DVD Lab Pro – Menu loop points and linking

[Eric Pautsch]

704×480 (NTSC) is supported by the spec but I believe DVDLab may only support 720×480 (NTSC). Some players don’t support 704×480 anyway. You might want to do some searching in the manual. What were you using to extract the MPEGs? And what video recorder were you using, at what bitrate?

If your After Effect comps are 720×480 that’s what you need your mpeg streams to be as well. In addition, there are much better encoders out there than going to an outboard set top recorder – some under $60.00.

You need to seriously reconsider your work flow IMO. To make things worse check out the quote on DVD-Labs’ website:

“Is This Software Recommended for Commercial Project?:

It is strongly recommended that professionals who are getting paid for their commercial work use a commercial grade software. There are few industry standards for making DVD’s such as Sonic Scenarist or Apple DVD Studio Pro.
While nobody will stop you from using our low-cost solutions for commercial projects, it is not advisable. Once you invest a lot of money and time into making your commercial project, it doesn’t make sense to suddenly go “low-cost” on the last, but equally important step such as authoring DVD

https://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/dvdlabfaq.html

If the designers of the tool are saying this then I would listen 🙂

To answer your second question DVD-Lab is not a spec level tool. Something like targeting a loop point can’t be done. Its the same way with DVDSP. Think about making a duplicate menus without the intro and target that with your menu button.

Not to sound like a jerk (really) 🙂 But if your going to have half a million units made, I would strongly consider going to someone who really knows the ins and outs of DVD. Someone (maybe you) is putting up alot of money and this needs to be done right.

Good Luck

Eric

[Eric Pautsch]

Since the cow doesn’t have an EDIT BUTTON! I must correct something I said. I should have said DVD-Lab and DVDSP can’t target a loop point DIRECTLY like in a spec tool.

PLEASE don’t use DVD-Lab for a 500,000 unit job!! DON’T DO IT! – Especially if the designers urge the same!!

[Robin Hamilton]

I am using DVD Lab Pro because I was recommended it by someone on here. I normally use Adobe Encore to author DVD’s. This particular job, however, required an interactive, random multiple choice quiz. When the user answers 8 in a row correctly, they are taken to a secret menu with a code that they can then enter in a website to win prizes.

The only options I saw at the time were DVDLab Pro, and DVD Studio Pro. I needed a PC based software, and it wasn’t in the budget to by a mac just for the project. We are a small production company and the budget on the job isn’t super huge. The client just wants a disc that they then can take and get replicated.

Can you tell me what it is that makes the software not so great? I have used it for a few projects and have had absolutely no problems with it (other than you can’t preview a disc).

[Robin Hamilton]

Regarding the workflow…We use a panasonic real-time DVD recorder. On play back the video looks just as good as it did playing right from the edit system. The recorder can record at 10 mbps. PGC Demux is used to extract an m2v video file and an ac3 audio file.

Where lies the problem in this workflow?

Also DVD-Lab pro does recognize 704×480 video. But I can’t seem to render files from After Effects as 704×480.

[Eric Pautsch]

In After Effects you can change the size of your comp. All DVD design needs to be 720×480 (4×3) – they need to be rendered out 720×480. Do not use 1/2 D1 resolutions!

I can say 10mb/s is way too high. Depending on how much video your looking at 7 is about right – but it all depends on your job

Look around for a free bitrate analyzer to make sure your bitrates aren’t high.

DVD-Lab is a great tool and nothing comes close to it in features for the price on a PC. However, it hasn’t been tested the way professional tools are. The DVD-Lab staff even tells you this..

DVD authoring needs to be done with the myriad of players in mind existing worldwide. Some are good, some are bad. When you author, you need to do so in way that reduces that incompatibility ratio. This means using a proven tool and following certain steps. Just because it plays fine on your set top doesn’t mean it will on others. Again, don’t take this the wrong way, but your going about this incorrectly based on your posts.

I strongly urge you to get some professional DVD advice before continuing. I don’t mean to scare you but there’s much on the line here. You may be OK in the end…but maybe you won’t. But the 704 x 480 needs to go out the window…just for get those number..PLEASE! 720×480 throughout your workflow.

I may have been the one to suggest DVD-Lab to you but I would never do that if I knew what was at stake here.

Also if you go to replication..get a check disc of the run first before moving on .

Good Luck

[Eric Pautsch]

Also, there are place you can go to have your build testing before replication. Here’s one:

https://www.dvdverification.com/

Trai can get you some more insight on how compliant their builds are.

I, myself have done no testing on DVD-Lab builds but when the makers of the tool tell you to use something else for professional work (especailly a job where 500,000 units will be pressed) – I would listen!

[Robin Hamilton]

I always render everything I do for DVD at 720×480.

If I am using encore I use the real-time DVD recorder to capture at 10 mbps to minimise loss when Encore transcodes the video. In this case, since DVD Lab doesn’t transcode the video I used a lower bitrate setting on the recorder. DVD Lab reports the files as being 8 mbps. Although I will get a bitrate analyzer to check for sure.

704×480 is exactly the same as 720×480 except for 8 pixels cropped on either side, is it not?

[Eric Pautsch]

Thats correct…I;m not sure why your set top recorder is giving you 704×480? Don’t use these in your project. You MPEG should be 720×480 along with your menus.

[Robin Hamilton]

Yeah, that brings me back to my original problem. My menus are all 720×480, as well as all the animations. There are a couple video clips that are 704×480. DVD Lab will mix them, but recommends not to. I will find a different way to encode these few clips.

Thanks

[Robin Hamilton]

One more question. Why is 704×480 so bad? Everything I have read says that it is a DVD standard, and really no different than 720×480.