my initial impresions of TMPGEnc 3

[vobnovice]

Hi,

I downloaded TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX Authoring to edit some VHS content, and here are some of my initial impressions...

1. I like the frame selection interface - very spiffy. However, it would be nice to have a sound level graph to go along with it. This would be useful for creating chapter marks at the right place - otherwise I have to use a lot of trial and error to find the right spot for the mark.

2. I ran into a limit of 99 chapters per clip. Is this a DVD limitation or just a TMPG limit? I guess I could always split my clips into two, but it was kinda annoying to run into -- especially after arduously adding 99 chapter marks!

3. The DivX authoring feature is nice, but before you begin you have to designate your project as being either for DVD creation or DivX creation. I'm not sure of there is a technical reason for this, but it seems like it would be nice to perform your editing and menu creation and then decide what kind of final product you wanted. Then the same project could be used for both.

Well, that's it for now. Any comments or suggestions would be welcome.

[jman98]

Interesting post.
1) I guess, but unless you are making a lot of DVDs for concerts, I don't see how usefull this is. I play back my captures in a video editor and write down the time where I want to put a chapter. It works for me. If I was placing a chapter on TV or movie captures, having a sound graph would be useless as I'd want to split on scenes without any regard to the sound.
2) Probably a DVD limit, but do you have more spare time than most people? Let me tell you, I added 60 something chapters once in a Scenarist project (it was a capture from laserdisc of a bunch of old commercials that's never been released on DVD) and it was so time consuming, even today I wonder if it was really worth the effort. Why on earth do you need so many chapters? I'd love to know why.
3) Divx menus have nothing to do with DVD, so that's probaby why it needs to know when you start which kind of project you want. It probably can't very easily just use the same menu on both types of projects and the conversion between formats would be problematic.

[vico1]

Just a question...Does this version re-encode (?) everything put into
the tracks (as I've read v2.xxx does) in DVD mode, or is there a way
to not have it do so, with already DVD compliant Mpegs.

I'm still using TDA v1.6

[studio_two]

Just a question...Does this version re-encode (?)

Most of my archive DVD's have been recorded on my Sony DVD-Recorder and have the standard menu generated by the machine.

I would like to add my own menu (plus a few chapter marks). But, I want to be confident that TMPGEnc will not degrade the quality of the video in any way.


TIA,
Stephen

[vico1]

I would like to add my own menu (plus a few chapter marks). But, I want to be confident that TMPGEnc will not degrade the quality of the video in any way.

I know v1.6 does not touch the video, it just renders the menu.

I believe from v2.xxx on, TDA started using something called "smart-render" (?)
and from what I've read, it may "re-work" (?) the imported video,
even if already DVD compliant.

I have no idea if this "smart-rendering", actually does anything to a compliant import...
I have read, that it is slower tho.

If I am wrong on some points here...I will happily stand corrected...

Anyone have any insights?

[GeorgeW]

There is a 99-chapter limit per Title for SD DVD Authoring.

I heard rumors that a live internet connection is needed to activate/run this software -- is that true

Regards,
George

[edsmith77]

GeorgeW,
Yes TDA requires periodic license renewing. Which does require an internet connection. But it does not happen everytime you start up TDA. It happens in a random manner. And even if you do not happen to have an internet connection when TDA wants to reverify the license, it will let you run TDA anyway. But the next time it wants to check and there is again no internet connection, I think it will stop you until you do have a connection.

[vobnovice]

jman98,

Thanks for your reply.

The reason I want more chapter marks is that the video is an instructional dance video and is comprised of around 20 or so figures. Each figure has several sections like:

- an initial demonstration
- lead's (man's) part
- follow's (woman's) part
- demonstration recap and commentary

It's all very regular, and a person will have good reasons to skip sections. For instance, a lead would like to skip over showing of the follow's part, and an advanced dancer might want to skip directly to the commentary. Each section has a run time of about 1 - 2 mins. so it's a pain just to sit through them. Using fast-forward is possible, I guess, but you'll always overshoot. Hitting the "next chapter button" a few times is much more convenient.

[MJPollard]

Yes TDA requires periodic license renewing. Which does require an internet connection. But it does not happen everytime you start up TDA. It happens in a random manner. And even if you do not happen to have an internet connection when TDA wants to reverify the license, it will let you run TDA anyway. But the next time it wants to check and there is again no internet connection, I think it will stop you until you do have a connection.

And that, my friend, is why I will never upgrade beyond TMPGEnc 2.5. Periodic "phone home" licensing (beyond the initial registration process) is total bullshit, no matter how anyone tries to justify it, and I personally will no longer do any business with a company that engages in such practices.

[gll99]

Yes TDA requires periodic license renewing. Which does require an internet connection. But it does not happen everytime you start up TDA. It happens in a random manner. And even if you do not happen to have an internet connection when TDA wants to reverify the license, it will let you run TDA anyway. But the next time it wants to check and there is again no internet connection, I think it will stop you until you do have a connection.

And that, my friend, is why I will never upgrade beyond TMPGEnc 2.5. Periodic "phone home" licensing (beyond the initial registration process) is total bullshit, no matter how anyone tries to justify it, and I personally will no longer do any business with a company that engages in such practices.

