Update2: English version of "TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4" released

[roma_turok]

From Japanese site press release:

Pegasys, Inc. (CEO following Takashi Sumida-ku, PEGASHISU the two countries), DVD software, created "TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX Authoring" (below, TDA3) as the successor product, the new Blu-ray Disc authoring features "TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4 will be released. People from beginners to advanced in a broad range TDA3 have been evaluated, but a new feature with Blu-ray Disc authoring a milestone in creating multimedia Studio. Delicacy unique to the development of the country, to keep understandability, as well as many versions of this new feature is implemented.

The main features:
1. Blu-ray Disc Authoring
2. input file AVCHD
3. Output to 5.1 Dolby surround audio can be specified
4. Menu with gradient background and titles with gradient background
5. Batch output several projects
6. More than 170 types transition function between video and video
7. Conventional output ratio of 300 percent maximum rate improved

Link to Japanese site press release

English version will be available in 3-8 months
depends on marketing strategy and bug fixing progress

Update: First close look at "TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4"

Pegasys releases Trial Japanese version of TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4
Link to download Trial Japanese version of TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4

Main New features compare to "TMPGEnc DVD Author 3":
















Update2: English version of "TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4" released

http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/taw4_feature.html

[FulciLives]

Finally my favorite DVD authoring program goes Blu-Ray ... hooray !!!

Now I have to get me a Blu-Ray burner

Seriously though this is good news

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[yoda313]

So is this the new DVD AUTHORING program renamed to WORKS???

I am still using TDA 2.0. I don't really have any plans to use divx authoring although both my ps3 and xbox 360 support it via disc.

Is this "works 4" going to incorporate dvd authoring or is it strictly bluray authoring? I don't have a bluray burner yet just a rom drive. So if its strictly bluray I don't have a use for it yet........

[roma_turok]

So is this the new DVD AUTHORING program renamed to WORKS???

I am still using TDA 2.0. I don't really have any plans to use divx authoring although both my ps3 and xbox 360 support it via disc.

Is this "works 4" going to incorporate dvd authoring or is it strictly bluray authoring? I don't have a bluray burner yet just a rom drive. So if its strictly bluray I don't have a use for it yet........

They short word from workshop to works,
I think because Ulead trade mark workshop word in Ulead® DVD Workshop™ 2

And the software output to DVD, Blu-ray, DivX

[yoda313]

Thanks roma_turok.

So I guess that would be the one to upgrade to eventually.

Again I'm not sure I'm in the market for a new authoring app just yet. However if bluray burners get down to 150.00 or so who knows.....

[FulciLives]

I went from TDA 2.x to 3.x primarily due to:

1.) Menu in 3.x could be 4:3 or 16:9 whereas 2.x was 4:3 only
2.) Multiple audio support
3.) Subtitle support

I'm surprised you are still stuck on 2.x 8)

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[bobsimoneau]

Thanks roma_turok.

So I guess that would be the one to upgrade to eventually.

Again I'm not sure I'm in the market for a new authoring app just yet. However if bluray burners get down to 150.00 or so who knows.....

I got a Blu-ray burner (LG GBC-420L) from Bestbuy in Middletown, RI today for $119.00 after an instant $40.00 off. I purchased online, and picked up at the store.

[jg0001]

For most of ya's, I'd point out the following: on a dual layer DVD you can burn a BluRay movie and still get a good 60-80 minutes on there. I'm not sure what you plan on burning, but for me, I rarely make discs that long anyway. [I've burned numerous AVCHD recordings to DVD using Sony's included software as well as using Nero 8 and they've all played very nicely on my PS3. What I DON'T HAVE and DO WANT is what this program may offer -- a nice menu system for an AVCHD disc and NO re-encoding.]

--

Bob, I believe what you bought is a BluRay READER, DVD Burner. I've yet to see an LG burner go under $200.

I have the ever popular "LG GGW-H20L Blu-ray/HD DVD" drive and it writes single and dual layer BluRay, and reads HD-DVD as well.

[noemi7]

I wonder if it re-encodes video streams like any version starting from #2

[FulciLives]

I wonder if it re-encodes video streams like any version starting from #2

I was worried at first about the "smart rendering" that comes in TDA 3.x but there is a way to turn it off so you aren't stuck with re-encoding if you know you encoded properly to begin with etc.

