New DVD Authoring Software

[jday]

CodeJam (formerly Memories on TV) has just released a new DVD authoring software, titled "DVD Composer." It is $99 but appears to have many advanced features. There is a 21-day trial version available also. I've just downloaded the trial and will test it out. If you want to learn more about this software go to the following site: http://www.codejam.com/dvdc.htm.

[bugster]

Looks interesting, but I get worried when I see things like this:

Add frame-accurate chapter points to your track. You can have your menu buttons jump straight to different chapters.

AFAIK, chapter points can only be on I-Frames. If they were not, the decoder has no reference point in order to start decoding. So what exactly do they mean by this.

Will have to give it a try and see what happens

[jday]

I downloaded the trial version, but had a problem with the install, plus realised that the program does NOT accept avi files.

When installing the software, I got the following error message: "The ordinal 41 could not be located in the dynamic link library mpegin.dll."

It recommended aborting the install, but I went ahead with it. I'm not sure exactly what problem was created by the error message but the program loaded and seemed to work fine. That's when I discovered that is doesn't do avi files. That, in itself, is a major limitation for me since I usually use avi's exclusively in editing and only convert them during the authoring process.

[jtoolman2000]

Well, I'm going to give it a try. As far as the program not accepting avi, well that's why it is an authoring program and not a NLE. I know that some authoring utilities do accept avi. I also know that it would be a great convinience if they all did. However, I like to render out my edited video directly to final MPG2 so it is ready to author without any further encoding during output to DVD files. That's just the way I like to work. I will not judge this program until I try it with properly encoded DVD compliant files and see what it does or does not do.

[jday]

I just wanted to give an update on the installation problem that I mentioned in my last post. I sent an e-mail to technical support and got an answer back in a couple of hours. The problem is Ulead software installs its own version of the problem file (mpegin.dll). The solution was simple. I just had to remain the "mpeg.dll" file in the windows/system32 folder while I installed this software. DVD Composer installed with no problem this time. I then (as instructed by CodeJam technical support) renamed the mpegin.dll file back to its original name.

I give CodeJam technical support an "A" for both response and giving me the correct solution the first time. They also informed me that they have now updated their FAQ on this issue on their website.

jtoolman2000 - I do understand that this is an authoring program and not an NLE and the fact that it doesn't accept avi files is not THAT big of a problem. My other authoring programs (Sonic's DVDit and Ulead's DVD Movie Factory) all accept avi's. The reason I like to use avi's is that I usually keep them for possible future editing (at least for a while) and if I have to convert them to mpg for authoring, I then have both copies on my hard drive. I'm still going to play around with it and see if it is worth it (since I mainly use DVDit).

I'd be interested to hear others' opinions of this software.

[jtoolman2000]

Thanks for the update. The mpegin.dll is actually used by many other programs as well and seems to live in many diferent locations in your HD.
Encore uses admpegin.dll as does Premiere Elements and Pro. MPEGIN.DLL is used my Main Concept and Sony for Vegas
I also keep avis as well for future use. and do use them directly in Encore. I just reder out to MPG2 when ever I can one I am 100% sure that I do not want to do any further adtiting or other changes. Since I end up with many short MPG clicps, they do take a lot less room iin my HDs.

Do you think I only have to worry about the MPEGIN.DLL in the Windows folder? Or do I have to also rename all the others. I would guess I would not.

BTW, do you use the older DVDit or the new V5? I prefer the older one.

[presto]

This might be a great program but it isn't at all intuitive. I still don't know what a "drop zone" is.

[maryah]

I took a look at it this afternoon too. I use DVD Lab Pro now for movies with subtitles, and was hoping this program would allow more than one subbed track/title per DVD, which DLP won't do. It's possible that it will do that, but the subtitle functions are very non-intuititve. I tried to apply a font, size, or color to all subtitles, or mark them all as "forced." It would allow me to select them all, but then when i chose the font attribute, or clicked on "forced subs" they all became unselected except one, and it was the only one affected. Very frustrating.

[PictureToTV]

Hey folks,
This is Casey from CodeJam.

The software is in beta, and the purpose of releasing the beta is so that we can gather feedback. We want the final release to be good.

