What do you use to author your DVDs(part2)?

[stanmuffin]

My DVD burner came with Roxio Easy Media Creator 7, but the OEM version doesn't support compressed audio, drastically limiting the amount of video that will fit on a disc. Also, Roxio has a very slow user interface. Have a good book handy when using it.

My motherboard came with WinDVD Creator 2 Platinum. But it's kinda flaky. It has a nasty habit of deselecting line-in as a recording source. My wife has lost hours of time capturing home movies that wound up with no audio. Also, the program sometimes hangs during editing. It also recodes everything and doesn't provide any control over the bit rate.

I downloaded and tried out the 30-day trial version of NeroVision Express 3, and I've actually made one or two good DVDs with it. And the same number of bad DVDs with nasty rendering errors. Plus a fair number of crashes. Also, it doesn't obey your requested bit rate, and it recodes everything before burning. And its menus suck.

I'm not happy with any of these tools, so I've resigned myself to buying one. I don't need a lot of fancy features; all I'm doing is putting home movies on DVD. I want something that works, is stable, captures from WDM analog and DV, gives good output quality (letting me select the bitrate), supports compressed AC3 stereo audio (5.1 not needed), and creates somewhat flexible menus (i.e., lets me arrange and size thumbnails and buttons the way I want them, doesn't force me to have a menu item for each chapter if I don't want it). And I don't want to spend a fortune--under $100 would be preferable. Any suggestions? Or am I dreaming?

[mike909]

I use Encore DVD 1.5. It's direct interoperability with photoshop CS is perfect for creating great menus. To me, that's what is important...professional looking menu's which I can create in photoshop and throw em into encore easily. It's ok at transcoding but I try to not ever have an authoring prog do that. It also integrates directly with after-affects, if you really want to get freaky.

[wonderuss]

About the lack of preview in DVD MAESTRO read my post in the User comments for this prog!

[Weapon]

TMpgenc DVD Author.

[wonderuss]

Oh and before anyone asks where to get the dll. files mentioned in my post last year you will have to find "Cinemaster software dvd decoder" and install it...........find the files in your system32 folder....copy them......uninstall "Cinemaster software dvd decoder" paste the files back into the system32 folder and the preview should work.

[ktnwin]

Hmm... it's very obvious that TmpGen DVD Author is the winner followed by DVD Lab. I tried DVD lab (the trial version) but can't figure out how to make it works !!!
I am using one of these three:
1) Pinnacle Studio 8: best for editing, no AC3 audio which is bad, not much freedom in selecting encoding bit rate, resolution
2) NeoDVD: support AC3 audio but only 6 chapter point for title (bad), also encoding bit rate is limited to 3 choices (1.5Hrs, 3+hrs and 4.5+hrs)
3) and rarely ReelDVD: the most flexible but clumsy to use, must encode audio and video to separate streams with other tools. Hard to place chapter points (very innaccurate).
I am thinking about buying TmpGen DVD Author, must be a good one.

[yoda313]

Hello,

Tmpgenc Dvd author

Kevin

--occasionally Roxio or Ulead... ---

[Poplar]

TMPG DVDAuthor: straight-forward, logical, easy-to-use. I don't do fancy stuff, such as subtitles, multi audio tracks. The only drawback is no native support for background with sound, but I can go around it very easily.

[IMpactHorse]

For smaller projects TMPG DVD author is unbeatable. It's so simple, compliant, smart and fast.
If u dare to dream of fancy menus, motion menus, etc, Encore would be outstanding if it weren't so guzzdamn buggy! Heed my warning, gentlemen: Encore is a subtitle nightmare!!! I tried DVD Architect and it handles menus ok, has extensive menu options, navigation controls, (as Encore) but it falls into the same subs nightmarish category as Adobe's junk.
For multiple subs, DWS 2 works pretty darn well, but you don't get any widescreen menus here, baby. Unless u walk the extra mile and create them manually with Photo Impact. http://www.jonesgroup.net/media/photoimpactxldvdstepone.htm
As some folks been saying, my guess is that DVDLab and IFOedit are both comprehensive and flexible, so I'm giving them a shot next time.

[DRP]

I've only just bought my first ever DVD writer this week (Pioneer DVR-108) and I have no idea about anything to do with making DVD's yet, but I'm using DVD-lab Pro in these early days during experimentation.

