Best legit DVD authoring package...

[Monkee]

Is it Sonic DVD IT PE
(has builtin mpeg encoder)

or

IS it Pinnacle Impressions Pro.
doesn't have mpeg2 encoder but tmpgenc I suppose will do

or Roxio VideoPack 5
comes with ligos mepg2 encoder.

tis a shame that no-one does trial versions of any of these.

I have the option to buy one of these and I don't want to waste a stash of cash on the wrong one. I'm using WinONCD 3.8 to create VCD's but want to move upto DVD as my web site says (http://www.djspacebar.com)

Just spoke to someone at videoguys.com and they said that they'll have some enticing deals in a coupla hours (Midnight GMT Time). I'm interested in buying the Pioneer Package unless someone in the UK knows where i can get this at a good price.

Thanks folks.

[leebo]

I prefer VP5, because I was so used to using VP4, and ver 5 is like ver 4 on steroids.
VP5 allows motion menus (DVDit dosen't).
It also does VCD's and SVCD's (DVDit dosen't).

But VP5 currently has a problem in DVD mode (it re-adds video files for every chapter you make). A patch is on the way.
Read my thread on VP5 (do a search for my user name).

I've used DVDit PE ver 2.3. It's OK. A little buggy.
DVDit just came out with a patch (ver 2.5). Haven't had a chance to try it yet.

Read the web board over at Sonics site to see what users are saying about it.

[Monkee]

Thanks Leebo for the advice.
Yeah, I've seen the way VP4 can help with the menus and I like that but when you say motion backgrounds. The way I've done this in the past is to actually create an mpeg which displays the menu with my buttons and then when a user hits a number on the remote control then it navigates to that mpeg file on the disc. This is still possible with VP5 isn't it.

Also When you create you mpegs in VP5 is the quality good and can you use the arrow buttons on the remote control to navigate your menus?

I really want to make sure before I fork out cash especially on software. Apparently a guy at Roxio mailed me and said that AC3 will be in future builds (service packs). In your mind Leebo, is VP5 really a quality product that will allow me to create interactive menus and good quality video, even if I create the menus myself in Adobe premiere and import them as mpegs.

What do you mean by motion background in VP5. How do you create them.

ta

[leebo]

In VP5 it isn't necessary to do all that work for motion backgrounds.
Simply add the mpeg you want to use as a background and VP5 does the rest.
You can tell it to use previews of chapters for motion buttons, just like on Hollywood DVD's.

Go to the Roxio web site and read up on it's features.

My biggest complaint is the bug that causes VP to increase the project size every time you add a chapter point (In DVD mode only).

They're working on it, and after watching the release of Nero 5.5, I have faith that the Germans do quality work, so I'm not worried.

DVDit PE had several bugs too, but perhaps they've fixed them in the latest update (2.5). Haven't gotten my hands on it... yet.

But DVDit does'nt do motion menus (or VCD's and SVCD's), at any price.