Please continue to post on this thread on the issues you're having, and I'll pop by once in a while to read them (I won't be able to answer all your questions though), so that we can go back to the code and fix things.

presto: "Drop Zone" is simply a decorative element on the menu that you can drag & drop your image or video into.

maryah: The "Apply text format to stream" (Subtitles properties toolbar) is likely what you need (you may have to click on the chevron to expose the menu, if your window is small).

Regards,
- Casey

[bugster]

Hey folks,
This is Casey from CodeJam.

The software is in beta, and the purpose of releasing the beta is so that we can gather feedback. We want the final release to be good.

Hi Casey. A few (hopefully constructive) crticisms for you.

Firstly, your website claims frame accurate chpater points. This is untrue as even your own helpfile admits, chapter points MUST be on I-Frames. So you can't put a chapter point on just any frame you want. I suggest you revise this claim somehow.

I did a couple of (very brief) tests. First using a single video clip. The source was from my DVD recorder, converted to mpg, not vob. It was approx 50 mins, just under 1Gig size. Ac3 2chan audio, 4:3. No menu, just 1st play, and a few chapter points. This worked fine and I was able to play the resulting files in PowerDvd. Next I added a simple menu with two buttons and a second video track. The 2nd video had been encoded using TmpGenc CQ mode. It was Full D1 resolution, Mp2 audio and 16:9 DAR. This should mean that DVD Composer should create a multi-VTS output. The Build DVD command failed near the end with the following:

Error LibDVD error: -401

A few other remarks, but bear in mind I havn't spent as much time as I would like on this, so may well have missed a few things

I could see no easy way of creating chapter thumbnail menus. It appears to be a completley manual job, this is dissapointing. Also adding chapter points appears to be completley manual. An option to add chapter points every few minutes or so would be nice. I havn't looked at motion menus yet, will do so hopefully in the next few days.

I quite like the GUI, though as with all new apps it will take a bit of getting used to and I think more of the options should be made available on the main menus as that is where many people will look 1st when trying to work out how to achieve a particular job, such as importing video.

DVD composer has promise, and some of its advertised features look good but IMHO, this is a very early beta and not feature complete if it is to compete with other authoring apps at this pricepoint.

[jday]

jtoolman2000,
I, too, have several mpegin.dll files in different folders, but the only one I had to rename to load this software was the one in windows/system32 folder. Then, like I said, after the installation, I just renamed it back.

[bugster]

Another quick test and a couple more points/questions

I once again tried to author using the TmpGenc produced video mentioned in my last post. This time it was the only video used, no menu, just set it to 1st play. This time I got the error:

Error Seom error string(203) here..unimplemented(DvdErr.cpp)

(Don't you just love beta software! Great error!!)

Then I removed the audio track and tried again. This time I got:-

Error LibDVD error: -401 (same as previously)

My conclusion is that DVD Composer does not like TmpGenc produced video. A Big drawback in my book as other authoring apps do not have this problem.


Now to my question. There does not seem to be anyway the user can control where in the file system Composer puts its working or output files. A minus point to me or am I missing some option here.
Also, the _cache directory may help to speed up some operations, it does seem to use up quite a lot of disk space. Not a huge problem in itself but users need to be aware of this otherwise less PC literate users could well find their HD space apparently disapearing!

[GeorgeW]

Well, I spent about 1/2 hour with this package, and I've concluded that I will definitely spend more time with it because its feature set is pretty powerful (imho).

Installation went fine, I have Ulead MovieFactory, but did not have to rename any files (I noticed my version is in the Winnt/System32 folder).

If you understand DVD LabPro, you should be able to pick this up rather quickly. It doesn't step you through the dvd build process (like a MovieFactory does) -- instead, you put together your dvd by adding your assets, creating your menus and chapters, etc... (steeper learning curve, but more control than the wizard approach).

I like that it can import chapter.txt files (for title chapter points). It appears to be putting the chapter markers on I-Frames only (as the timecode in my import .txt file snapped to I-Frames). I couldn't fine where to EXPORT the chapters (might have missed that).

