Official software

[Flying Doctor]

I was wondering if anyone know what program is used by
people who create the dvd's you can buy in the store.
With selectable audio, subtitles and stuff...

[mats.hogberg]

May be any and all, but Sonic Scenarist looks like the most common tool for studios.
However, it can all be done with cheaper (and even free) tools like DVD-Lab Pro and others.

/Mats

[jman98]

Mats is correct. Scenarist costs thousands of dollars (US dollars) unless you are somehow able to get a copy through a non-standard means of distribution. Scenarist is very powerful, but it is not intuitive or user friendly at all. Guides to use it are scarce because basically if you have a legal copy, it comes with documentation. I cannot recommend it for inexperienced users and something like DVD-Lab Pro is a much better choice.

[guns1inger]

The other major player is DVD Studio Pro, which is a Mac only product, however small independent houses could be using anything from DVD Architect to DVD Workshop 2. DVD Lab is probably the closest to Scenarist from a feature perspective, but it has a greater learning curve than the more drag'n'drop products.

[Flying Doctor]

Okay, because I want to create a dvd with selectable subtitles and selectable audio. Which program is the best?

[mats.hogberg]

GfD, DVD-Lab (in the consumer price range)

/Mats

[guns1inger]

DVD Workshop will also do this

[Flying Doctor]

Can I create a menu with background with all those programs?

[GeorgeW]

Can I create a menu with background with all those programs?

What type of menu -- 4:3 or 16:9

DVD Workshop 2.x does not do 16:9 menus, so if you are looking for that feature, you have to go elsewhere...

Regards,
George

[Flying Doctor]

I'd like a 16:9 menu.
I'm working with DVD Lab Pro 2 at the moment, but I can't seem to insert a movie or audio. Not even .AVI! What's with that?

[guns1inger]

DVD Lab pro is an authoring tool. It isn't an encoder or an all-in-one toy. It expects that you have planned out what you want to do, and have created your assets accordingly. This means encoding you audio and video to DVD compliance before you bring it in to the program.

I create all my assets elsewhere, and only use DLP to put them together at the end. All my still menus are created in Photoshop, and my motion menus are created in Vegas, with help from virtualdub or avisynth or whatever else may needed depending on what I am creating.

if you want something that will take any format and do the encoding etc then you should look at the consumer Ulead range or even Nero. Accept that they will be limited in handling multiple audio tracks and subtitles, but will do everything else at the click of a button.

If you want to produce even moderately professional looking output then you need to use the right tools for each step, plan ahead to make sure you cover everything, and take a little extra time.

[Flying Doctor]

So I have to convert my video's to Vob and audio to AAC?
Ulead and Nero both don't accept mutiple audio tracks...

[GeorgeW]

So I have to convert my video's to Vob and audio to AAC?
Ulead and Nero both don't accept mutiple audio tracks...

Convert your videos to dvd-compliant mpeg, and convert your audio to dvd-compliant audio such as AC3, LPCM, and PAL will allow mpeg audio...

Regards,
George

[mats.hogberg]

VOBs are (parts of) what the authoring process outputs.
Into it, goes mpg video, AC3/LPCM/MP2 audio and possibly still images (as menu backgrounds).

/Mats

[Flying Doctor]

Thnals. I'm going to try it.

[videopoo]

The only problem I have with DVD-Lab is in the fact section where it tells you not to use it for professional use Powerful tool but I'll pass

[Flying Doctor]

What can I use to convert AVI or MKV or OGM to MPG and the audio to AC3? Because I've extracted a MKV into H264 and AAC audio but SUPER won't convert them.

[mats.hogberg]

Super is (qualitywise) one of the lowest quality converters out there. You'd be better off, using some all-in-oneder app, like convertx2dvd.
You're asking questions about professional, top-of-the-line software for authoring, yet your source material is low quality downloads?

/Mats

[Flying Doctor]

No, not at all. MKV is very good quality right? With mutiple audio tracks and subtitles tracks.

[guns1inger]

mkv implies quality in the same way the avi does - it is all relative, and it depends on the what is actually in the container. I have seen mkv files that were no better than a medium quality avi file.

If you want to use DLP then you also need to learn avisynth, so you can load the H264 video into HCEnc, so you can encode it to an mpeg-2 elementary video stream. Likewise, you need to be able to load the AAC audio into Aften to encode it as AC3 (and switch the channels if necessary), then you can author.

Frankly, I just don't get the need to take downloaded material that is, let's be honest, of dubious origin and sub-DVD quality, and to try to make it look like a commercial DVD, with menus and covers and all the gumph. Use FAVC, get a quality conversion (generally as good as the source) and skip all the extraneous crap. If you want all the extras that go with a commercial DVD, stop downloading and buy the damned thing instead.

[kimco52]

Gunslinger said, "Frankly, I just don't get the need to take downloaded material that is, let's be honest, of dubious origin and sub-DVD quality, and to try to make it look like a commercial DVD, with menus and covers and all the gumph... If you want all the extras that go with a commercial DVD, stop downloading and buy the damned thing instead. "

Hear, Hear!!!!! Truer words were never spoken. I'll second that motion. And agree 1000%.

[drjtech]

The only problem I have with DVD-Lab is in the fact section where it tells you not to use it for professional use Powerful tool but I'll pass

That's what DVD-lab PRO is for.

-drjtech