I voted DVD-lab because the Pro version wasn't an option. I specifically want to make DVD-SVCDs and for that you need something a bit more powerful than the other menu driven toy programs like TDA.

[monkeyking]

My favorite is Pinnacle Studio 9 Plus, which I use to combine home camcorder video with digital camera pix and AVI's. music and voice overs. WHat is really nice is the ability to animate pans and zooms on stills.

I also have Ulead Movie Factory SE, but it kept crashing on me when editting video. It was OK for straight conversion of my home video tapes. So was winDVD creator and also Nero.

[Goober57]

I've always used Ulead DVD MovieFactory version 1. That's my favorite.

I've been slowly switching to Nero VisionExpress, and I like it a lot.

Sometimes I have to use Sonic MyDVD, if the other 2 programs
won't do the job. I hardly use this program.

My video work is usually simple so I don't need the heavy-duty programs!

___________________

[Garibaldi]

GFD for me.

[Gimpy]

I just recently got into coverting some tapes to dvd. I tried all the usual programs, as in ulead, adobe, sonic and others. They all did some things right, but I was still very frustrated, working with large mpeg-2 files, until I read, and I forget where, about Nero, which I use for all my burning but never gave it a thought about anything else. Well, I read some negative stuff on here about Nero, so all I'm saying is give it a try. It handles the mpeg2 files, much easier then ulead or adobe and it gives you choices, from making the chapters for you or you makeing the chapters. Kind of like, good for beginners and home users, maybe the advanced guy would run out of options. It looks kinda cheesy, but all it does is work. If you do give it a try and you have the latest version, make sure you write it to your hd first, and then burn it. Seems like the latest version is alittle buggy, when it comes to writing, right to the disk. My 2 cents

[Corion]

Looks like I'm in a minority with Sonic DVD Creator (MAC only).....it wasn't even included as an option!

[Bubblevision]

TMPGenc DVD Author for the quickies. Sony DVD Architect for more involved projects where I need subtitles, multiple AC3 soundtracks etc..

[the wordsmith]

I have been using Ulead VS 7 and got frustrated with synch problems. Also doesn't burn well on certain media (Nero is the most forgiving) Other than that I like the menu options.

I just experimented with PowerProducer Gold 2, but don't like the non -standard .RFD image files (ULead creates .iso, but with iffy synch). Also the burn engine is pretty fussy.

Tempted to try Windows Movie maker, but I understand the output is only to .avi. Also couldn't figure out how to load an MPEG from disc, without it taking forever and creating scene clips by the boatload.

Neo seems to have good reviews, but offers no free trial.

I only want to add chapters and menus to my basic tape conversions, but it seems to be impossible to find a simple program that will do it quickly and maintain synchronization using standard image file formats.

Maybe I'll try some of the favourites listed here.

[SlimJames]

None of the above .. I use (Linux) command line tools - the GIMP to make the menu backgrounds, buttons and selection overlays, jpeg2yuv to make the menu video, mplex, dvdauthor etc. Took a while to figure it all out, but it works very well now that I have.

[Epicurus8a]

TMPGEnc DVD Author for the easy ones, Ulead DVD Workshop 2 for the not-so-easy ones. (I also use Womble MPEG Video Wizard for editing, but that's another story..)

[Blazey]

DVD Architect 2.0 fan here. I've been with the Vegas+DVD package since the start and I am the biggest of fans. If you have a strong command of Pohotoshop you can do almost anything.

Maybe I should write a guide. 8)

[spectroelectro]

One of the issues that's been touched on but not sufficiently is the absurd price of many of these DVD authoring programs. Some of 'em are very good -- but the prices! Ai caramba! They're just hallucinogenic. $35,000 for scenarist, $5,000 for DVD maestro, but even for a very good but onetheless insnaely overpriced piece of software like Ulead DVD Worshop... a whopping $495. Folks, that's more than my AMD Sempron 2200 with 512 megs of RAM + 200 gig hard drive + 13 gig OS drive + PCI video capture card + 17" monitor + DVD burner costs. $495 for a dinky little DVD authoring program is just insane. It's wayyyyyyy over the top.

