DVD Authoring Programs

[-y]

I'm thinking of buying Sonic DVDit PE v2.5. I have very little experience in authoring DVD's; but I would like to use Dolby Digital Audio in my DVD's and this program will do it. I'm wondering if there is a cheaper way to author a DVD with AC3 audio?

Thanks

[rpa]

You might want to check this thread first.

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26333

[harrya]

SpruceUp???

[lemmy999]

The only drawbacks to spruceup that I know of (at least for me) is that it won't output 16:9 and that it won't append video files. There is a workaround for both. For 16:9 I have read that you use header modifying program to set your 16:9 input file to 4:3, author with spruceup, then use IFOEDIT to change it back to 16:9. I have not tried this, but have heard it works. And you can just append the files before you send them to spruceup.

[Arky]

"DVDit!" ? Have to be careful what I say here, but personally I would not give the program Hard disk space. Instability, MPEG incompatibility, feature-lacking.... these are a few words which inexplicably spring into my mind when I hear the name of the program in question. Why not look at Pinnacle's Impression Pro (£350), or Ulead DVD Workshop (£175). SpruceUp is also good, but more limited. None of these authroers are perfect, but if you are legitimately buying a DVD-authorer in the budget-to-midrange, then these are perhaps the best options to look at in the Windows domain. I strongly recommend that you buy the latest (June2002) issue of Computer Video and read the supplied DVD-authoring supplement. For a newcomer, is offers some useful advice, and any further questions you may have after reading it can be answered by the Doom9 forum crew! :)


Arky ;o)

[Jestorius]

Sonic DVDit Pe isn't nothing else than a home or industry authoring software. It has it's limitation but it isn't unstable. It's very stabel if the assets you are using are the kind of DVDit likes. For axample Pinnacle Mpeg2 codec made a user spike at the end of the mpeg stream, it's legal information and iMpression DVD-Pro never any problem to use the file. But DVDit couldn't. Of courcse all the users said DVDit is a crap. It isn't , it was just to force you to use Impression. They have changed this policy and the encoded stream works fine everywhere.

DVDit has it's own build in encoder ( never use it, very slow ). You can burn directly to CD/DVD-burner, make a discimage or output to a DLT. For me it works well.

The menu creation is very simple , easy to use but you don't have any chance to use subpictures. You can link menu buttons to chapter points, works very well. The movies can have only one audio track and no subtitle.

My conclution is - Don't buy it !!! Because it costs more than Pinnacle Impression DVD-Pro which has many of the possibilities covered by the DVD Specification.

I'm using DVDit Pe only for quick and dirthy industry DVD creations. Impression for more advanced Industry DVD-s and ReelDVD for the one I have to finished on Scenarist. And DVDMaestro for my personal pleaseur.

[auenf]

/me votes for iDVD 2 over DVDit

Enf...

[Commander XJL]

DVDit! is absolutely horrible

[Jestorius]

Commander XJL - can you explain "horrible".
Do you use the last update? Did you read the manual because 99% of the users did't. What do you expect of DVDit?

Sonic made a software for reguler customer/ home directors without any experience and technical knowledge of DVD. It is MyDVD (not MyDVD 3), DVDit Se and PE. All these softwares are what you are paying for. My problem is that PE costs too much. How DVDit highlight menu buttons are something we could discuss. It isn't nice but if it is so than you have to design. You have to choose menu colors which fits to this overburned highlight color.

Anyway , if you search this forum you can see that more than 30% of the treads are about "how can I make menu buttons , highlight buttons, animated menues...". Sonic wanted to give you something which are easy to use, and it is.

If something is horrible than it is ReelDVD. 1500$ and you can't switch audio track from a menubutton?. The customer has to use the remote to switch it. It's horrible.

Or, what isn't horrible. Scenarist/DVDMaestro for ~>=< 30.000,-?

[Arky]

DVDit! has not been criticised purely for incompatibility with Pinnacle's output files - in fact I suspect that the number of DVDit! users who create their MPEG with a Pinnacle encoder are in the extreme minority. Indeed, DVDit! existed, with all it's foibles, before Impression was even owned by Pinnacle (was owned by Minerva Networks, who cooperated with Pinnacle). TMPGEnc is a far more popular encoder in the price range that DVDit! users exist, and DVDit! is renowned for spewing TMPGEnc files out, too - AND only seeing fit to do so AFTER it has allowed one to import TMPGEnc files and author with them, only to find them rejected at the END of the authoring procedure, when attempting to compile! I will simply say that I am glad that you have had success with the program - good luck to you. I maintain, however, that the program IS unstable, and I am not alone - read the DVD-authoring supplement in this months Computer Video and you will see my sentiments echoed. I am not here to slag off Sonic, I am just giving my honest opinion to someone who asked for guidance.


Arky ;o)

[Jestorius]

Arky - My recommandation was "not to buy". I've got it as an upgrade to my A03, Impression Pro as upgrade of the SE comming with DV500+, ReelDVD as a standalone packet. Maestro... hmmm as all the others around here. As I said my first authoring software was DVDit PE comparing to the incomme genereted with it was my very best investment.

If you got 100$, you know what, my recommandation is:
Tmpgenc and Ulead MovieFactory.

[Commander XJL]

Actually I think that the worst thing about DVDit! is the model they used for the startup screen. Its enough to scare you. Is that hair on her head? I sure wouldn't call it hair. I think in the movie Nutty Professor Eddie Murphy called it shitlocks.

[Arky]

:p :D

[Deepa DvD]

I would say DVDit PE is a good program for Consumers who just want to put their movies on DVD.But the problem is that it's a bit too much.$$$ On the other hand, If you are going to Author Commercial DVD's then you probally think that it's a dumb program.Well DVDit PE is a consumer program. So what do you Expect? If Sonic put a lot of DVD Specifications, then there would be hundreds of consumers having problems- How to create a menu? How to create a button?-(And they would pump up the price even more) What I am trying to say is that it is a good program.But if your looking for Pro DVD Specifications.What do you expect from a consumer-level program.Right? -It's expensive because the License from Dolby.Anyway the SE version at least shouldn't be that expensive. It is a good program, but I do not like the limitations, since I'm into Pro DVD Authoring. (I've learned a lot from great members on this forum, such as Jestorius and others...still there is a lot to be learned):)

[Arky]

I made no reference to the feature set of the program...

SpruceUp (bundled with some products)

Ulead DVD Workshop (£175)
Pinnacle DVD Impression Pro 2.2 (£350)

Again, I repeat: read the supplement in this month's Computer Video.


Arky ;o)

[-y]

Thanks for all the in info; and yes I have read all the threads about the current DVD Auth. programs out there. Well I guess I'm going to go back to do more reasearch on this issue.


Thanks

[Jestorius]

It's all about what do you wanna use it for. Is it a firm, studio and specialised to make DVD, take Scenarist with machine controll. It payes it self.

Is it only a hobby, use as much money as you feel is right.

In my case DVD is only a 1/20 of all the pruducts we are selling. That's way I invested in ReelDVD. The script can be used on Scenarist. And I can rent studio time in a Scenarist studio. But actually Impression DVD-Pro covers all our needs in the industry productions.