mpeg2 to dvd & minidvd tool with edit without reencode

[syeager]

I need advise about what tools are available. This is your opportunity to crow for your favorite app.

I want to take mpeg2 files I have captured ( as well as capture in this app ) and I want to burn them to dvd and minidvd. Don't worry about minidvd compatibility, I am on that. I DO NOT want to rerender the mpeg. However, I do want to delete selected sections of the mpeg2 file (remove commercials and such). I do want to make simple menus. I would like to burn directly from the program, but that is not a requirement.

I have Pinnacle Studio 8 and it is great, but I don't know how to remove commercials and keep it from rerendering. I have Movies to CD & DVD, but it is clumbsy and always rerenders as well. I have MovieXone plus, but it rerenders. I have tried flaskMpeg, virtualDubMpeg, but they also rerender once editted. My favorite so far is TMPGEnc DVD Author, which does everything but burn. If this is the concidered best, do I have to go to Pegasys direct and pay $70 or is there somewhere else that sells it?

I look forward to hearing your opinions. I love this site and cannot wait to hear your responses.

[gotodvdr]

You're right. TMPGEnc DVD Author is the right tool for this case then use DVD decrypter or Nero burn it.

[syeager]

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully others will respond.

Also, where can I buy it? Only at Pegasys?

What about Sonic MyDVD? I am about to purchase a DVD burner and that tool comes with it. It seems to say it will capture, trim, create menus, and burn. Anyone like Sonic MyDVD?

[sellpipe]

Hey syeager,

I used myDVD to its fullest extent (capture,edit,author) my latest miniDV and it made an absolute crystal clear DVD of my summer vacation movie and I am going to delete all my other softwares and use it for ALL MY HOME MOVIES.

This is from my own personal experience. There is alot of people on this forum who dont like it though. So I suggest try it and see what you think. If it comes with your burner, then you are out nothing to try it.

Good luck!!

[syeager]

Thanks for the endorsement. This is great. Thanks to all who take the time to respond. Great community.

Called Sonic to ask them about myDVD and they said the editing was very basic. Can trim begining and end of clip, but not commercials. That is a big part of what I need. Can anyone confirm this? Also heard that myDVD will not encode audio in MPEG but only PCM (or something like that). Is that also true?

And what about Ulead's Movie Factory 2? Just heard good things about it. Going to download it and try it out.

Any other opinions?

[FulciLives]

Hello

The best MPEG2 editing program is Womble Multimedia's MPEG2VCR
This program will edit an mpeg file even if it has an AC-3 stream muxed with it. It is the only program I know of that can safely and correctly edit MPEG2/AC3 files.

Unfortunately the program is like $125 USD but not that long ago it was double that (the price went down not that long ago).

I did some simple editing like you said using Ulead VideoStudio 7 but it would only work correctly when I used an MPEG2 video muxed with MP2 ... at least it wouldn't accept an AC-3 audio file. Since my captures have AC-3 audio I don't want to convert to MP2 just to be able to edit.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

Link to Womble Multimedia
http://www.womble.com/

[syeager]

May have to try MPEG2VCR. I capture usting ATI in VCR format and convert to MPEG2 using their library tool. Not bad quality and fast. I also capture in MPEG2 in real time with ATI card. Quality is ok. They don't use AC3, so this is not a requirement for me.

Tried Ulead MovieFactory 2. It is ok for editting but it does reencode. Did it pretty fast (sub 15minutes for about 40 minutes of video) but the clip bloated from just under 700mb to over a gig. And it would not play. Inteface was nice but not functional. Anyone have any input on this app?

As I narrow this down, it seems that TMPGEnc DVD Author may be the best tool. Does anyone sell it for less than $68? Does anyone have a copy they want to get rid of?

Any one else out there that is passionate about their app?

[Specialist]

Hello

I did some simple editing like you said using Ulead VideoStudio 7 but it would only work correctly when I used an MPEG2 video muxed with MP2 ... at least it wouldn't accept an AC-3 audio filehttp://www.womble.com/

Ulead's VideoStudio 7 application is considered more of a 'consumer' editor - so there's no AC-3 support.

However, the Ulead MEDIASTUDIO PRO 7.0 application fully supports AC-3 editing.

Here's the feature set description:

http://www.ulead.com/msp/features.htm

Good application.

I've used it constantly since 1997.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[FulciLives]

I've used Ulead Movie Factory 2 and have found it to be a nice easy-to-use authoring tool. However, you can't do any editing with it because I think it will then re-encode. As long as you don't edit with it and just input a *.mpg file (already muxed with audio) then you can do menu designs and add chapters WITHOUT re-encoding.

Just make sure you check the box in the options that reads something like this, "DO NOT ENCODE DVD COMPLIANT FILES"

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[syeager]

That sounds about right. Pinnacle Studio 8 is the same way. Always reencodes if you do anything to the base mpeg. I don't know, it might reencode even if you do not edit. Editting is one of the basic things I want to do, so I always edit my mpeg. TMPGEnc DVD Author is still the king, so far.

Thanks for the input on the Ulead products. I liked VideoStudio 6 when I tried it, but editting was not as simple as with the TMPGEnc product. And it always encoded. But I like the tool.

OK, anyone else love an authoring tool WITH EDIT capability?