It has some neat menu backgrounds, chapter frames and buttons.

Looks like you can setup Title Playlists, but not Chapter playlists. However, you can add Chapter Cell commands to stop playing a title at the end of a certain chapter.

It didn't like my 23.976 progressive mpeg2 file (it still made the DVD, but upon playback the video was not smooth at all, and I think it was because of the framerate). Not sure if I missed a setting to use that framerate or not, I'll have to look more closely...

It did like my 16:9 with AC3 audio -- and built a multi-vts dvd without a problem.

The working folders could be changed -- Eidt/Preferences/Folder Tab.

I'll edit after playing around some more with this package...

[bugster]

The working folders could be changed -- Eidt/Preferences/Folder Tab.

I had missed that one, thanks.

[reboot]

Won't accept tmpgenc produced Full D1 video (m2v).
Handles AC3 nicely!
I HATE drag and drop. I really would like a right click menu to import assets.
What audio format does the "audio transcoding tool" transcode to? mp2, ac3 ?

[gwoiler]

I have not yet used this program yet, but one feature that I have to have and many don't have it is control at chapter end points and track end points. I need to be able to "pause" or have advanced choices on the end action. I use DVD:ab at home but DVD Studio Pro at work. If this new Authoring App. can give these pro features, I will swhtch to it!

Glenn

[maryah]

Hey folks,
This is Casey from CodeJam.

maryah: The "Apply text format to stream" (Subtitles properties toolbar) is likely what you need (you may have to click on the chevron to expose the menu, if your window is small).

Regards,
- Casey

OK, thanks, that worked for the font attributes. What I have is two short videos in Hindi with English subtitles in SRT format. I've created a simple DVD with a menu for these two tracks. The SRT subtitles imported without errors into each track. When I 'Build DVD' the progress says it's creating the sup file for each track, but when i test the results in PowerDVD or Zoomplayer, the first track has subtitles (I have to turn them on manually at this point), but not the second. Am I missing something here?

Also, I guess 'force subtitles' isn't really what I wanted, I need to set each movie so that the subtitles are turned on by default. How can I do that, assuming I can get the subtiitles to show at all for the 2nd movie?

Your help is much appreciated. If I can get this relatively simple subtitle process to work, you've got a customer!

[PictureToTV]

Hey folks

bugster:
I annotated "frame-accurate chapter points" with "(I-frame)" yesterday actually, after reading your comments. What we really meant is that the chapter point will be accurate to the I-frame you've chosen (some authoring software don't).

bugster & reboot:
I just generated a full D1 M2V (29.97fps, 16:9, CQ_VBR50) from TMpgEnc, and could build the DVD with DvdComposer fine. Version of TMpgEnc is 2.521.58.169. Which versions r u folks using, and did u customize TMpgEnc settings?

Error -401 means that your video stream has inconsistent packs. Some packs are reporting conflicting video attributes, when the video stream is parsed.

I can take a look at your video stream, and adjust the parser to be more forgiving, if you can have some way for me to download it (small file would be nice, thx).

reboot:
Good pt on right click. Noted. Audio transcoding (more like re-sampling) is done on VCD audio (44.1 -> 48 ), which is MPA.

george:
Thx for the file. 23.976fps prb is due to a bug in the muxer... we're working on the fix.

gwoiler:
Yes, you can control chapter/track end pts.

maryah:
I'm not sure if this could be a prb we've seen with some versions of PowerDVD. See if starting your 1st subtitle clip after the 2nd I-frame helps. Did you try the playback on your standalone player?

"Force Subtitle" sets on the bit that will show the subpic by default. In your menu button properties, you can set which subpic stream you want the btn to activate when selected.


Regards,
- Casey

[bugster]

Hey folks

bugster:
I annotated "frame-accurate chapter points" with "(I-frame)" yesterday actually, after reading your comments. What we really meant is that the chapter point will be accurate to the I-frame you've chosen (some authoring software don't).

Excellent, thanks. I hate innacurate or misleading technical marketing claims.

bugster & reboot:
I just generated a full D1 M2V (29.97fps, 16:9, CQ_VBR50) from TMpgEnc, and could build the DVD with DvdComposer fine. Version of TMpgEnc is 2.521.58.169. Which versions r u folks using, and did u customize TMpgEnc settings?

