I'm confused about DVDauthor

[Bort04]

I'm looking for a free, basic DVD authoring program. People seem to like dvdauthor, however, I'm confused as to how it works or what additional programs (if any) are needed. There's GUI for dvdauthor, DVDauthorgui, DVDstyler, a maybe others, I'm not sure. Are all of these programs related, or do they function completely independent of each other?

I'm new to DVD authoring, so maybe this programs are not for beginners? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

[daamon]

There's GUI for dvdauthor, DVDauthorgui, DVDstyler, a maybe others, I'm not sure.

Both GUI for DVDauthor and DVD author GUI are exactly that - GUI's for the common program dvdauthor. GUI = Graphical User Interface, in this case it's a front (or "window") for an application that isn't accessible by a front-end "window" in it's basic state.

I don't know about DVDstyler...

I've not used them myself, so don't know how suitable they are for newcomers. That said, I have seen them recommended for newcomers, so should be fairly intuitive.

[danzeb]

GUI for dvdauthor, DVDauthorgui and DVDstyler are graphic interfaces for DVDAuthor.
I think DVDStyler is the simplest. It can be as simple as: pick the background from those supplied. Drag the button over and right click on it to edit. Pick the mpg file and drag it into the timeline on the bottom.

[Bort04]

So I first need to download dvdauthor, and then one of the gui's (or dvdstyler)? What's up with the command tool line? Do you need to type in commands of something?

[tug_hill2]

Hello Bort, Why complicate things with GUI's

Just buy DVD Author, and then get several of the guides that are available on this site (see ALL GUIDES section). Then you are all set. Follow the guide and within an hour you should have your DVD made. Just remember, DVD Author, does NOT re-encode - you must use compliant mpeg-2 files. Their new TSUNAMI software does re-encode..!

Doc_B

[liquid217]

If you download any of the GUIs, they will include everything you need to start authoring dvds (including the command line tools). The whole idea is to make it the easiest on the end user, to not need to worry about downloading this or that, or anything else. Both GFD and DVDAuthorGUI have fairly simple and straghtforward guides.
DVDAuthorGUI: https://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl?p=guide1
GFD: https://www.videohelp.com/~gfd/StepwiseGuides.html

[lordsmurf]

TDA is what I suggest for newbies to learn on.

[mattso]

Actually, I think DVDAuthorGUI is better for the initial learning curve, as it forces you to "prepare your assets" rather than using stupid templates. It's actually extremely easy & logical to use and can do an awful lot if you want it to, such as play an intro clip prior to the main menu, etc. It has a visual chapter editor where you can scroll through the movie & add chapter marks (or add in regular time intervals). The guide/manual is short & sweet, but thorough. Excellent freeware if you ask me! (No command-line input necessary to achieve glossy results!).

I haven't tried GUIforDVDAuthor. I imagine it does the same job nicely too.

You need a graphics editor to prepare your 720x480/576 background picture & buttons for your menu(s). Windows Paint would do. Or The Gimp, for more advanced Photoshop-style features. Or Photoshop (best suggestion). I also highly recommend an old old version of Ulead PhotoImpact (3.02 SE) which you may be able to find for free - (mine came on a CD with a magazine, years ago!). It's quite amazingly feature-rich & bug-free.

You simply design your background, with whatever text you want, such as "Play Movie" whatever, then import into DVDAuthorGUI and make buttons around the text, which changes colour when selected etc (very very simple). You can have animated menus with sound too, of course. Very intuitive, really. Just follow the guides (both the shorter "how to", and the bit longer "manual"). Read 'em through to get the general idea, then have them handy when actually preparing a DVD.

Finally, use ImgTools Classic to make an .iso file out of the VIDEO_TS files, and burn with DVDDecrypter.

All the best!

[Lester Burnham]

Actually, I think DVDAuthorGUI is better for the initial learning curve, as it forces you to "prepare your assets" rather than using stupid templates. It's actually extremely easy & logical to use and can do an awful lot if you want it to, such as play an intro clip prior to the main menu, etc. It has a visual chapter editor where you can scroll through the movie & add chapter marks (or add in regular time intervals). The guide/manual is short & sweet, but thorough. Excellent freeware if you ask me! (No command-line input necessary to achieve glossy results!).

I haven't tried GUIforDVDAuthor. I imagine it does the same job nicely too.

You need a graphics editor to prepare your 720x480/576 background picture & buttons for your menu(s). Windows Paint would do. Or The Gimp, for more advanced Photoshop-style features. Or Photoshop (best suggestion). I also highly recommend an old old version of Ulead PhotoImpact (3.02 SE) which you may be able to find for free - (mine came on a CD with a magazine, years ago!). It's quite amazingly feature-rich & bug-free.

