What Do You Think About Dazzle DVD Complete?

[rkr1958]

I just bought Dazzle on DVD/DVD Complete/MovieStar5 version 2.0 off of ebay for less than $44.00 (w/includes shipping). I'm looking for a good DVD authoring tool that lets me do reasonably good looking menus. I have Sonic MyDVD, which came with my DRU-500a. I liked it's menus but didn't like the fact that it would reencode my audio making a much larger file. (I used SDV 7.0 for capture and editing to avi and TMPGENc for encoding to MPEG-2). I then bought Ulead DVDMovie Factory off of ebay for around $20.00 (after S&H). I like the menus and the fact that MF doesn't modify the MPEG-2 files generated by TMPGEnc. However, the MPEG-2 file has to be one continuous file. If I input several segments, which I may want to treat as individual chapters, when played the DVD will always go back to the main menu after each segment and will not go to the next segment. So I found Dazzle on DVD Complete w/MovieStar5 on ebay. CNET and other site give this product a very high rating. However, the user reviews run 50/50. I was just wondering what you guys / gals think about using this product for DVD, and even VCD, authoring with menus.

[Bob W]

I use NeoDVD Plus which does it all and does it very fast.
http://www.mediostream.com/products/neodvdplus/index.html

[chaseru]

I like it except that it doesn't accept 352x480 MPEG2 files.

[bugster]

When it works it produces good looking menus with motion buttons. However I have found it to be flaky and unstable. I have 3 Pc's at my disposal. On one it NEVER completes, on another it will sometimes finshes and sometime crashes (about 50/50) and on the third it works without crashing about 95% of the time.

Other drawbacks, it wont accept video with a 16:9 DAR, or author to that aspect ratio.

As to multi part mpeg-s playing sequentially, never tried it.

Try it, if it works for you thats great.

Generally I like what it can do, just wish it was more reliable!

[Doggiedaddy]

rkr1958
@ $50.00 a steal, I think the program is a very nice piece of software [ too bad about the lack of support]. If you put in a little time you can learn to customize pretty much any portion of the process, including custom motion menu backgrounds, motion buttons and homegrown music for menus. Also the downloadable Scripting Manual release helps in the total custom package.
I have used it for about a year now along with others authoring systems, and I like it. Problems I feel no AC3 options and only a 30sec loop menu .wav/.mp2 selection.

http://www.dvd9to5.com/
http://www.dvd9to5.com/DVD_Complete.htm

Dd
justmy2cents

[ckdexterhn1]

I then bought Ulead DVDMovie Factory off of ebay for around $20.00 (after S&H). I like the menus and the fact that MF doesn't modify the MPEG-2 files generated by TMPGEnc. However, the MPEG-2 file has to be one continuous file. If I input several segments, which I may want to treat as individual chapters, when played the DVD will always go back to the main menu after each segment and will not go to the next segment.

You may not have had Ulead configured correctly. I have created many a DVD with menus on Movie Factory, using single and multiple MPEG files, and never had a problem with it playing continuously. Plus Ulead is very simple to use.

I'm not crazy about Dazzle DVD Complete, as it always gave me problems with my modified MPEG files. Either the MPEG video was non compliant, or it didn't want to use the audio file I needed to use, etc. I could take the same files in Ulead and create a DVD that played on all of my standalone DVD players and my DVD-Rom.

[rkr1958]

You may not have had Ulead configured correctly. I have created many a DVD with menus on Movie Factory, using single and multiple MPEG files, and never had a problem with it playing continuously. Plus Ulead is very simple to use.

ckdexterhn1, Are you using Movie Factory 1 or 2? I have 1. How do you get Movie Factory to play multiple MPEG files continuously? For the life of me I've checked (or at least I thought I've checked) out every option in Movie Factory. What obvious thing am I missing?

[ckdexterhn1]

Ulead Movie Factory 2. If you look to the left under AUTHOR, there is a How To which talks about the different options.

[gcutler]

I have DVD Complete and Movie Star 5, I have only used Movie Star 5 so don't know if it is good or bad. But I have used several authoring tools and find that DVD Complete really allows me extra freedoms when making menus that many other products don't. I really like DVD Complete and use it on 3 different machines with no problems on any (XP and Win2000)

A way to look at things is price range. THe Under $50 programs seem to allow very little menu customization (change background or pic frame, but not much else). DVD Complete like the $99+ products allow you to have much control.

[rkr1958]

Ulead Movie Factory 2. If you look to the left under AUTHOR, there is a How To which talks about the different options.

I've check the How-To; however, The How-To Covers Movie Factory 2 (DVD Authoring
How to author and burn a DVD with menu and chapters with Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2") and not Movie Factory 1 which appears to be significantly different. My side-question still stands, how can I make multiple MPEG-2 files play continously in MF1 and not return back to the main menu after each file?