these should allow you to add multiple DVD compliant mpegs and maintain audio sync.

If you join VBR mpegs with Tmpgenc it does often screw up the audio sync and I havn't found a solution to this myself yet.

[frank1701]

Hey, don't feel bad. I've used just about every piece of software I can find, and just when I think I've got a system that works, everything goes into the toilet again. I capture with intervideo Winproduer 3 and get a good MPEG2 capture, and was using Ulead DVD Workshop to Author. Things stayed in sync for a while, but now, everything looks like a Godzilla film again. I'm in the process of reloading everything and hope a fresh install of XP will take care of it.

I'm not familiar with the programs used to rip the audio tracks and encode them seperately. Is there a tutorial anywhere here on how to obtain the software and steps involved to manually correct the sync problem?

I've got both Pinnacle studio 7 & 8 along with Expression, and when they work, they are only good for short captures. Within 15 minutes, they are out of sync, as well.

[kaoru21]

What's so ironic is that the very first dvd I made was perfect! It was five episodes of anime that I downloaded. It was a dvd rip in mpeg format. I honestly don't even remember the method I used - just followed the guides for converting, joining wiht TMPGEnc and authoring and burning with ulead movie factory. I was just at the store and bought Video Explosion Deluxe on a whim. Oh well, I'll figure it out or go insane trying, I guess.