You simply design your background, with whatever text you want, such as "Play Movie" whatever, then import into DVDAuthorGUI and make buttons around the text, which changes colour when selected etc (very very simple). You can have animated menus with sound too, of course. Very intuitive, really. Just follow the guides (both the shorter "how to", and the bit longer "manual"). Read 'em through to get the general idea, then have them handy when actually preparing a DVD.

Finally, use ImgTools Classic to make an .iso file out of the VIDEO_TS files, and burn with DVDDecrypter.

All the best!

I agree with the sentiments in your message, and I follow almost exactly the same process (including using imgtool classic (or sometimes dvdshrink, if I'm just over the 4.7 size), and dvddecrypter to burn (considering using imgburn)).

The only difference is that I personally prefer GUI_for_dvdauthor - I've previously tried dvdauthorGUI, and find GFD suites me more.

I did start off authoring with supplied software (Moviefactory 2.12SE and Nerovision) and much prefer using GFD and the other steps / tools.

[lordsmurf]

Actually, I think DVDAuthorGUI is better for the initial learning curve, as it forces you to "prepare your assets" rather than using stupid templates.

So does TDA. Only a few things will it hold your hand (resampling VCD audio, for example, or letting you overlook GOP length... all minor stuff). Otherwise you'll get a big fat error message explaining what's wrong and telling you to go fix it.

Who uses templates? Those menus suck. Click edit and make your own, not hard. There are a decent number of advanced features too, if you know the tricks (like audio menus = encode a still with video in advance ... hey look at that, I guess that would be considered "preparing assets").

Anyway, it's an easy program. Many would say easier than DVD Author (with or without GUI). It's not free, but it does have a fully functional trial. So nothing to lose. If you like it, it's worth owning.

[mattso]

Hi Lester, may I ask, why you prefer GUIforDVDAuthor? Yes, I guess I should just try it myself. I've simply grabbed one or the other, and was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of use yet complexity of results of DVDAuthorGUI! Maybe I'll go download GUIforDVDAuthor right now.

I like DVDAuthorGUI much better than TDA. With TDA, to do a simple still-image background menu with "Play" button (no audio) - [which is what I generally all I need to do for my VHS/TV conversions] - I needed to drag things "off-screen" etc (which still, mind you, can be selected with your remote control!)... Who knows, maybe I was doing it all wrong... But it was annoying.

I have looked at DVDLab Pro and while I get excited at its seeming unlimited flexibility, the hard work & learning curve put me off. I've always hated software that forces you to "manually link" things. Don't ask me why, I don't know, I just hate it. I know ffdshow does that, also a "modular synthesizer" proggie I was fooling briefly with once... It's a personal thing. Though I'll most probably surrender to DVDLab Pro one of these days, for an "important" project...

For the meantime, these freeware programs seem to do the trick VERY nicely. Perfect! Cheers to the programmers!

EDIT: Yes, you're right LordSmurf, TDA will do the job too. But I honestly think DVDAuthorGUI is a "neater" methodology. More "linear".

DOUBLE-EDIT: Actually, that sounds stupid what I just said, because TDA is very linear to, I guess. I don't know, I just prefer DVDAuthor. It also supports multiple audio tracks & subs! I guess, ultimately, it's personal preference.

[Lester Burnham]

Hi Lester, may I ask, why you prefer GUIforDVDAuthor? Yes, I guess I should just try it myself. I've simply grabbed one or the other, and was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of use yet complexity of results of DVDAuthorGUI! Maybe I'll go download GUIforDVDAuthor right now.

When I first started experimenting with the various dvdauthor GUIs (dvdauthorgui, gfd, and dvdstyler) I tried all three, and simply found GFD easier to use to create the kind of DVDs I prefer.

I like the fact that it is simple to use, yet feature-rich. The chapter creation is the best I've used. The layout better than most I can think of.

I also like the fact that it's easy to do animated menus, and animated clips (also for chapters), so you can very easily create some quite advanced looking DVDs.

I don't have loads of experience of dvdauthorgui, I just experimented a little at first, and stuck with the tool I found most suited me and produced the results I wanted.

As to the freeware / payware debate - why pay for a payware package, when the freeware ones are so good?

[lordsmurf]

Sometimes freeware is better, sometimes not. Too often price blinds people. It goes all ways too. Free is better, expensive is better, etc. In the end, price is just what they charge, has no bearing on the product itself.

[fritzi93]

You guys have a point about learning the process. I started with dvdauthorGUI and have used GUIforDVDAuthor as well. They're fairly easy to learn and, the basics mastered, you can move on to quite elaborate projects.