Error -401 means that your video stream has inconsistent packs. Some packs are reporting conflicting video attributes, when the video stream is parsed.

I can take a look at your video stream, and adjust the parser to be more forgiving, if you can have some way for me to download it (small file would be nice, thx).

At work at the moment, so can't check the actual version number I have, but it is 2.5....
My clip was PAL, full D1 encoded using CQ but at 2 Gigs a bit big to upload. I can see if I can reproduce the issue with a much shorter clip that I can then upload to you if you can provide somewhere for me to put it (FTP?).

[TBoneit]

Bugster, just from curiousity as I'm watching this thread, always interested in new S/W.

Did you check the file for errors. Every now and then TMPGEnc Plus seems to burp while encoding and produce non standard Mpeg2 output. When I import the files it created int DVD Author every now and then it produces a gop size error for example.

You could try running it through something like Mpge-vcr or the trial version of Videoredo. Then MpegVcr product has an error checking under Tools menu as I recall it. Whereas VideoRedo you would run it through Quickstream Fix and see if it reports any errors as fixed when it is done. Keeping in mind You'd need to set the GOP size to have it also resize GOPs.

Also Videoredo has a handy built in utility to cut out any size portion of the MPEG file.

Cheers

[reboot]

Tmpgenc version 2.59.47.155
CQ-VBR Q-100 720x480 NTSC 29.97 fps
I figured out the problem though...a non-standard GOP. No worries. A quick encode, closed GOP of 18 and it works fine.
I see that TBoneit has the same issues.
No troubles with Mainconcept or Canopus produced mpeg-2's

MP2 is acceptable output. I would rather see LPCM/MP2 to AC3, and pay a little more for the option.

I LOVE the option to import .vob with, or without audio!!!

[maryah]

maryah:
I'm not sure if this could be a prb we've seen with some versions of PowerDVD. See if starting your 1st subtitle clip after the 2nd I-frame helps. Did you try the playback on your standalone player?

I examined the DVD structure with DVD Shrink, and there is no subtitle stream at all in the 2nd movie. Therefore I don't think playing it on a standalone would make it magically appear, right? I did end up with subs in both movies one time, but when I reran the compile to change the sub color, the 2nd movie's subs disappeared again.

"Force Subtitle" sets on the bit that will show the subpic by default. In your menu button properties, you can set which subpic stream you want the btn to activate when selected.

Are you saying Force Subtitle must be set separately for every single subtitle in the stream? Remember, Select All and then clicking on Force Subitle doesn't work. And I often compile a movie without a menu, to just play on startup. So the button setting wouldn't help much in that case.

It sounds like you're saying that the software should be able to create DVd's with more than one movie, that all have their own subtitle streams. If you'll confirm that's true, I'll keep working with it to help resolve the bugs I'm seeing.

[bugster]

Still can't get it to accept mpegs from TmpGenc.
version is 2.58.44.152. Material is full D1 Pal, DAR 16:9. Closed Gops length 15. Encoded using CQ with setting 65 and also tried 2-pass VBR, Min 2000, AVG 4000, Max 8000.

Edit. Same problem with half D1 with 4:3 DAR too.

[reboot]

I'm with bugster Just did 4 more encodes, and none of them are acceptable.
Standard tmpgenc NTSC DVD template, video only (m2v).

[PictureToTV]

reboot & bugster:

I just tried 3 encodes again with std TMpgEnc templates, with both VBR/CQ and PAL/NTSC, and could import & build fine. So something is not in sync here.