For instance I mostly use the DGPulldown method of re-encoding PAL to NTSC and the resulting NTSC M2V works in TDA 3.x with smart rendering turned off ... otherwise it will try to re-encode.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[noemi7]

FulciLives, you cannot turn off smart rendering, at least in 3.x. It's clearly stated in the help file. I'd not know how it is in 2.x. I work with DVB captures (not re-encoded mpeg), and TDA always does something to the stream, even muxed stream in other not re-encoding applications such as DLP, and DVD Maestro plays without any flaws on a standalone equipment.

TDA won't accept non DVD standard frame size like 544x576 without re-encoding. Too long GOPs will be re-encoded, sometimes terribly - causing pixelation. Same with cut points which very often are badly rendered. Cut points are always flagged as non seamless hence they cause annoying short pause on a standalone equipment - this can be overcome by demuxing rendered DVD, and importing the stream once again to TDA.

I wrote a few times to Pegasys asking for details what is eventually done to the video stream, and how to avoid it. No damn reply.

Pity, it could be the best program for quick authoring. I very much like it menu rendering quality (I don't have in mind these lazy poor-art templates )

[FulciLives]

@noemi7

I've not had problems with turning off the smart rendering.

So really I don't know what you are talking about.

Perhaps if you import OBVIOUSLY bad MPEG-2 streams ... streams with resolutions or GOP structures that are clearing WRONG ... well maybe THEN you can't turn off smart rendering.

I'm talking about importing a PROPER source. One that conforms to the DVD spec.

Obviously a MPEG-2 stream with an oddball resolution like 544x576 or unacceptable GOP lengths doesn't fit the DVD spec. so I can imagine how smart rendering ... even if turned off ... will "kick in".

As for the stuff you said about edits ... are you talking about edits made from within TDA 3.x or edits made outside of it like using MPEG-VCR or VideoRedo etc.? I've not had problems *shrugs*

Please remember that DVB is not DVD and DVD has a very specific spec. so if the video file is outside of the spec. don't be surprised and act like something is wrong.

Remember that the DVD spec is a narrow range of what MPEG-2 can do so not all MPEG-2 will be DVD compliant.

My point is if you input a proper source you can turn off smart rendering. That feature is inside the program. It has worked for me without fail.

Then again I don't try to import a source that isn't DVD compliant to begin with and although the DGPulldown method of PAL to NTSC trips the smart rendering I can stop it from doing so by turning the smart rendering off WHICH does work since the DGPulldown stream is compliant if not exactly what TDA expects.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Alex_ander]

Yes, in case of a fresh and compliant encoding it will not do anything bad (except for re-encoding the very last GOP) - if you don't forget to disable (for each new project) options like 'always encode chapter point as I-frame'. But even after doing this I always felt unsafe and manually moved chapters to existing I-frames (highlighted in red). As for cut points made by an external application (like removing commercials from DVB), TDA3 tends to 'correct' them and produce video/audio glitches.
I finally came to using TDA3 for menu building only due to that behaviour. Then using DVDRemake combine those menus with material muxed in TDA1.6 or Muxman.

[noemi7]

I've not had problems with turning off the smart rendering. So really I don't know what you are talking about.

From the help file (FAQ):

Does TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 re-encode the video and audio?
Video is fully re-encoded. Audio is re-encoded if you change the format or enable the bi-audio option.

and Source > Video Tab

Automatically sets the encoder mode according to the content of the current Track. When this option prioritizes smart rendering, it allows the encoder to rework only the parts of the source that need it to reach a full compliancy with the project output type.

It's obvious the stream is always passed through the encoder. Version 1.6 has muxer only.

Because my DVDs are used by thousands of people, I know that as you wrote (DVB) bad MPEG-2 streams play well on any equipment - new and old.

[FulciLives]

Oh please. The video stream is NOT always re-encoded.

When I said bad MPEG-2 I meant a MPEG-2 stream that is not DVD Video spec. compliant.

After all you are the one that mentioned 544x576 which is NOT a resolution supported by the DVD Video spec.

Let's get real OK ?!?!?!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[noemi7]

I have got real: I use DVD Maestro - patched to accept non standard frame size streams, and everything rocks :P $68 spent for TDA 3 let me quickly chapter a video and export .keyframe file to use after format conversion in Maestro (which has no correct stream preview due outdated engine).

