Which DVD author prog to purchase? Ulead, Vegas, TDA

[chewie8008]

Ok, I just recently downloaded the trial version of TDA. I love the program and was thinking of purchasing the retail license for the full product. However, i'm wondering if maybe i'd be better off with a different program...

The only thing I have found so far about TDA that I don't like is that it seems there is no way to make my own "hyperlinks"(if that's what they're called on the dvd menus) and tell the program what button/link does what. I would like to be able to set up my own custom 'heiarchy'(sp?). It seems that is not possible with TDA...

What I was trying to do, and please correct me if this is possible within TDA, have a menu setup, with the main film/feature on the first screen(having the image be the play button) and then have a link/button labeled chapters(which would link to the different chapters) and then have another link/button that would link to say a slideshow(which could be like, extras). So basically have a hiearchy more like a real DVD is. I couldn't seem to figure out to do that, maybe it's possibly with TDA, I don't know. Also noticed you couldn't insert standalone audio files(mp3, wav, mp2 whatever) within, it has to have video...(which, I kinda got around by creating a 1 picture slideshow, but whatever).

So, are any of those other programs to do all of that? I'm not real clear as to which ones are the best. I figured Ulead, Vegas, Premeire(way way too expensive) and TDA where some of the better ones. Just trying to figure out what is the best for what I need for the $100 or so.

Don't want to go over the $100 mark.

Oh, and once you purchase the TDA retail license, is the only extras more menu items and to be able to save project as?

Would appreciate any info.

[lordsmurf]

Ulead DVD Workshop 2 will do it.

But fat chance for anything under $100. You want steak, but you're only willing to pay for hamburger.

Lately, I actually prefer SVCD2DVD v2 as authorware, given the choice between it and TDA.

[chewie8008]

But fat chance for anything under $100. You want steak, but you're only willing to pay for hamburger.

Just didn't know if there were progs at $100 that could do that. Over $100 is just a little steep considering the need for the prog is for pleasure only.

I may check out SVCD2DVD

Thanks for the info!

[A_51]

Chewie Lord Smurf is right. But there are other programs. If money is a concern but not time. There are some free applications, GUI's for Dvdauthor that are free and it only take some reading. Look for the followings, DVDStyler , Dvdauthor GUI & GUIdvdauthor. It may take you some tweak around but ones you get a hang of it you be able to do practically anything and for free.

[Cunhambebe]

I'd like to tell ya that Vegas does not author anything. Vegas is a NLE (Non Linear Video Editor). It can help you to make motion menus, but it can't author a DVD.
Sony DVD Architect can do it, but for more than 100 U$. I am a fan of DVDArchitect. It is such a nice aplication but it still has some issues like programming correctly the button "next" on the remote control. I mean, you can set end actions but those will not work for the next button. Of course there's a workaround for this, but it's not the official thing - and that means: the "next button" will not work the way it should.

DVD LAB PRO is another good option. I guess you can take it home for 200 bucks or a little more than this. It is an excellent application, but far more difficult to deal with than Sony DVD Architect, since it doesn't work with templates.
http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/historypro.html
Cheers,
Mark

[Bjs]

Grab ulead video studio 9 se in ebay cheap ... it will do all the basic requirement's .

What you are missing from here can be done with freeware ...

Vobedit - demux output vob from ulead project , strip steam's , split via cell id , join vob's .
Besweet - for audio conversion to ac3
Dvdshrink - shink project down to fit onto dvd-r (for min dvd's use rejig instead)
Wax2 - increase menu design ... guide's soon
Blender - more , fancy menu design , wrap video to 3d model's , create personalized logo's
Virtualdub - frameserving , generation of frame acurate celltime text for ifoedit , handy for splitting , and more
Visualsubsync - subtitle creation , rip audio from vcd mpeg perfectly
Subtitle workshop - more on subtitle design
Gimp - menu background design , support's alpha channel for motion script's
Avisynth + addon dll's - various video processing
Bbmpeg - best mpeg1 , mpeg2 encoder , preview for avisynth script's ... and more , encode to hd size's .
Super - for problematic clip's downloaded from net , direct conversion from and too many format's , pal / ntsc work's
Rejig - muxing m2v / ac3 / sub's to vob (support's hd format size ... go nutt's)
Pgcedit - dvd navigational editor , and more
Ac2filter - decoder for ac3 playback on pc
Koolplaya - play dvd from dvd drive and folder
Subrip - rip subtitle's from dvd title's , and menu button graphic's
Mpegdemux - demux mpeg2 stream's into seperate m2v / m2a (rename to mpa)
Dvdauthorgui - Dvd authoring , motion menu script generation , handle's subtitle's for 352x288 mpeg2 ... guide soon .
Mwsnap - Take snapshot's of anything on pc for various project's .
Audiocity - handy , some filter's
Expstudio audio editor - handy , filter's again
Dvdslideshowgui - pic's to mpeg ... other trick's
Slideshow movie maker - similar to above , output as avi only
Txt2sup - subtitle tool
Sub2sup - subtitle tool
Srt2sup - subtitle tool
Imgburn - disk image burning , more
Folder2iso - folder to iso
Zmodeler - free edition ... for creating 3d model's for use in blender ... handy for video wrapping .
Vcdgear - pull mpeg from vcd or dat
Imgtool's - simpler dvd burning process from folder containing vob , ifo , bub ... work's with nero's aspi ... testing
Fast tracker - create your own audio from music instument's for menu's
Autoit - for automation of process's you need to perform multiple time's
Ms movie maker - for various trick's and conversion
Codec's - install only those required

There's a couple of other's ... dont get me started on pc utilities .