DVD Authoring: Menu Creation, Encoding, etc

[kerpal]

Hi,

I have a few questions regarding dvd creation. I want to get out of the Adobe stage of making DVDS and move into better programs for creating DVD menus and what not. What programs do you guys suggest that make very professional menus and what not. I heard DVDLab is very good and what not.

I was hoping to get something that utilizes CCE encoding or better as well.

What im basically trying to do is this:

1. Advanced DVD Menu Creation
2. Subtitles (English, Spanish, etc)
3. AC3 5.1, AC3 2.0, DTS 5.1
4. Encoded DVD using CCE or better
5. Others (like behind the scenes, etc)

Any information regarding the best authoring tools would be great, I would really appreciate it. thanks.

Eric t. Edwards
www.ecpfilms.com

[BJ_M]

sonic scenarist http://www.sonic.com/products/Professional/Scenarist/quicklook.aspx

[guns1inger]

DVD Lab Pro can author with all of those features. You have to create you assets outside the program, as it won't do multi-channel encoding etc for you. I use it, and have done everything you have specified there, and much more.

[kerpal]

Awesome guys for the info, so its looks as if Sonic Scenarist and DVD Lab Pro are the ways to go.

Have you guys tried HD footage with these programs, or do you encode HD later and then throw the footage after it is encoding into these programs?

[guns1inger]

Encode first, author later. If you want a good quality free encoder look at HCEnc.

[kerpal]

Does HCEnc allow you to use CCE encoding? or is the encoding provided in this program just as good as that?

[Pinstripes23]

They're both encoders. Use one or the other.

[BJ_M]

cce does not do HD , Sonic provides a one stop hardware sd encoder (very very good) and a complete hd-dvd / bluray encoder + plus industry accepted standard for DVD , Bluray and HDDVD authoring ..

they will supply a complete workstation or just the pieces ..

cce also has a hardware encoder workstation ..

normal flow is to encode right from a sdi input