First DVD Authoring

[chiyoaiki]

I am new to DVD authoring and am wondering which software I should get? I would like to burn the movie/tv drama with simple still menu and prefer a stable, easy to use software.

From what I understand (correct me if I am wrong), some softwares can convert the avi/mpg file for you as well. If my source files are avi/mpg, is it better to convert them to DVD first or shall I just let the authoring software do the job for me?

Thanks in advance.

[bugster]

For best quality and greates flexibility in Encoding, use a dedicated encoder for creating your Mpegs. Ones to choose from are TmpGenc, Cinema Craft (CCE) and MainConcept.

As for authoring Software. Ulead Movie Factory and Ulead DVD Workshop are easy to use and powerful. TmpGenc DVD author is liked by many and very easy to use, also a good price esp if bought at the same time as the TmpGenc encoder.

[chiyoaiki]

Thank you for your advise.

Do you know where I can find an authoring guide for using Ulead DVD Workshop as there is only an authoring guide for Ulead Movie Factory here. Do they work in the same way?

Between Ulead DVD Workshop and TmpGenc DVD author, which one would you recommend in terms of quality and stability?

I have seen many good comment regarding DVDLab. How is it compare to Ulead DVD Workshop and TmpGenc DVD author? Is it easy to use?

Sorry for asking so many questions.

Thanks once again.

[bugster]

Sorry, can't help with a guide and no, they are not the same to use. Workshop is more expensive but more powerful and has more features.

Ulead DVD WS Vs TmpGenc? It depends on what you want to do and what you expect to achieve. They are very different beasts. TmpGenc has a trial version for download, Ulead may have also. Try them

DVD Lab is excellent but requires a little more knowledge to use than that possessed by the averga beginner. However, once you have learnt the basics it is an excellent tool for doing some of the more complex things in DVD authoring (though not quite everything allowed by DVD's) and at a good price too. Again, it has a trial version available for download.

[chiyoaiki]

Thanks for your reply.

Ulead DVD WS Vs TmpGenc? It depends on what you want to do and what you expect to achieve. They are very different beasts. TmpGenc has a trial version for download, Ulead may have also. Try them

What do you mean by "They are very different beasts"?

I would like to burn movie/tv drama (occasionally with subtitle - no need to be selectable), and with selectable still menu. Any recommendation between the two?

Thanks.

[willy_annand]

I have seen many good comment regarding DVDLab. How is it compare to Ulead DVD Workshop and TmpGenc DVD author? Is it easy to use?

The answer to that is yes and no.

Compared to Ulead and TMPGEnc, you have far more flexibility in what you can create. Simple Menus, Paged Menus, Switched Menus, Motion Menus, Menu Transitions.... etc.

You get a far more polished and professional looking product.

If you wnt simple, stick with Ulead and TMPGEnc. Because with power comes complexity.

DVD-Lab is easy to use, if AND ONLY IF, you read the Tutorial section of the online manual.

One word of warning, DVD-Lab does no re-encoding. What you give it is what you get from it.

Ulead re-encodes non-compliant MPEG streams in the background.
You have to give DVD-Lab 100% compliant video/audio.

On the plus side, there is a very active forum for DVD-Lab

http://www.mmbforums.com/

with several VERY knowledgeable users as well as the author of DVD-Lab who does read the forums and does answer his posts.

I had Ulead DVD Workshop, uninstalled it and bought DVD-Lab.
I am much happier with the quality of the finished product, so are my clients.

I tried the demo of TMPG DVD Author, but found it too limiting.

[bugster]

Thanks for your reply.

Ulead DVD WS Vs TmpGenc? It depends on what you want to do and what you expect to achieve. They are very different beasts. TmpGenc has a trial version for download, Ulead may have also. Try them

What do you mean by "They are very different beasts"?

I would like to burn movie/tv drama (occasionally with subtitle - no need to be selectable), and with selectable still menu. Any recommendation between the two?

Thanks.

I Mean they have very different user interfaces, but both will do what you want, so it depends on what you like as to which you prefer. Try them both.

[chiyoaiki]

I had Ulead DVD Workshop, uninstalled it and bought DVD-Lab.
I am much happier with the quality of the finished product, so are my clients.

Do you mean DVDLab provides a better DVD, i.e. movie, output, or do you mean better product in term of nicer menu, etc.?

Thank you for both of your kind advises.

[hiptune]

For best quality and greates flexibility in Encoding, use a dedicated encoder for creating your Mpegs. Ones to choose from are TmpGenc, Cinema Craft (CCE) and MainConcept.

And Canopus Procoder is not to be ignored for quality and flexibility.

Jeff

[bugster]

For best quality and greates flexibility in Encoding, use a dedicated encoder for creating your Mpegs. Ones to choose from are TmpGenc, Cinema Craft (CCE) and MainConcept.

And Canopus Procoder is not to be ignored for quality and flexibility.

Jeff

Agreed, I was just giving a possible selection, not an exhaustive list.

[sihyp]

[Quote: I would like to burn movie/tv drama (occasionally with subtitle ]

Forget DVD WS and DVD-Lab. They don't support subtitles yet.

[bugster]

I would like to burn movie/tv drama (occasionally with subtitle - no need to be selectable),

Thanks.

Non-slectable subtitles can be 'hard encoded' into the mpeg. This is normally done by frameserving the source and the subtitle to the encoder. I suggest you try a forum search or check the guides for more info on this. If your mpeg has hard encoded subtitles it is part of the picture, so subtitle support by the authoring application is not required.

If you want switchable subtitles, the authoring app will need to support this feature.

[willy_annand]

Do you mean DVDLab provides a better DVD, i.e. movie, output, or do you mean better product in term of nicer menu, etc.?

Yes and yes.

With DVD-Lab, you have far more flexibility to create menus (several types) as well as slideshows.

Also, DVD-Lab does not alter your input, other than muxing it into VOB files. Through tests with giving Ulead non-compliant files to build DVDs with and having it produce Compliant DVDs, several of us have determined that Ulead quickly re-encodes your files in the background to be compliant.

DVD-Lab does not hold your hand every step of the way as Ulead does. You have to prepare your elemental streams for use in DVD-Lab.

Bottom line is, you give DVD-Lab quality, 100% DVD compliant files and DVD-Lab will allow you to be VERY creative (just check the website's Tutorial section) with designing the menus. Plus you will get a high quality DVD as a finished product.

As with any "Powerful" software, be prepared to read the Tutorials to know how to take advantage of the creative power of DVD-Lab.

[willy_annand]

[Quote: I would like to burn movie/tv drama (occasionally with subtitle ]

Forget DVD WS and DVD-Lab. They don't support subtitles yet.

There is a workaround posted on the DVD-Lab forum on how to get subtitles in DVD-Lab.