However, I use TDA much more often now. Making and saving a theme is easy (for TV episode compilation DVDs at half D1, for example). Choose a basic theme, edit it beyond recognition by changing background, moving buttons, changing font type and size, choosing thumbnails, blah blah. It's just easier and quicker, and adequately flexible for nearly all my projects.

Horses to courses though. Use what you like.

[Lester Burnham]

Sometimes freeware is better, sometimes not. Too often price blinds people. It goes all ways too. Free is better, expensive is better, etc. In the end, price is just what they charge, has no bearing on the product itself.

No, that's true, it doesn't.

But I'd hazard a guess that most newbs go off recommendations as to what they buy - rather than exploring themselves - because if so, they'd choose their own product on merit.

But on that score - bang-for-buck - freeware is always going to rule. And I'd also suggest that most amateur enthusiasts aren't going to fully use the potential of payware products.

Plenty advocate them, because they are their fave products - no harm there.

But in the end, most people don't use the full potential of what they buy. And there are many choices with the freeware products.

I followed similar rationale when I wanted an mpeg editor (just slice and dice to remove ad breaks from TV captures / recordings). I played with some freeware (Cuttermaran, mpegschnittl (or whatever it's called), mpeg2cut) and even a commercial app supplied with my capture box. I ended up buying VideoReDo - simply because after playing with and evaluating many choices, and given the modest cost, it represented best value, to my eyes.

With the same rationale, that's what I followed with authoring tools - and opted for GUI_for_dvdauthor.

And with that same rationale, it's what I followed with DVD / mpeg conversions to DivX / Xvid - and opted for AutoGK.

So whilst I wouldn't claim - dogmatically - that freeware always rules, what I would say is that it does most of the time, for most people. Some will never get the benefit, though, because they can't / won't / don't go through the evaluation process themselves, and just go off the most vocal proffered opinions - which do tend to be for commerical products, and often because the exponents have something of an allegiance to defend (by that, I DON'T mean some kind of commercial connection).

[Bort04]

Thanks for the replies. That's a lot of info.

I downloaded Cuttermaran and used it for my video editing. It saves the work as a "Cuttermaran project file," which is an mpeg 2 (I think). Will all of the recommended programs work with that file? Thanks

[MackemX]

Sometimes freeware is better, sometimes not. Too often price blinds people. It goes all ways too. Free is better, expensive is better, etc. In the end, price is just what they charge, has no bearing on the product itself.

well said as free isn't always necessary the 'best' solution for the job you have in hand and price has no bearing on the products capabilities 8). With some software you also get support etc so this is another advantage of paying but in certain cases support sucks (apologies to those here who work in support centres but you know what I mean )

what some people don't realise is that time spent at a PC learning how to use some freeware isn't 'free'. Some people don't even have that option of spending time working out what to do so they can save a few $'s. Some simply aren't interested in learning the basics and just want convenience also

I used to spend hours backing up a DVD using multiple freeware but if you calculated my free time at say $10 a hour then it would be cheaper buying the DVD again and saving all the hassle

I just know some people already have a good base knowledge so they find using more advanced freeware easier but to some it's like rocket science

by the way I think dvdauthor and gui for dvdauthor rock as I've used them plenty in the past when certain payware couldn't do what I wanted 8)

[borax]

It saves the work as a "Cuttermaran project file," which is an mpeg 2 (I think). Will all of the recommended programs work with that file? Thanks

No, that's only the (internal) project file (more of less a list of cut points). You need to click 'Cut' then Cuttermaran will save the (cut) elementary video stream as m2v or mpv and the audio as mp2 or ac3 (or both). These elementay streams can then be imported in most authoring programs.

[Bort04]

It saves the work as a "Cuttermaran project file," which is an mpeg 2 (I think). Will all of the recommended programs work with that file? Thanks

No, that's only the (internal) project file (more of less a list of cut points). You need to click 'Cut' then Cuttermaran will save the (cut) elementary video stream as m2v or mpv and the audio as mp2 or ac3 (or both). These elementay streams can then be imported in most authoring programs.

Cool, thanks for the help, Borax. I'll now see if I can get one of those authoring programs work.

[Lester Burnham]

It saves the work as a "Cuttermaran project file," which is an mpeg 2 (I think). Will all of the recommended programs work with that file? Thanks

No, that's only the (internal) project file (more of less a list of cut points). You need to click 'Cut' then Cuttermaran will save the (cut) elementary video stream as m2v or mpv and the audio as mp2 or ac3 (or both). These elementay streams can then be imported in most authoring programs.

Cool, thanks for the help, Borax. I'll now see if I can get one of those authoring programs work.

And I think you'll find Borax is one of the authors of those authoring programs (GUI_for_dvdauthor, IIRC).