Many of these programs work well. Personally, I have a big problem with the flowchart-style authoring programs like DVD-lab and Scenarist. It's impossible for me to figure out what's going on in these kinds of programs. The menu-driven programs like Ulead DVD Workshop are much easier to deal with. SpruceUp goes too far in this direction, of course, but nonetheless it's usable for simple projects.

The big exception to the programs that work well in my experience is DVDIt! Pro. Riddled with bugs. Gives error messages other authoring programs have never given me on perfectly legal files (UNMULTIPLEXABLE BITRATE, anyone?) which work just fine on other authoring programs.

Surprising that TMPG DVD Author is so popular. It basically gives you a menu that looks like it was done by a DVD recorder. Okay if that's what you want...but isn't the point of a DVD authoring program to produce something a little snazzier than that?

[pbhalerao]

One of the issues that's been touched on but not sufficiently is the absurd price of many of these DVD authoring programs. Some of 'em are very good -- but the prices! Ai caramba! They're just hallucinogenic. $35,000 for scenarist, $5,000 for DVD maestro, but even for a very good but onetheless insnaely overpriced piece of software like Ulead DVD Worshop... a whopping $495. Folks, that's more than my AMD Sempron 2200 with 512 megs of RAM + 200 gig hard drive + 13 gig OS drive + PCI video capture card + 17" monitor + DVD burner costs. $495 for a dinky little DVD authoring program is just insane. It's wayyyyyyy over the top.

Good point. I downloaded DVD Workshop 2 Trial to get a feel. It is nice, but is it really worth that much? I somehow do not think so. I am sticking with TMPG DVD Author. It may not be jazzy but for my home movies, I don't need fancy menu makers.

[BlackAdder2TheRescue]

Which should I use if I DO care about subtitles?

[pchan]

Cheapest that support subtitle is DVDLab Pro.

[jbenj01]

I just bought Ulead DVDWS2 and I think the reason for the premium over, let's say DVDLab Pro, is the built-in mpg2 encoder (which i just learned from someone here is the Mainconcept encoding engine).

I bought an OEM version of WS2 for $305 shipped from B&H PhotoVideo; well worth the price, imo, considering... For me, it's a bit less 'intuitive' than DVDLab, which i thought was fairly easy to learn (being somewhat new to authoring). but i think will be well worth the marginal greater learning curve..

[Bondiablo]

I thought Ulead DVD Workshop 2 had everything I wanted but then I found it doesn't support NTSC Film. Now I'd have to say it's almost completely useless to me. For a minute there I was really liking it too.

[canadateck]

I thought Ulead DVD Workshop 2 had everything I wanted but then I found it doesn't support NTSC Film. Now I'd have to say it's almost completely useless to me. For a minute there I was really liking it too.

2.0 Full Version Does

[Bondiablo]

Have you actually tried it? According to the manual "retain film mode" is only available if the project is PAL.

Retain Film mode is only enabled when the active title is in a PAL-compliant format. Selecting this option indicates that the video is in 24 fps progressive scan and will be flagged to 25 fps to comply with PAL specifications. Note that the video's frame rate is not accelerated to 25 fps but only "flagged" as 25 fps.

[canadateck]

I havent tried it,But it does say it's only "Flagged" to 25 fps.How you would work with it,I have no idea. I'm sure there is a way.if not,NOT listing it as Pal only on the website is very misleading.

[lchiu7]

I normally use Adobe Encore. This works fine for me. I only recently discovered I could author DVD with AC-3 sound without having to bother to encode them in Encore by

1. Creating the MPEG2 file using any of the usual tools (but create MPEG2 video stream only

2. Take my PCM sound (usually captured from TV) and convert to AC-3 using Besweet

3. Put both files into Encore and create a new timeline and place the audio and video on the new timeline

Works fine

However lately I have found with a new batch of DVD+RW I have, my Skyworth player will only read them if authored with TMPGENC DVD Author and only at 2.4x. So I have been using this program lately.

Some observations using the trial version

It's easy to use but I wish it could automate the burn side. That is you could add the video files, create the menu and click burn and leave it. It seems (unless I have missed something) you need to wait till the Video_ts files are created, then click start Burn program, then if the disc is not empty, click erase and then finally click burn.

Encore allows you to click Build DVD, one other click and go

Larry