Video Guest Book – DVD Authoring – Software wanted

[Eric Pautsch]

DVD authoring is not editing so all needs to be done within an editor first

DVDSP can provide thumbnails for each button but you are limited on the amount on each page per the DVD spec.

There’s not thing really that’s going to speed up your workflow so I’d stick with what you have

[John Pugnale]

Try TMPGEnc Auhtoring Works 5 from Pegasys-Inc.

https://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/taw5.html

We use it everyday. Very easy to follow the steps for DVD Authoring. I have setup some “Template” Projects. Workflow goes something like this: Vegas: Edit, Render Export Chapter Marks; TAW5: Add File (automatically finds keyframe file i.e. chapter marks), apply menu template, output DVD folder and burn disc (happens together).

TAW5 can do some basic cut editing. Also can import JPEGS to make slideshows with transitions.

Easy to learn, simple interface, yet very powerful. Can import many typs of video and image files.

John Pugnale
MVP Video Creations, Inc.

[Eric Pautsch]

The DVD authoring tool he already has does all that as well 🙂

[John Pugnale]

OK, but it appears that he is looking for alternatives. TMPGenc Authoring Works 5 is a viable one. I will admit that I am not a DVD Architect expert. I keep my DVD menus pretty simple. My target market is the novice video user who may become confused with fancy menus. If they new how to operate a complex DVD menu, then they probably wouldn’t be bringing me their camcorders and tapes to create DVDs for them.

I dare say that TAW5 is much easier to use than DVD Architect. I have toaught housewife with little computer skills and virtullay no video editing skills to use it. Plus, my experience is that it is much more bulletproof with regards to the flavors of video (and still image) files it can suck in. It can even re-author an existing DVD.

The only weakness I see with it is that it is not as flexible to customize menus. It does have the tools to build custom menus its just that there are come navigation constraints.

But as far as:

“- Allow me to drag all the files to the timeline and apply transitions. I can do that with Sony Vegas but am listing this as part of my wants.”

TAW5 has a transition editor. Once you have your clips in the program you can open the transition editor and apply a transition to the clip.

“-Have a DVD menu which allows me to drop all my video clips into it and have it display a thumbnail showing the first frame. Ideally, I’d like to drop in 50+ files and have it build the entire menu. I can do this individually with DVD architect but if I have a 100 clips it will get old fast.”

TAW5 excels at the above. I regularly have customers who bring me there hard disk camcorders full of video files. I can easily build a scene selection menu by dragging the files to my hard disk then dropping them into TAW5. The menu building system allows me to create a track menu(s) with the desired number of thumbnails per page (99 chapters per track) I usually do six per page – this is a nice size to visualize the first frame. If need be I can tweak the frame displayed on the thumbnail. Similary, a top menu can be included that can have thumbnail displays for each track (99 tracks per DVD).

John Pugnale
MVP Video Creations, Inc.

[Art Sprague]

Thank You to everyone for posting so far, Your time is appreciated. I am looking at the software you mentioned.

[Mark Reddiar]

Hi, don’t know if his is already resolved. But have you considered a basic authoring tool like Corel Videostudio or nero Vision all of which very easily accomplish your requests.

Sorry if this does not match your criteria i am a newbie.

THKS

[Art Sprague]

I am trying the Corel software. Looks interesting. Thank You