dvdlab question

[MCD]

I was thinking of trying out DVDlab and had a question about the chapters menu templates. Do you have to use those templates or can you construct your own template (bitmap, jpeg, ect) ?

[mkelley]

Of course you can make your own template... and it's quite easy.

Give it a try -- it's free and fully functional for 30 days, so you have nothing to lose but time (admitedly very valuable, but in this case I think you'll find it well worth the effort).

[thefox149]

I have used some really expensive authoring software eg sonic reelDVD which retails for about 600 US (ok you are paying for dolby digital encoding here but hey just use besweet) and DVD lab is the best hands down end of story. To many points to make about this program. My only peice of advice is...keep everything thing on your dvd the same format eg AC3 sound for everything or MPA/mp2 format don't mix AC3 and mpa/mp2 audio. In terms of video well I have mixed a PAL and NTSC disc before with no probs with playback on my dvd player ...others not so good. But DVD lab anyalises and warns you about it. Also let DVD lab de mux the files for you it gives it a chance to anaylise the file rather than skipping it and accepting the files as is. I burned 50 disc (10 Ritek G04's 4x 40 Princo White Tops 1x not sure why people complain about these I have not had 1 coaster yet)using this program ...all in sync all in perfect working order nothing to complain about. Those people who complain i would imagine are mixing formats...

[MCD]

DVDLAB sounds like a good product, I think I will take a look at it. My main focus is making motion thumbnail chapters. I read a little about what DVDlab can do, but is it my understanding that it will render these motion chapter thumbs menu out to an avi? Sounds ok except I was wondering if you can import avi format into DVDlab to create the menu? Other wise wouldn’t you have to compress twice ( once to m2v to load into DVDlab > then render your menu back to avi > then compress again back to m2v) Maybe I am wrong, can someone shed some light on the motion thumbs idea??

[mkelley]

Motion thumbs you'll need to create outside of DVDLab. There are some instructions on how to do this in the DVDLab manual, if memory serves.

Just download and try it -- and get on the DVDLab forum, where the experts can help you with any problems.

[Skynet107]

Motion thumbnails are created right in DVD-Lab and it does it very well. What it does is use the chapter points in conjunction with a scene selection menu to render and AVI with the motion thumbnails. After it creates the AVI you must encode it to mpeg2 outside of DVD-Lab it does not encode the video (it does not encode any type of file for that matter). After the video is encoded you import it back into DVD-Lab then use that mpeg2 as the background of the menu. It has several nice templates or you can make your own from scratch, either right in DVD-Lab or you can import various graphics from other programs like Photoshop or RealDraw (which it natively supports). It is of course a lot more work to make a menu from scratch, but DVD-Lab is by far the easiest application for doing motion menus.

[MCD]

So I guess in a way your source material will ultimately be encoded twice. Probably not a big deal since it’s only a menu with such small thumbs, probably wouldn’t notice a thing.

[thefox149]

Only the lastes version supports (internal ) thumbnail motion dvd chapters.