I'm happy like you

[noemi7]

BTW: there is a kind of joke on the new TDA application window BD NTSC Hasn't Pegasys noticed that there is no such thing like PAL / NTSC format in Blu-ray world? LOL

[MozartMan]

BTW: there is a kind of joke on the new TDA application window BD NTSC Hasn't Pegasys noticed that there is no such thing like PAL / NTSC format in Blu-ray world? LOL

Actually there is NTSC / PAL format in Blu-ray world.

As you can see in screen shot, Sony's Vegas 8 Pro has different templates for Blu-ray encoding.

50i (which corresponds to 25 frames per second) is for PAL Blu-ray world, and 60i (which corresponds to 30 frames per second) is for NTSC Blu-ray world.

[FulciLives]

People need to shut up when they have no idea what the hell they are talking about.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Take a wild guess who this comment is directed to 8)

[yoda313]

I went from TDA 2.x to 3.x primarily due to:

1.) Menu in 3.x could be 4:3 or 16:9 whereas 2.x was 4:3 only
2.) Multiple audio support
3.) Subtitle support

I'm surprised you are still stuck on 2.x 8)

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

Where'd you get that idea from? I'm using 2.0 right now and have burnt MANY 16:9 menus...... Just did a test burn yesterday and came out beautifully.

Now I wonder if you are reffering to 1.77:1 versus 2.35:1 menus???? I don't know who'd want a SUPER WIDE menu. But to each his own I guess but a 1.77:1 widescreen menu looks good enough for me

Edit - now also 2.0 does have multiple audio support as far as I know. However I have never used it personally so I don't know it he secondary audio is that goofy left speaker or right speaker deal that some net videos have. Also I don't know entirely what you mean by multiple audio support - do you mean direct importing of mp3 or other compressed audio???? Or were you looking for more than 1 additional audio track?

@bobsineauo.... Wow a bluray burner for 120.00 after rebates?????? I have to check that out later..... Hmmm... keep my bluray drive anyway and have a bluray rom AND a bluray burner in the same pc!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH

[FulciLives]

I was thinking of TDA 1.5/1.6 when I said 2.x before.

If I recall 2.x has 2 audio tracks but no subtitles but 3.x does both ... Oh hell I can't think straight.

This thread is a mess LOL

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[yoda313]

I was thinking of TDA 1.5/1.6 when I said 2.x before.

If I recall 2.x has 2 audio tracks but no subtitles but 3.x does both ... Oh hell I can't think straight.

This thread is a mess LOL

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

Ahh I gotcha now.

I almost never use subtitles so that is a feature I've never sought. As for extra audio I don't really dive into that in homemade either - certainly 1 extra track would be more than enough if I ever tried it.....

I'm not saying those features don't have value it's just something that doesn't effect me.

[roma_turok]

First post update, with release trial Japanese version of TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4.

[Bodyslide]

Looks like I will update to this version from the Version I have. Looks good so far....

[highvolumeJP]

It still lacks some more advanced features - with those it would be the best DVD authoring around. Here are some of the features I would have expected to see after all this time:

- Support for more than 2 audio streams and subs !
- Support for more flexible menu creation - and multiple menu branching.
- Importing original menus and structure from a DVD (Great for converting PAL DVD to NTSC DVD with their original menus!)
- Better transition effects - the ones they have SUCK - they claim 170, but most are repetitive - example star in / star out counts as 2 transitions. Circle in / circle out, keyhole in keyhole out, count for 4 - Would have liked to see pushes, slides, and 3D effects - most effects are based on alpha transitions.
- The inclusion of video filters
- Support for NVIDIA CUDA (They did add support in their Express encoding) why the hell not add support int THe DVD Authoring ?
- MPEG stream discontinuity checks and PTS preservation! If you import an MPEG stream that has discontinueous PTS, the final authored DVD will be out of sync !
- Support for Alpha masks and advanced menu authoring
- multi angle support
- Ability to set user prohibited options in firstplay videos or DVD.
- Panning & Zooming support for picture slideshows.

[roma_turok]

First post update, with release English version of TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4.

[lacywest]

Interesting