reeldvd opinions

[fmctm1sw]

I looked through a couple threads and see a lot of reelldvd topics with no replies. Surely someone is using this or has tried it. I'm looking for opinions.... Anyone?

[roma_turok]

The Sonic ReelDVD :
Old program.
I was using this before Adobe Encore.
Very buggy, with no option to edit dvd menu, only from Photoshop.
And not easy to use.

[lordsmurf]

Not easy, buggy, discontinued, old....
Yeah, that about about sums it up.

Sonic still sells it, but it's not been updated in about 2 years or so.

- Ulead DVD Workshop 2 is a good modern choice.
- Adobe Encore is buggy too, but at least new.
- DVD-Lab if you like the flowchart interface
- DVD Studio Pro on Mac is better

[roma_turok]

-Adobe Encore is buggy too, but at least new.

Adobe Encore DVD its was buggy before in 1.0 version,
now its version 1.5.1 and its working like dream in my working place.

[BJ_M]

they do still sell it --

i have no idea why ...

http://www.sonic.com/products/reeldvd/default.asp

[roma_turok]

they do still sell it --

i have no idea why ...

Maybe its call : TO MAKE MONEY

[roma_turok]

I looked through a couple threads and see a lot of reelldvd topics with no replies. Surely someone is using this or has tried it. I'm looking for opinions.... Anyone?

Do you want to buy it?

[fmctm1sw]

All opinions appreciated. A couple things turned me on to this product. It claims to be built on the same principals of scenarist. I liken that to CCE basic being built on the principals of CCE SP. It also doesn't have a MPEG encoder (I don't need one, I plan on picking up CCE). It seemed to have some good reviews when I did a google search on it (I don't know how old they were though). It is presented as a prosumer program like DVD-Lab and the like (not much hand holding). It also has a built in AC3 encoder (which is a harder find than I thought in my price range and my Win2K O/S). I was a little turned off by the whole menu thing though. It looks like you can get the full veriosn for $200 now. I did like what I saw with Ulead DVD workshop though. I just don't know if I can pony up nearly $400 for it right now.

[David K]

I fooled around with a demo version of it.

It is like Scenarist lite. Many of the same structural features as scenarist, but more user-friendly (but that's not saying much as Scenarist is the most user-unfriendly program of all time.) Reel DVD's GUI flow is very close to DVDLab, and DVDLab has menu creation features in addition. So unless you need multiple audio track support or subtitle support, you might as well go for DVDLab at this point (and I think DVDLab Pro has added some of those features.)

The one interesting thing about ReelDVD is that it can output a scenarist file that can then be opened in and worked on in Scenarist.

[fmctm1sw]

you might as well go for DVDLab at this point (and I think DVDLab Pro has added some of those features.)

I had the trial of DVD-Lab and I liked it. But I'm still screwed on the AC-3. I checked out DVD workshop 2 express but the review I saw leaad me to believe it will reencode everything. Grrrr, why is this so hard?

[fmctm1sw]

Hmmm: MyDVD Studio Deluxe v6
- Encodes to AC3
- according to a review, it won't reencode
- cost $100
- OK with Win2K
- even DL disk support

BUT NO TRIAL!
and you have to register a dang product before you can even send email to their support people.... Oh well....

[bugster]

I checked out DVD workshop 2 express but the review I saw leaad me to believe it will reencode everything. Grrrr, why is this so hard?

DVD WS does not re-encode if your source files are DVD-Compliaat and you tick the check box for 'do not encode DVD compliant files'.

[lordsmurf]

I checked out DVD workshop 2 express but the review I saw leaad me to believe it will reencode everything. Grrrr, why is this so hard?

DVD WS does not re-encode if your source files are DVD-Compliaat and you tick the check box for 'do not encode DVD compliant files'.

In DVDWS2, it is smart. Don't even have to check the box anymore. That was a DVDWS1 requirement. It knows what's compliant and what's not. And it even takes muxed streams too, not required to go elementary like so many others. Real time saver.

[lordsmurf]

-Adobe Encore is buggy too, but at least new.

Adobe Encore DVD its was buggy before in 1.0 version,
now its version 1.5.1 and its working like dream in my working place.

I still consider any authoring software that OURIGHT IGNORES part of the DVD spec to be complete trash and a waste of time. To not acknowledge 352x480 resolution should be taboo and an unforgiveable software sin. Shame on Adobe for being so stupid.

[solarfox]

My opinion on ReelDVD?

Biggest piece of $4!+ I've ever had the displeasure of tangling with.

* No menu-creation capability; everything has to be done via an outside utility like Photoshop, and it's a real pain in the butt.

* Has an annoying tendancy to spit out error messages that don't actually have anything to do with what it's real problem is.

* Sure, it lets you create multiple audio and subtitle streams... but the support for them is pathetic; it provides you no way to create an audio/subtitle selection menu screen! (There is a workaround for this, if you don't mind directly hacking on the IFO and VOB files via IFOedit and VOBedit, but still...)

Those are just the major annoyances I remember off the top of my head. I'm glad I didn't pay for the bloody thing... (No, it wasn't like that, either; I tangled with it while doing a contract job at a company that had already unwisely bought it.)