i use dvd vcd's... what are some programs that make menu's?

[canadateck]

Ok the thing I dont Understand what makes is so much more powerful? The only thing I think it can do that Ulead cant on its own (can with some users creativity) is Button Delay. I think DVD lab can do this. a DVd made with DVD lab will not Play any better or look any Better then One made with Ulead.

Plus all the Other stuff from Ulead that works with its Authoring program is great. what do you need to make Cutom DVD menus with DVD lab? PhotoShop? adding that Then MC your Paying the same price (More). In the end if you want what Ulead can do you need to fork over more Money.

[reboot]

DLP will do custom menus/buttons/links/etc...maybe I don't understand what you mean.
DLP's VM commands, and "LabTalk" go beyond Ulead's abilities.
Set up a random play, 100 clip, guessing game, using the DVD players remote numeric keypad, and tell me Ulead is as powerful

[canadateck]

Thats Funny. Guessing game, what A gimmick. I seen this thing it can be done with Ulead.

[reboot]

OK, it's a gimmick, but it does utilize some of the features in DLP.
Got a link to how that's done in Ulead?

[canadateck]

No Link, I wouldnt need a guide.I can do it. I also think someone said somthing about it in this Thread.I was over at the DVD lab site,THEY even Bash people using other software thats not DVD lab,Great marketing.

[GeorgeW]

The fact that you are comparing these two applications should be a testament to how good they both are -- it shouldn't be a matter of which is better -- BOTH can produce professional looking DVD's...

It's just a matter of which suits your taste -- like they both do Slideshows, I like DWS's ability to easily add transitions -- and I like DLP's option to fit the stills within Title/Action safe area (just a matter of taste).


As mentioned before:

DWS -- user-friendly interface, advanced features (playlists, subtitles, multiple audio tracks, etc...), great library of templates/stills/objects (plugin available for PhotoImpact to create custom menu templates), can create VCD/SVCD/DVD discs, bultin encoder (although if you already have your own standalone encoder preference, then this is just buying an option you don't need).

Some features that DLP has (although some folks will never need/want to use these)

DLP offers access to VM commands, and inspecting/setting of GPRM/SPRM's -- features that are not needed by everyone, but truly POWERFUL nonetheless.

DLP also has more powerful Playlists. Insert one Title on the timeline that has 5 chapters. You can play the entire title, or a specific chapter and return to a menu of your choice. Or play the chapters in random order (everytime you start/stop the DVD, you could get a different random playback). Or play the chapters in a specific sequence, like 5,2,4,1,3. In DWS, you cannot play just chapter-2 and return to a menu. It will jump to chapter-2, but continue to play to the end of the title. The only way to do this in DWS is to create individual titles for each chapter -- but that could cause a slight "pause" between title playback. You could add both a long title, and indivudual "chapter titles", but that would double your required space requirements.

DLP also allows you to prohibit User Operations (UOPs and Settings). Don't want anyone to be able to jump to a menu, or scan forward/backward during a specific title -- just edit the UOPs. I think DWS only allows UOps on the Firstplay (forcing viewer to watch the firstplay video).

DLP allows you to specify the arrow navigation. Ever have a vertical list of 10 items, and when you get to the bottom, do you want it to wrap around back to the top by using the down arrow? Same goes for using the right/left arrows. DLP allows you to specify where the arrow navigation should take you.

DLP allows you to attach a finished DVD Structure. This gives you the ability to Author your DVD in Sections, instead of having one huge Project. Or you can combine two complete DVD's into one, add a menu, and link to DVD-1 or DVD-2.

DLP's Report Generator is pretty fascinating. At-a-glance report on your entire DVD Structure. Helps identify "gaps", or helps you get creative in other navigational possibilities...

There are other similarities and differences, and I am not saying either is better than the other. The ability to pickup DWS2 (without prior authoring knowledge), and author a professional-looking DVD in a relatively short amount of time is an amazing accomplishment on the part of Ulead. DLP's access to DVD auhtoring commands (that some might never need to use) makes it a very powerful authoring package (but it comes at the expense of a learning curve).

So it's just a matter of needs/workflow/taste. I can't wait to try their next releases

[Mr. Budwar]

Funny, and I thought in all the years that making DVD is more about the ability and artistic vision of the person making it rather than what software he is using. I thought tool is just a tool and if you suck, your work will suck no matter what tool you have. I see I had been terribly wrong. Most of the people do not see it this way.

P.S. Have you try Scenarist? If not, try it and you will then much appreciate the DLP simplicity

[mats.hogberg]

tool is just a tool and if you suck, your work will suck no matter what tool you have.

Quite true, and often overlooked by us "techies". We get the tool, and then go: "What can I do with this?", when we should think "What do I want to do?" and the get the tool that allows us to do that.
The less constraints the tool puts on us, the more likely we are to fulfil our wishes. "Ease of use" often comes hand in hand with "limitation". Templates, wizards and guides just makes it easy to do what someone else has already done, perhaps tweaking it a little.
With nothing to hold your hand, you are more likely to explore and learn.
I make my living programming for the web. To date, I've not found a single app that allows me to do more (within the HTML area) than Notepad. There might be apps that makes me more "productive", but nothing that makes me do things better.

/Mats