DVD Architect questions

[roxics]

Hi I have a few questions about working with Sony's DVD Architect.

1. Once I prepare and burn a DVD the software renders all my video (I gave it AVI's in the first place). This process takes about 5-6 hours and half the time I'm returned with an error message and my disc hasn't burned. If I try to burn again it wants to rerender everything and take another 5-6 hours. Trial and error like this at 5-6 hours a pop is a real pain.

Is there anyway to save the video that DVD-A has already rendered so I can try burning again in a shorter period of time?

2. When creating menu's is there any easy way to copy and paste a design I make from one menu to the next.

For instance I created a scene selection menu and wanted to change the look from the default. So I changed the first page but then had to change each other page to look the same manually. I'm looking to a quick way to change them all.

Thanks.

[dcsos]

1. When you go to MAKE DVD choose prepare and make the DVD to the hard drive. From the resultant VIDEO_TS built on the hard drive you can burn any # of copies and your project will not need re-compiling ever.
2. Create the menu outside ARCHITECT as a .BMP .TIF or .JPG (uncompressed) at 720x480 and just import this background repeatedly when creating

[joecav]

Another thing on DVD-Architect...
If you want to avoid encoding within the authoring program, do it before you get to that step.

I am assuming you also have Vegas? I do my editing (commercial deletion, etc.) there, then encode the AVI using the built in DVD Architect template (MPEG2). Then go back and render the audio in AC-3. With DVD-A you need to have a separate audio and a separate video file, doing it this way will give you compliant files that need no re-encoding. When I am ready to "Make DVD" in DVD-A, that process takes no longer than 15-20 minutes, depending on how many motion menus I have b/c it isn't doing any encoding, other than the menus.

DCSOS is correct, make the DVD on your HD and you can use Nero or whatever to burn the DVD over and over.

I have done it this way for many, many DVD's and they all turned out great. I am a big fan of DVD Architect as you can probably tell...