Incidentally, MemoriesOnTV (MOTV, our other pdt) has the ability to hook up with TMpgEnc. MOTV 2.2-beta1 is using the same DVD authoring engine as DvdComposer, and we've been testing the DVD authoring engine with MOTV-TMpgEnc pair as well, and it worked fine.

reboot, r u getting the same -401 tat bugster is seeing? May need to depend on one of u to send me a short M2V that can reproduce the issue. I don't have access to a anon-ftp, unf. If it's < 15mb, u can send the file to:

a t t a c h m e n t AT p i c t u r e t o t v DOT c o m
(sorry for the unfriendly e-mail... want to avoid spam).
(indicate subject "from videohelp" so tat i know it's from this thread. thx)


maryah:
Yes, the s/w does create DVD's with multi-subtitles per track. I've created this b4. After you've build your DVD, open up the _cache folder (in your output) and see if u see all the SUP files there. These are named logically:

If u have 2 subpic streams in TRACK1, u should see:
Track1-1.sup
Track1-2.sup

If you can, try to start a new small project, and document down the steps you've taken to reproduce the problem, and then let me know the steps. As long as we can reproduce your problem, we can fix it.

FORCE SUBTITLE is typically used for alien language in a movie track (eg. Star Wars DVD has some of these...). As such, it's usually applied to a few clips, and not the whole stream. This is also why we didn't add the ability to apply the setting to the whole stream.

Your needs may be somethg else we haven't anticipated. We can add a "apply to stream" btn there, but u may have to live with what's there for now.

- Casey

[reboot]

I had to go into the tmpgenc GOP settings, and hit the Standard button, then tick Close GOP.
It now works.
Funny though, dvdlab pro didn't complain about it...

[gwoiler]

I made a DVD this morning... my first one with this software and these are my thoughts...

I like the extra features for track and chapter end points. Should be a law that says every authoring app should have them. It is not as intuitive as DVDLab. I wish it was more stream-lined to taking a frame of video from a track to use in the menu. Yeah I know... I might not have figured out the easy way. Today during lunch I tried to modify my early morning project and it would not open up the project file. It said, umm... "Unsupported file type" I think. Both MPG2's were from TMPGenc 2.5 and they had open GOP's, 15 frames max, DC-10, hmmm..... Why did mine work and others in here have trouble? I like the multi-tracks and the layout kind of reminds me of DVD Studio Pro, which is not a bad thing. It still feels a bit clunky though. The graphical interface for looking at the structure was not as clear as DVDlab's and it was easier to look at the "listed links" to check everything. I liked that especially. In SVS Studio Pro I am used to looking down the list and spotting any errors in my programing. This program looks VERY promising but it needs some vigorous polish. There were other small items that needed streamlining... don't remember what they were...... I could not figure out how to put a box around some text and the box be the hot link. I like to have an invisible box that highlights when chosen. I am sure this can do it but I did not see how in the short time I spent with it. Ohh!... When zooming the tracks, it was harder then it should be to find playhead. The SPACEBAR should make it PLAY. When setting chapter points, and zooming for fine placement, it was a pain in the neck to find what I was working on. I could do it but it was a pain.

Finish it up and I am a buyer!

Glenn

[gwoiler]

Additional features needed:

1. Multible files per track
2. Ability to trim head and tail of files in track.
3. Preview of all functions within Authoring App.

[presto]

Feature request:

1) Super-Quick DVD Wizard - One of the many things I do with my DVD burner is to save movies and TV shows. While I would love to labor over each one, in fact, I make several a night and they are just for me. I want to point the program at them, pick a template and say "Go". The program might then ask if I want it to split the project over several DVD's or just make an oversized DVD (to be "Shrunk" later).

Tmpenc DVD Author will almost do this accept for two vital things.

1) The program must be able to automatically use the file names as chapter names. Tmpgenc DVD Author doesn't have this option so I have to type in each episode name.

2) The program must let you make chapter points at set intervals such as "one per minute" in one step. Tmpgenc DVD Author requires you to edit each file (episode) and then set the chapters. It does let you set "one per minute" but you have to do it for each file separately.

3) The program must also let you load all the clips at once. Not one at a time.


I'm fairly certain I'll get flamed for this suggestion. Some of the more vocal people around here tend to jump on anyone who wants to do something fast and easy. To me the whole point of computers and programs is to allow us do do things more easily. To take repetitious jobs and automate them. I see no reason why this program can't serve the needs of people who want to do simple things faster as well as those who want to labor lovingly over a special project. In fact I'm in both groups.

[PictureToTV]

folks, excellent feedback. thanks!

- Casey