Why sweat it, fortunately unlike an operating system this particular tool is easy to replace and you can do without it with something else that doesn't call home. As long as purchasers don't mind and the company can justify the practise with sufficient sales then they won't give up the intrusion. Those who use an offline pc to do their video processing just need to look elsewhere. MS may have a corporate image to worry about so they might eventually respond to public upset but complaining to a small fry company like this won't reverse the trend only a major loss of revenue will do this.

[edsmith77]

MJPollard,
I am not certain why your ire is so high against the random periodic license renewal. The amount of time it takes to reverify the license is miniscule compared to the other tasks that you do that the intrusion is hardly noticeable. I personally do not see the issue with a company trying to protect its interests so long as it is unobtrusive and onerous (which I feel in this case is very unobtrusive).

But if you insist on this course of action, I am sure you will be happy with any other number of vendors that provide the same type of product without the same type of intrusion that has you so annoyed.

Good luck.

Ed

[vobnovice]

To get around the 99 chapter limit it just occurred to me that perhaps I could make each figure a title instead of chapter marks within the same title. Do I have my terminology correct?

[GeorgeW]

To get around the 99 chapter limit it just occurred to me that perhaps I could make each figure a title instead of chapter marks within the same title. Do I have my terminology correct?

Correct -- you can have up to 99 Titles per DVD (software permitting)...

Regards,
George

[MJPollard]

I am not certain why your ire is so high against the random periodic license renewal. The amount of time it takes to reverify the license is miniscule compared to the other tasks that you do that the intrusion is hardly noticeable. I personally do not see the issue with a company trying to protect its interests so long as it is unobtrusive and onerous (which I feel in this case is very unobtrusive).

Then I guess you won't mind if, the next time you buy a shirt from Sears, a Sears employee comes into your home on occasion and takes DNA samples to ensure that only you are wearing the shirt. Yes, it's a ridiculous example, but the principle is the same: a company that sells you a product continues to think of you as a potential thief and institutes random spot checks to make sure you don't make unauthorized use of their product.

(I'm well aware that other products exist. Hell, I already own one, the MainConcepts MPEG-2 encoder that comes with Sony Vegas. And I'm perfectly happy with TMPGEnc 2.5, for which I gladly paid the money to own a legitimate copy. But Pegasys' "all customers are criminals" practices have ensured that I'll never buy anything else from them ever again.)

But if you insist on this course of action, I am sure you will be happy with any other number of vendors that provide the same type of product without the same type of intrusion that has you so annoyed.

Annoyed? Yes, definitely so, by obnoxious and insulting behavior from companies that continue to consider their paying customers to be potential criminals. And what's even more annoying is why more people don't feel the same way, and why people like yourself consider those of us who do (you know, honest consumers who did the right thing and still get treated like potential thieves) to be the odd ones.

[edsmith77]

MJPollard,
Just remember it was yourself that called yourself odd. I did not say that nor imply that. Just for the record.

However, IMHO, it is these types of extreme arguments that stirs up many heated debates. While I do understand your concern, I do think it is a bit far reaching to presume that TSUNAMI thinks you are a criminal.

I presume you feel the same way about the police and their ability to do spot checks of licenses even without you knowing about it. And the DUI roadblocks and stops that they do in an attempt to prevent dunken driving. Guilty before I ever get to the roadblock. A criminal because my license plate looks strange.

Anyway, I respect your right to voice your opinion on the tactics used by companies to prevent unauthorized use of their product. But I think it is a very trivial consequence to us for this behaviour. Personally, I think there are bigger pirating issues out there that really need to be solved.

This topic is nowhere near what the original poster had in mind and I think we have hijacked this thread well beyond what is necessary.

Have a great day !

Ed

[TBoneit]

As I remember DVD limits they are. 99 titles and 99 chapters per title.

As for re-encoding I do not recall hitting that if I keep the DVD size under the limits for a DVD or DVD DL. Since I mainly use it to create Ultra Divx and DVDs from other formats where I want it to re-encode....

If I have lots to do I set up a batch encode for overnight in TMPGEnc 3.0 XPress. Then author later on.

[vobnovice]

An update...

I found out (by accident) that TMPGEnc has an sound level graph available if you right click on the frame display.

If I have lots to do I set up a batch encode for overnight in TMPGEnc 3.0 XPress. Then author later on.

Batch control is something I would be interested - looks like I might want to check out the XPress version. Thanks for the pointer!

[obs]

1. I like the frame selection interface - very spiffy. However, it would be nice to have a sound level graph to go along with it. This would be useful for creating chapter marks at the right place - otherwise I have to use a lot of trial and error to find the right spot for the mark.

Agreed. I've been recording the new enhanced Star Treks from television broadcast and use DVD Author to cut out the commercials. With Star Trek, after a commercial, the music often starts while the picture is still black.


I believe from v2.xxx on, TDA started using something called "smart-render" (?)
and from what I've read, it may "re-work" (?) the imported video,
even if already DVD compliant.

I read a thread about this somewhere, and someone who worked for Pegasys said that if no compression was needed/used, the quality is untouched.

[obs]

Cool feature I just found. If you right click on the frame selection strip, it fast scans (forward or back, variable speeds, depending on the position where you right click). Great for doing commercial searches without missing out any of the footage you want to keep. Commercial breaks are unpredictable for sports.