Advice on s/w choice needed

[SamboLJackson]

My company have decided to look into developing their next product to be a dvd based training system, and I have been set the task of researching dvd authoring s/w to do it on. I have looked at some on their own sites, and read what people have said in these forums, but there seems to be little talk of the respective benefits/drawbacks of Adobe Encore, which was one I had considered. Scenarist is too expensive, and although we are not excluding mac based, pc based would probably be better.

So any advice on how Encore fares against any others would be great, or indeed any other recommendations at similar cost (or lower!).

Also, being new to DVD authoring I'm a bit ignorant as to what can be done. One thing that we will need is to be able to play video clips in a defined area of the screen, such as the top right hand quater, while displaying textual information and menu items in the rest of the space. Can this be done?

Appreciate any advice.

Thanks.

Sam

[housepig]

I think the main reason that you haven't seen much discussion on Encore is that it's not available yet.

have you thought of more traditional interactive development tools like Macromedia Director? You could still distribute those in dvd format, but it sounds like you need something more focused on interactivity, with video support, than something focused on video, with some interactive support.

[SamboLJackson]

Thanks for that, that would explain the lack of Enocre reviews I've found for sure!

With this advice in mind....

If we were to use Director to create the program with the aim of distributing it in DVD format, which would be the best Director version to use, and are there any extras/plugins we would need to do this?

Cheers

Sam.

[Gees]

Unless you have a Director Programmer on board, I think that choice (although an excellent suggestion) will make it much harder to accomplish what you want.

I, personally, use Ulead software (MediaStudio Pro) to accomplish what you're after. You can set video in any area with motion paths and change size, apply overlays to alter shape, etc. But the SW of choice for high-end seems to be Premiere (outside of my budget at the moment.)

My husband was a Director programmer and when I've watched him work, I am stumped by what he goes through to achieve that - although he's able to add interactivity that I could never have.

If you don't need more interactivity than menu selections/options, Macromedia would be overkill - and demand more from your budget.

(edited to add): Macromedia has an expansive site that explains plug-ins and their use as well as tutorials.

[SamboLJackson]

Thanks for that, I'm currently D/Ling the free trial to see if the Ulead s/w will do the job.

...One thing I forgot to ask: If I choose to use Director (with Xtra for dvd video playback - as research tells me I will need), how will the compatability with dvd roms and players compare with using a more traditional authoring package?

[Gees]

Your're welcome.

I'm not sure about the compatability issue. My husband produced interactive programs (games & education) that were professionally pressed, not burned. So, I wouldn't be able to say how it'd work on +/- R or RW media.

The main difference, besides what I think is a hugely steeper learning curve compared to DVD video, is that the end result for Director is intended for computer playback only. Which is why I do similar projects in DVD video intended for TV display.

I'd only use Director if the end result was targeted for PC use only.

There are other less expensive, easier programs you could look at for PC play. If you wanted that - or possibly a second (alternate interactive) version of the DVD content. The one I use is MultiMedia Builder available at http://www.mediachance.com